Do it yourself channel launches in Canada

The DIY network, a new Canadian digital specialty channel offering home improvement tips and shows for Do-it-yourselfers, was launched today by Canwest.

Established in the United States in 1999, DIY Network reaches 50 million households in the U.S. and is expected to reach about 2 million Canadian households.

The station is owned by Scripps Network in the U.S. who are also the originators of the Food Network and HGTV which are also licenced by Canwest in Canada.

Shows for the new Canadianized DIY, cover a gamut of various activities which are capable of being performed by amateurs at home including: auto repairs, contracting, bike repairs,and home repairs ranging from simple activities such as painting, minor hole filling, and drywall repairs, to more complicated procedures such as door, window and wall addition, removal and replacement, all the way to roof repair.

Series confirmed for launch include:

• Sweat Equity – host Amy Matthews determines which home improvement projects will return the most bang for the buck;
• Yard Crashers – Ahmed Hassan, professional landscaper, waits at stores for weekend warriors who could use his help and he follows them home for ambush landscaping at its best;
• Desperate Landscapes – licensed contractor Jason Cameron takes on a neighbourhood’s ugliest yard and gives it a brand-new look; and
• Kitchen Impossible – contractor Marc Bartolomeo helps discouraged homeowners transform their terrible kitchens into sparkling new spaces.

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