MTV was a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel formerly owned by Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. with the name and branding used under a licensing agreement with Paramount Global.

CHUM Limited launched Canadian music channel MuchMusic in 1984, inspired by the success of MTV in the United States.

CRTC genre exclusivity restrictions prevented MTV from either bringing its American channel directly into Canada or launching a homegrown competitor.

In Broadcasting Decision 2003-65, the CRTC found that MTV Canada was offering a music-based service rather than a broadly-based teen channel.

The program featured future CTV network personalities Seamus O'Regan and Ben Mulroney, as well as Craig Norris (now at CBLA-FM-2 in Kitchener, Ontario) and Jennifer Hollett.

In 1999, talktv also acquired the broadcast rights to Pamela Wallin Live, which formerly aired on CBC Newsworld.

In the September 28 press release, CTV claimed to have applied for a Category 2 licence that would feature music videos, along the lines of the former MTV2 Canada (now Juicebox).

Since MTV uses the same broadcast licence CTV held for talktv, CTV is restricted by the following conditions of licence: Prior to the relaunch, The Globe and Mail reported that the network would "... be quite different from what most people associate with the original American MTV, which has increasingly moved away from music videos toward reality shows and other original programming,"[4] placing a heavy emphasis on "talk and lifestyle shows".

This would be essentially a revival of the live-and-interactive talk show format introduced by the chatroom, with new hosts, the addition of a studio audience, field reports, and live performances.

The final program broadcast under the talktv brand was that night's episode of eTalk Daily on March 20, 2006 at 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time; this was followed at midnight Eastern Time by a large, red MTV logo and an 18-hour countdown clock in preparation for the relaunch.

The channel held its official on-air launch party on April 18, 2006, with live performances by Kanye West and Sam Roberts.

[5][6] Since the late 2010's, MTV has re-oriented its programming towards male-targeting reality television series, including Jersey Shore and Cops.

The majority of its talk, lifestyle, documentary and scripted programming has since been dispersed to other Bell Media channels.

In an October 31, 2024 report by The Globe and Mail, a Bell Media spokesperson stated that MTV Canada would be shut down on December 31, 2024, with the company citing "changing audiences" as reasoning, and directing viewers to CTV.ca and Crave.

In March 2015, the CRTC announced it would no longer enforce conditions of licence related to programming for most specialty channels other than those primarily airing news or sports.

[11] By that point, MTV's schedule had begun to emphasize scripted series reruns during the daytime hours, including Canadian-produced shows to fulfill Canadian content quotas.

The "10 Spot" is the channel's hour-long primetime block of MTV reality and lifestyle series airing weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time.

A half-hour weeknight block aired at 1:05 a.m. local time from MTV Canada's 2006 relaunch until September 7, 2007, when it was replaced by TMZ on TV.