By 1996 another cable firm, Shaw, the second largest in Canada and a leading satellite operator, had acquired full control of YTV. In 2000, Shaw spun off its entertainment assets, including YTV, to a new subsidiary, Corus Entertainment. YTV is part of Corus's full range of youth-oriented media including Treehouse TV (for preschoolers), edgy radio stations (directed at teenagers and young adults), and niche digital channels (Discovery Kids, YTV Pow!, EdgeTV) for teens and preteens.

     YTV has successfully inserted itself into a traditional area of Canadian programming strength, children's and young people's programming. This has  been an area of strength because (a) children's programming was relatively inexpensive; (b) it could easily be exported; and (c) it tended to be neglected by more powerful U.S. production companies. As a result, YTV has been able to draw on a considerable catalog of Canadian children's programming and to provide opportunities for the expansion of this traditional area of expertise.

     Finally, YTV has proven very successful  in attract­ing its target audience. It engages in extensive polling of young people to determine their aspirations and concerns, buying patterns, and political views, and to spot trends. As a result, YTV has crafted a schedule mixing old, familiar shows with new, highly targeted programs. YTV has therefore very rapidly emerged not only as a leading showcase but also as an important producer of children's programming. It has produced or co produced such shows as ReBoot, Shadowraiders, and Freaky Stories, some of which have received wide international distribution. Additionally, YTV regularly exceeds the programming and spending commitments imposed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

     YTV has also emerged as a socially conscious broadcaster that contributes to numerous charities and fund-raisers (National Kids' Day, The Children's Charity, United Way, Children's Wish Foundation, etc.) and that provides educational grants. YTV has received numerous national and international awards for excellence in programming, for promoting international human rights, for aiding the cause of literacy, and for work in other areas of social concern.

     Ironically, YTV's greatest problems have come not from the marketplace or from viewers but from the CRTC. The regulatory commission determined that YTV should not appeal to audience members or age groups beyond its mandated audience, since a wider appeal would threaten the market of established broadcasters; therefore, the CRTC instituted the "protagonist clause," also known as the "Little Joe" rule. This clause requires that 100 percent of YTV's drama programming broadcast in the evening feature "a major protagonist that is a child, youth under the age of 18 years, puppet, animated character, or creature of the animal kingdom."

     The clause acquired its nickname when YTV discovered that Little Joe, a main character of Bonanza, which it had purchased to strip in prime time, actually celebrated his 19th birthday in one of the early episodes. The CRTC ordered Bonanza off the air, and YTV has since lobbied to have the clause removed or altered.

     YTV complains that the protagonist clause prevents it from showing material that legitimately appeals to its target audience: characters such as Superman, Bat­ man, and Robin Hood, who are all well over 18; programming featuring hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky; works of classic literature such as Great Expectations, in  which  the  hero starts as a child  but grows past 18; the life stories of most musical groups; and so on. YTV claims that it is difficult to co-produce or sell internationally if a major protagonist must be "a puppet, animated character, or creature of the animal kingdom."

     YTV's efforts met with some success when the CRTC amended the protagonist clause in 1992 to include comic book characters, folk and superheroes, and classical or historical heroes. Despite the CRTC's restrictions, YTV has generally managed to reach a loyal audience,  produce  hundreds  of  hours  of original con­tent, and ensure its financial success while also meeting public service and social responsibility objectives.