The crowded 24-hour news television market will become even more crammed this fall with the arrival of MSNBC-Canada on digital cable.

For news junkies north of the border, MSNBC may be a bit of an unknown quantity, but the news outfit has been a mainstay for U.S. viewers for almost a decade.

The channel has eaten into CNN's share of the breaking-news television pie.

MSNBC, a category 2 digital channel, brings with it a track record in the United States and a banner cast of personalities and star power. It may be the one true contender to CNN's long-occupied throne as the news station the world watches.

In the past few year, MSNBC has taken the highest U.S. ratings among viewers between the ages of 25 and 54 years old. It has done this by relying heavily on NBC network's vast number of international bureaus, national correspondents and affiliate networks for its comprehensive news.

Hosts such as Stone Phillips, Chris Mathews and Brian Williams figure prominently.

MSNBC Canada will provide 15-per-cent Canadian coverage in its first year, improving to 35 per cent by year five. Despite a dearth of Canadian content initially, NSNBC-Canada's general manager says Canadians will have a lot to sink their teeth into.

"Canadians will be drawn to us," Alison Clayton said. "[MSNBC] has really taken over a lot of the audience from CNN [in the United States], and our audience tends to be younger, more upscale and sophisticated."

Ms. Clayton cites the channel's hip sets and colourful presentation as one aspect to its success, but she adds that there are other more substantial reasons.

"Canadians are just going to be drawn to Imus and Williams," Ms. Clayton said.

Imus, of course is U.S. political commentator Don Imus, whose Imus in the Morning airs live on MSNBC from the WFAN radio studios in Astoria, N.Y.

As well, The Mitch Albom Show, featuring award-winninng sports writer Mitch Albom, airs weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m. Albom is an nationally syndicated columnist, and author of the best-selling Tuesdays with Morrie.

The channel has produced its own stars, such as Canada's Ashleigh Banfield, who has become one of the United States' most recognized news personalities through her work at MSNBC.

Banfield, who left Calgary's CICT television in the mid-1990s has not been seen on Canadian television since. She was most recently considered as Katie Couric's replacement on Today, but didn't get the job.

Banfield has been featured in MSNBC-Canada's marketing campaign - a testament to her status at the channel.

MSNBC will have the advantage of credibility on its launch.

Newsfront, an hour-long newsmagazine show focuses on in-depth reporting of stories not that usually don't make the news.

Hardball, with Chris Matthews as host, is MSNBC's answer to CNN's Crossfire. It airs Monday through Thursday live at 5 p.m. Matthews is a frequent commentator on NBC's Today and the regular substitute anchor on NBC's Weekend Today. He is a nationally syndicated columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle.

The News with Brian Williams is an nightly one-hour broadcast that features the latest updates and live reports on top stories of the day, plus interviews and lively discussions with newsmakers and coverage from NBC News correspondents around the world.

MSNBC Investigates is another newsmagazine, hosted by John Seigenthaler.

The ever-changing world of high tech is featured on Napoli on the Net, a journal of the wired world hosted by Lisa Napoli, who has covered the Web almost since its inception. Napoli is a former columnist and reporter for the New York Times CyberTimes.