CTV To Buy CHUM

[jdobbin]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

Anyone with CITY TV stations can expect scaled back news programs, it is said.

[jdobbin]

Our local CITY news staff were all just fired.

[geoffrey]

CityTV is near the quality of Sun newspapers. An unintelligent rambling at best.

Kind of glad to see them go.

Though I am concerned about the further merging of our media.

[jdobbin]

CityTV is near the quality of Sun newspapers. An unintelligent rambling at best.

Kind of glad to see them go.

Though I am concerned about the further merging of our media.

CTV will be a goliath.

[Riverwind]

Though I am concerned about the further merging of our media.

A good reason to keep at least one alternative around that is not subject to the pressures of stock market valuation.

[BHS]

CTV will be a goliath.

A veritable WB.

[BHS]

Though I am concerned about the further merging of our media.

A good reason to keep at least one alternative around that is not subject to the pressures of stock market valuation.

Is this some sort of sly defence of the CBC? Fess up.

[jdobbin]

Though I am concerned about the further merging of our media.

A good reason to keep at least one alternative around that is not subject to the pressures of stock market valuation.

Is this some sort of sly defence of the CBC? Fess up.

After Global gets sold, it might be the only alternative to CTV.

I think many Canadians though would accept no Canadian stations in favour of being affiliates of American stations.

[margrace]

Oh well who cares, we will have a conservative controlled media when Harper gets rid of the CBC. We all want to be brain washed like the Americans.

Local census is that people in Ontario are too stupid to realize what is happening and will vote Harper a majority in the next election.

People get the government they deserve so they say.

[Riverwind]

I think many Canadians though would accept no Canadian stations in favour of being affiliates of American stations.

You got to be kidding. Most Canadians would not be happy to have their news outlets owned by Americans.

[jbg]

Oh well who cares, we will have a conservative controlled media when Harper gets rid of the CBC. We all want to be brain washed like the Americans.

1. That assumes that anything at the CBC has brains to be washed.
   
2. Why insult Americans? We provide your defense, and make your prosperity and freedom possible.
   

Local census is that people in Ontario are too stupid to realize what is happening and will vote Harper a majority in the next election.

People get the government they deserve so they say.

Oh yes, Paul Martin was a great choice. Or perhaps Hedy Fry for PM? What a laugh.

[jdobbin]

I think many Canadians though would accept no Canadian stations in favour of being affiliates of American stations.

You got to be kidding. Most Canadians would not be happy to have their news outlets owned by Americans.

Many public opinion polls showed Canadians wanted unfettered access to American signals. A lot of people asked said they wouldn't mind if there were no Canadian stations because they never watched them.

[Riverwind]

Many public opinion polls showed Canadians wanted unfettered access to American signals. A lot of people asked said they wouldn't mind if there were no Canadian stations because they never watched them.

Sounds like a poll commissioned by US television companies. I think people would have a different opinion if you asked them specifically about news programming.

[jdobbin]

Many public opinion polls showed Canadians wanted unfettered access to American signals. A lot of people asked said they wouldn't mind if there were no Canadian stations because they never watched them.

Sounds like a poll commissioned by US television companies. I think people would have a different opinion if you asked them specifically about news programming.

That might be. A lot of people are more concerned about getting HBO than that anything about Canada. I don't think there is any accurate numbers out there on pirating U.S. signals.

Walk around your neighborhood and look at how many people have Direct TV satellites. The company doesn't operate in Canada and yet I could walk in any neighborhood in any city in Canada and see Direct TV satellites.

Those satellites do not have *any* Canadian stations on them.

[Wilber]

I think many Canadians though would accept no Canadian stations in favour of being affiliates of American stations.

Not me. Specially when it comes to news.

[Riverwind]

Walk around your neighborhood and look at how many people have Direct TV satellites. The company doesn't operate in Canada and yet I could walk in any neighborhood in any city in Canada and see Direct TV satellites.

How many have these satellites in addition to basic cable with Canadian channels?

[August1991]

As the link makes clear, it is Bell Globemedia that bought a chain of radio stations. This makes sense. BGM now has the full spectrum - telephone, Internet, TV, radio and print journalism.

Incidentally, the biggest shareholder of Bell Globemedia is the Ontario Teacher's Pension Fund. In fact, my only fear about this deal is how closely connected government is to Bell Globemedia. The CRTC will have to approve this purchase but I would bet that Michael Sabia (CEO of BCE and once in the PCO) knows a thing or two about government and how the CRTC tribunal will vote. French Quebec's incestuousness has an honour to it. (Central English-Canada's incestuousness is just unseemly.)

Tidbit. I'd say this purchase is the result of two recent deaths: Ken Thomson and Alan Waters. (Thomson was the largest minority shareholder in BGM and Waters owned CHUM, as the OP's CTV link above notes.)

Last irony. The Leftist forums are concerned about "media concentration" when these same Leftists want to concentrate everything in the hands of the government. They just don't get it.

[jdobbin]

As the link makes clear, it is Bell Globemedia that bought a chain of radio stations. This makes sense. BGM now has the full spectrum - telephone, Internet, TV, radio and print journalism.

Incidentally, the biggest shareholder of Bell Globemedia is the Ontario Teacher's Pension Fund. In fact, my only fear about this deal is how closely connected government is to Bell Globemedia. The CRTC will have to approve this purchase but I would bet that Michael Sabia (CEO of BCE and once in the PCO) knows a thing or two about government and how the CRTC tribunal will vote. French Quebec's incestuousness has an honour to it. (Central English-Canada's incestuousness is just unseemly.)

Tidbit. I'd say this purchase is the result of two recent deaths: Ken Thomson and Alan Waters. (Thomson was the largest minority shareholder in BGM and Waters owned CHUM, as the OP's CTV link above notes.)

Last irony. The Leftist forums are concerned about "media concentration" when these same Leftists want to concentrate everything in the hands of the government. They just don't get it.

Actually, I have heard from all political sprectrums today about what it might mean. But for Canadians it is a big summer yawn. As one asked on CBC "who cares who owns the station."

Leonard Asper earlier this years asked that foreign ownership of networks be loosened up. Owners in Canada want to sell their media companies to the U.S. It is the right thing to do for investors.

[jdobbin]

Walk around your neighborhood and look at how many people have Direct TV satellites. The company doesn't operate in Canada and yet I could walk in any neighborhood in any city in Canada and see Direct TV satellites.

How many have these satellites in addition to basic cable with Canadian channels?

There's just no data in this regard. Suffice to says, the media companies have been asking for a harder line on pirating. However, most Canadians don't regard it as a crime and the court has been ambiguous. You can even see pirate dishes on cop houses because it is a gray area.

I don't have a dish but from personal experience, I know many friends and aquaintances who have no Canadian content save for an antenna to bring in hockey.

[jdobbin]

I think many Canadians though would accept no Canadian stations in favour of being affiliates of American stations.

Not me. Specially when it comes to news.

I'd prefer Canadian news as well but I think we are moving to an integrated market where our networks will be affiliates of U.S. networks. We still might get local news in this type of set-up but I don't know if there would be a national news anymore.

[Riverwind]

"who cares who owns the station."

An independent Canadian station owned by foreigners is different from a Canadian station which is just an affiliate of a US network. In the latter case their would be zero incentive to report international news from a Canadian perspective since it would be cheaper to just re-use the stuff developed for US audiences. I am sure you would get a resounding 'no' if you polled Canadians and asked them if they would be happy to have American networks as their only source of television news. I suspect your friends with the satellite dishes are people who don't care about the news anyways - a certain percentage of the population is like that but gov't should not be making policy to meet the needs of these people.

[jdobbin]

"who cares who owns the station."

An independent Canadian station owned by foreigners is different from a Canadian station which is just an affiliate of a US network. In the latter case their would be zero incentive to report international news from a Canadian perspective since it would be cheaper to just re-use the stuff developed for US audiences. I am sure you would get a resounding 'no' if you polled Canadians and asked them if they would be happy to have American networks as their only source of television news. I suspect your friends with the satellite dishes are people who don't care about the news anyways - a certain percentage of the population is like that but gov't should not be making policy to meet the needs of these people.

I tend to agree with you but the initiative to begin selling media assets to U.S. companies has already been asked for and there is some sympathy for it in Harper's cabinet according to some committee meetings a year ago.

[geoffrey]

Many public opinion polls showed Canadians wanted unfettered access to American signals. A lot of people asked said they wouldn't mind if there were no Canadian stations because they never watched them.

Sounds like a poll commissioned by US television companies. I think people would have a different opinion if you asked them specifically about news programming.

I'd like more access to US TV like FOX News on basic (or even premium) cable. Anyone that tells me I can't watch a channel and make up own my mind on what to believe is arrogant. If I want to pay for it, let me.

Incidentally, the biggest shareholder of Bell Globemedia is the Ontario Teacher's Pension Fund.

You'd likely be suprised at some of the holdings of OTPF. Nearly all of Alberta's power transmission is partially controlled by them, interesting investment hey.

Here's some others:

Chinook Centre, Calgary

Pacific Centre, Vancouver

Toronto-Dominion Centre Office Complex, Toronto

Luscar Energy Partnership

Nexen Inc.

Fording Canadian Coal Trust

EnCana Corporation

Vodafone Group Plc

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.

Talisman Energy Inc.

ConocoPhillips

Falconbridge Limited

Power Corporation of Canada (Hmm..)

Magna International Inc.

SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. (Through which they own Alberta's transmission assets)

All considerable (and some questionably unethical) investments. I'd say these guys have alot of power in alot of different areas of the economy. What can I say besides go Ontario teachers!

[August1991]

Michael Sabia lives in Westmount, I think, not Senneville. His Mom, Laura, made sure he learned French.

Let this be a lesson to all the Moms out there. Raise your son well. Put him in the picture.

You'd likely be suprised at some of the holdings of OTPF. Nearly all of Alberta's power transmission is partially controlled by them, interesting investment hey.

The Ontario Teacher's Pension Fund are called "Teacher's" in Quebec and everyone knows it. The fund's actions are reported.

In the Quebec context, the issue is whether we want to put decisions about our future in the hands of a few experts - or leave such decisions to a multitude of individuals freely deciding.

[jdobbin]

Many public opinion polls showed Canadians wanted unfettered access to American signals. A lot of people asked said they wouldn't mind if there were no Canadian stations because they never watched them.

Sounds like a poll commissioned by US television companies. I think people would have a different opinion if you asked them specifically about news programming.

I'd like more access to US TV like FOX News on basic (or even premium) cable. Anyone that tells me I can't watch a channel and make up own my mind on what to believe is arrogant. If I want to pay for it, let me.

And some people want HBO, the real MTV, Showtime and Sci-Fi Channel as well as the read HGTV, etc. It's quite possible that we'll see most Canadian networks and cable taken over in the next years. We'll see what the Conservative have planned for the CRTC. Many said they would dismantle it.

For some Canadians, it can't come too soon. They don't want Canadian televison. Period.