Astral Media Inc. was a Canadian
media conglomerate
A media conglomerate, media company, media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as music, television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, video games, amusement parks, or ...
. It was Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 84
radio station
Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
s in eight provinces. Astral was also a major player in
premium
Premium may refer to:
Marketing
* Premium (marketing), a promotional item that can be received for a small fee when redeeming proofs of purchase that come with or on retail products
* Premium segment, high-price brands or services in marketing ...
and
specialty television in Canada, with 23 specialty channels and two conventional stations. In addition, Astral had a presence in
out-of-home advertising
Outdoor advertising or out-of-home (OOH) advertising includes public billboards, wallscapes, and posters seen while "on the go". OOH advertising formats fall into four main categories: billboards, street furniture, Transit media, transit, and a ...
.
In March 2012,
Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. (Canadian French, French: ) is a Canadian media conglomerate that is the mass media subsidiary of BCE Inc. (also known as Bell Canada Enterprises, the owner of telecommunications company Bell Canada). Its operations include nati ...
announced its intent to acquire Astral for $3.38 billion. Although an attempt to purchase the entirety of the company was blocked under
competition law
Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as antitrust ...
, the
CRTC
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; ) is a public organization in Canada tasked with the mandate as a regulatory agency tribunal for various electronic communications, covering broadcasting and telecommunic ...
approved a revised offer on June 27, 2013, which saw various Astral specialty channels and radio stations divested to competitors. The sale was consummated on July 5, 2013. Astral was dissolved later the same year as a result of Bell Media completing its acquisition of the company. Bell Media assumed some of Astral's television functions and absorbed some of its premium television services.
History
Angreen Photo and Astral Photo
Astral Media's roots lie with Angreen Photo, a Canadian company founded in 1961. It was created when
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
's Greenberg brothers,
led by
Harold Greenberg
Harold Greenberg, OC, CQ, (January 11, 1930 – July 1, 1996) was a Canadian film producer.
Career
Greenberg got his start in film working in his uncle's second-hand camera store when he was thirteen. He eventually set up his own film ...
, founded it to operate the
photography
Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
concession in
Miracle Mart
Miracle Mart was a chain of discount department stores with locations in Ontario and Quebec, Canada based in Saint-Laurent, Quebec. The chain was renamed to simply M in the mid-1980s.
History
The company was founded in early 1961 as Miracle Mar ...
, a
department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...
chain. Its acquisition in 1963 of Bellevue Pathé led to photography rights at the Montreal
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 28 to October 29, 1967. It was a category one world's fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most s ...
World's Fair, and it eventually grew into a 125-store chain,
Astral Photo,
[ the remnants of which are now owned by the Black's Photography chain. The company grew quickly into ]motion picture
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...
processing after acquiring the Pathé-Humphries motion picture lab in 1968 and Associated Screen News Industries of Montreal in 1969.[
]
Astral Communications Limited
The company was constituted in 1973 under the name Astral Bellevue Pathé Limited. It eventually undertook videocassette
Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocasset ...
duplication and video wholesaling
Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...
. The company also produced or executive produced over 100 feature film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
s, television program
A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via Terrestrial television, over-the-air, Satellite television, satellite, and cable te ...
s and television miniseries
In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
. The films were released by American Cinema Releasing. The company had operated such subsidiaries as Astral Films, Astral Film Productions Ltd. and Astral Video, as well as in 1987, a development consortium that was led by Harold Greenberg
Harold Greenberg, OC, CQ, (January 11, 1930 – July 1, 1996) was a Canadian film producer.
Career
Greenberg got his start in film working in his uncle's second-hand camera store when he was thirteen. He eventually set up his own film ...
with funding from the CBC CBC may refer to:
Media
* Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico
* Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster
** CBC Television
** CBC Radio One
** CBC Music
** ...
called the Centre De Production De Montreal, which is set for open in 1989.
In 1983, the Greenbergs acquired complete control of two pay television
Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription business model, subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichan ...
networks, First Choice (now known as The Movie Network) and Premier Choix TVEC (now Super Écran
Super Écran (French: ''Super Screen'') is a Canadian French-language premium television network owned by Bell Media. It airs a mix of commercial-free films and television series. Films are primarily sourced from the United States and Canada, wh ...
), at which point Astral ceased to be directly involved in film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
and program production. The company would later expand its television operations by launching new specialty networks. In addition, it became involved with the home video and feature film market, lasting from the mid-1980s until at least 1996. In 1987, Astral Film Enterprises had teamed up with Management Company Entertainment Group to produce three feature films by 1988, with the first film slated to be in the co-production pact was '' Boris and Natasha'', ''Boardwalk'', and ''Villa Golitsyn'', which were proposed in the three-picture pact, but the projects, aside from ''Boris and Natasha'' were never realized. In 1996, Astral Communications decided to sell all of the program development and distribution divisions to Coscient Group. In February 2000, Astral Communications changed its name to Astral Media.
Astral then expanded into radio, beginning with the 2000 acquisition of Radiomutuel, and the 2002 purchase of most of the radio assets of Telemedia
Telemedia was a Canadian media company, which had holdings in radio, television and magazine publishing.
The company was launched in 1968 by Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien, when he purchased CKAC in Montreal from Power Corporation of Canada. CKAC r ...
, although those companies' joint AM radio network Radiomedia
Cogeco Inc. is a Canadian telecommunications and media company. Its corporate offices are located at 1 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec. The company is structured into three strategic business units (SBU); Cogeco Connexion, Breezeline (p ...
was ultimately sold to Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. (often simply known as Corus) is a Canadian mass media and television production company. The company was founded in 1987 as Shaw Radio Ltd. as a subsidiary of Shaw Communications and was spun-off from Shaw in 1999. It h ...
for competitive reasons. Radiomutuel also owned a controlling share of outdoor advertising
Outdoor advertising or out-of-home (OOH) advertising includes public billboards, wallscapes, and posters seen while "on the go". OOH advertising formats fall into four main categories: billboards, street furniture, Transit media, transit, and a ...
firm Omni Outdoor (which eventually became the fully owned Astral Out-of-Home division), as well as several French-language specialty channels such as Canal Vie
Canal Vie is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Bell Media. Canal Vie airs lifestyle and entertainment programs aimed at women in the form of talk shows, documentaries, reality TV series, and films. Programs focus on a variety o ...
, Ztélé, Séries+, VRAK.TV
Vrak (stylized as VRΔK) was a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. subsidiary Bell Media. The channel primarily broadcast live-action programming aimed at 13-to-35 age group audiences.
Launched in 1988 as Le Canal Fa ...
, and 50% stakes in MusiquePlus and MusiMax (then co-owned with CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited was a Canadian media company based in Toronto, Ontario in operation from 1945 to 2007. The company was founded in 1945 as York Broadcasters Limited when it launched CHUM (AM), CHUM-AM 1050 but was acquired by salesman Allan Waters in ...
).
On February 23, 2007, Astral Media announced that it had signed a letter of intent and had entered into exclusive negotiations regarding the acquisition of "substantially all of the assets" of Standard Radio. A formal agreement was later announced, with the proposed transaction being approved by the CRTC
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; ) is a public organization in Canada tasked with the mandate as a regulatory agency tribunal for various electronic communications, covering broadcasting and telecommunic ...
on September 28, and completed on October 29 of the same year. The transaction gave Astral Media a significant foothold in English-language radio.
In 2010, Astral Media relocated its headquarters to 1800 McGill College Avenue
McGill College Avenue (officially in ) is a street in Downtown Montreal, downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Named for McGill University, the street was widened in the 1980s and transformed into a scenic avenue with McGill's Roddick Gates on Sherbr ...
, in a skyscraper rechristened Maison Astral
The Bell Media Tower (Tour Bell Média) is a skyscraper in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Located at 1800 McGill College Avenue, it was built for the Montreal Trust Company, and shared the name Place Montreal Trust with the adjoining mall. It stands ...
. In May 2010, the company unveiled a new logo featuring a multi-coloured "a" insignia (reflecting ideals of "collaboration" and "creativity"). At this time, the company began to trade as simply "Astral".
In the fall of 2011, Teletoon
Cartoon Network (formerly Teletoon) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts animated series aimed at children and teenagers. It was launched on October 17 ...
(co-owned with Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. (often simply known as Corus) is a Canadian mass media and television production company. The company was founded in 1987 as Shaw Radio Ltd. as a subsidiary of Shaw Communications and was spun-off from Shaw in 1999. It h ...
at the time) adopted a new logo to reflect Astral's 50th anniversary.
Acquisition by Bell Media
On March 16, 2012, Astral Media announced that it had agreed to be acquired by Bell Canada
Bell Canada (commonly referred to as Bell) is a Canadian telecommunications company headquartered at 1 Carrefour Alexander-Graham-Bell in the borough of Verdun, Quebec, in Canada. It is an ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) in the province ...
through its Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. (Canadian French, French: ) is a Canadian media conglomerate that is the mass media subsidiary of BCE Inc. (also known as Bell Canada Enterprises, the owner of telecommunications company Bell Canada). Its operations include nati ...
division for $3.38 billion. Astral Media shareholders approved the acquisition of all of its issued and outstanding shares by Bell Media on May 24, 2012; the acquisition of Astral Media's issued and outstanding shares by Bell received approval by the Quebec Superior Court
The Superior Court of Quebec () is a superior trial court in the Province of Quebec, in Canada. It consists of 157 judges who are appointed by the federal government. Appeals from this court are taken to the Quebec Court of Appeal.
Jurisdictio ...
during a hearing on May 25, 2012.
The proposed sale faced opposition: a coalition of Cogeco
Cogeco Inc. is a Canadian telecommunications and media company. Its corporate offices are located at 1 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec. The company is structured into three strategic business units (SBU); Cogeco Connexion, Breezeline (p ...
, Vidéotron
Vidéotron is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company founded in 1964. It's active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Owned by Qu ...
, and Eastlink argued that Bell's market share following the merger would harm consumer choice
The theory of consumer choice is the branch of microeconomics that relates preferences to consumption expenditures and to consumer demand curves. It analyzes how consumers maximize the desirability of their consumption (as measured by their pr ...
, and that Bell would raise carriage fees for Astral's channels (impacting smaller providers). During a CRTC's hearing, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...
argued that Bell's proposal to use its mandatory tangible benefits to launch a French-language news channel (which would compete with its own Réseau de l'information) was "self-serving and unprecedented." In September 2012, the Competition Bureau
The Competition Bureau () is the independent law enforcement agency in charge of regulating competition in Canada, responsible for ensuring that markets operate in a competitive manner.
Headed by the Commissioner of Competition, the agency is ...
stated that it was becoming "increasingly concerned" about the implications of the merger, and warned that it could oppose the deal even if it were to be approved by the CRTC.
On October 18, 2012, the CRTC announced that it had rejected BCE's proposal to acquire Astral Media. The commission cited that their combined market power could "threaten the availability of diverse programming for Canadians and endanger the ability of distribution undertakings to deliver programming at affordable rates and on reasonable terms on multiple platforms", and also stated that allowing the merger would have required the implementation of "extensive and intrusive safeguards" across the entire broadcasting industry. The CRTC also felt that Bell did not adequately demonstrate how having most of Canada's French-language media owned by two vertically integrated companies would improve competition, and how being bigger would allow it to compete against foreign services.
Second attempt
Following the rejection of the deal by the CRTC, Bell Canada CEO George A. Cope asserted that calling the merger dead was "premature", citing that the formal merger agreement between Bell and Astral did not expire until December 16, 2012, and either company could extend it to January 15, 2013. Bell attempted to ask the Cabinet to overturn the CRTC's decision, but was told that they did not have the ability to do so. Bell also reportedly considered going to the Federal Court of Appeal
The Federal Court of Appeal () is a Canadian appellate court that hears cases concerning federal matters.
History
Section 101 of the Constitution Act, 1867 empowers the Parliament of Canada to establish "additional Courts for the better Admi ...
, or restructuring the deal to selectively sell Astral assets to competing companies. Rogers Media
Rogers Media Inc., operating as Rogers Sports & Media, is a Canadian subsidiary of Rogers Communications that owns the company's mass media and sports properties.
Operations
Current television brands owned by Rogers include two television sys ...
expressed interest in acquiring some of Astral's channels if such a sale were to occur. On November 16, 2012, Astral confirmed that it was in talks with Bell to negotiate a new offer, which would involve the sale of the majority of its English-language television channels to third parties.
On March 4, 2013, the Competition Bureau
The Competition Bureau () is the independent law enforcement agency in charge of regulating competition in Canada, responsible for ensuring that markets operate in a competitive manner.
Headed by the Commissioner of Competition, the agency is ...
approved a new proposal by Bell to acquire Astral Media, which would involve the divestiture of certain television channels and radio stations owned by the combined company, and was subject to restrictions preventing Bell from imposing restrictive bundling requirements on any provider seeking to carry The Movie Network or Super Écran
Super Écran (French: ''Super Screen'') is a Canadian French-language premium television network owned by Bell Media. It airs a mix of commercial-free films and television series. Films are primarily sourced from the United States and Canada, wh ...
. The CRTC made the proposed takeover proposal public on March 6, 2013. Unlike the previous deal, which would have given Bell a 42% share of the English-language television market, the new deal gave Bell a total market share of 35.7%, and increased its French-language market share to 22% (in comparison to 8% before).[ On March 18, 2013, the Competition Bureau cleared a proposed deal to sell Astral's stakes in several channels to ]Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. (often simply known as Corus) is a Canadian mass media and television production company. The company was founded in 1987 as Shaw Radio Ltd. as a subsidiary of Shaw Communications and was spun-off from Shaw in 1999. It h ...
in preparation for regulatory approval.
In a speech to the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a Canadian non-profit organization created in 1979 to recognize the achievements of the over 4,000 Canadian cinema of Canada, film industry and television in Canada, television industry professionals ...
prior to the hearings, Bell Media's president Kevin Crull detailed plans to invest in French-language productions and maintain a distinct operation in Montreal devoted to its French-language outlets. Crull also praised the role of Québecor Média
Quebecor Media Inc. is a Canadian media conglomerate that owns a wide array of media outlets, as well as an internet service provider.
History
In 1983 Quebecor purchased the Winnipeg Sun newspaper, which had been independently run. The newspa ...
(despite the company being opposed to the merger) in using its own vertical integration
In microeconomics, management and international political economy, vertical integration, also referred to as vertical consolidation, is an arrangement in which the supply chain of a company is integrated and owned by that company. Usually each ...
strategy to help promote Francophone talent, and revealed his intention to try and emulate its "star system" in English Canada.
=Hearings and approval
=
CRTC hearings on the new proposals began in May 2013. Asserting that it would have to sell or shut down the station without one, Bell organized a petition proposing an exception to the ownership cap that would allow it to maintain ownership of CKGM
CKGM (''TSN Radio, TSN 690 Montreal'') is an English language, English-language AM broadcasting, AM radio station in Montreal, Quebec, owned by Bell Media Radio. Formerly an network affiliate, affiliate of sports radio network "The Team (radio n ...
, under the condition that Bell maintain the TSN Radio format on the station and provide $245,000 in funding for local amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. The distinction is made between amateur sporting participants and professional sports, professional sporting participants, who are paid for the time t ...
and scholarship
A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...
s in sports journalism over a seven-year period. Commissioner Suzanne Lamarre commented that Bell could have sold another station instead, given most of the comments on Bell's petition only supported CKGM maintaining a sports radio
Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comed ...
format, and not Bell's purchase of Astral. In response, Bell's CEO George A. Cope commented that the company did not want to sell off profitable radio stations, and Astral CEO Jacques Parisien remarked that breaking up its Montreal cluster would affect their operation.
Rogers called on the CRTC to require that Bell divest The Movie Network, claiming that Bell would make it harder and more expensive for competing service providers to access The Movie Network's content (especially on its own Anyplace TV and on-demand services) if Bell were to own the service. Bell disputed Rogers' claims, stating that the company already had a long-term deal to distribute The Movie Network on its cablesystems, and noted that Rogers had expressed interest in purchasing the service if it were to be divested. Bell indicated that it would not go ahead with the deal if it were forced by the CRTC to sell additional media outlets. Rogers also showed interest in making a "reasonable offer" to purchase CKGM as a complement to its recently acquired TV station CJNT-DT
CJNT-DT (channel 62) is a television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, part of the Citytv network. Owned and operated by network parent Rogers Sports & Media, the station maintains studios inside the Rogers Building at the corner of McGil ...
. Under Rogers ownership, CKGM would have kept its sports talk format, but as a Sportsnet Radio
Sportsnet Radio is the branding used by three sports talk radio stations in Canada owned by Rogers Sports & Media, a division of Rogers Communications.
Overview
The Toronto and Calgary stations (which maintain their former The Fan moniker in thei ...
station instead of TSN Radio.
On June 27, 2013, the CRTC approved Bell's acquisition of Astral Media, which closed on July 5, 2013. The deal was subject to conditions, including the requirement for Bell to provide fair treatment to its competitors, to not impose "restrictive bundling practices" on Astral's premium movie channels, invest $246.9 million over the next seven years on Canadian-produced programming, and to maintain the operation and local programming levels of all of its television stations through 2017. The CRTC also approved Bell's proposed exemptions for maintaining ownership of CKGM.
= Divestments
=
Following the approval of the new proposal by the Competition Bureau, Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. (often simply known as Corus) is a Canadian mass media and television production company. The company was founded in 1987 as Shaw Radio Ltd. as a subsidiary of Shaw Communications and was spun-off from Shaw in 1999. It h ...
reached a tentative deal to acquire 2 radio stations ( CJOT, CKQB), along with Astral's stakes in Historia, Séries+, and the Teletoon
Cartoon Network (formerly Teletoon) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts animated series aimed at children and teenagers. It was launched on October 17 ...
networks from Bell for just over $400 million. Corus acquired the stakes in Historia and Séries+ from Shaw Media
Shaw Media, Inc. was the television broadcasting division of Shaw Communications. It owned the Global Television Network, which broadcasts nationally via 13 television stations, as well as 19 specialty channels including Slice (TV channel), Slice ...
as well. On January 1, 2014, the acquisition was completed. In 2017, Corus attempted to sell Historia and Séries+ to Bell for $200 million, but the deal was blocked and rejected by the Competition Bureau for violations of conditions forbidding Bell from re-acquiring divested Astral properties for ten years.
Bell Media also divested Family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
, Disney Junior's English and French services, Disney XD
Disney XD is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years old ...
, MusiMax, MusiquePlus, and 5 other radio stations in Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
and Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
(CHBM-FM
CHBM-FM (97.3 FM) is a radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station currently broadcasts a classic hits format branded as '' Boom 97.3''. CHBM's studios are located at Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue in Toronto's Deer Park neighbo ...
, CFXJ-FM
CFXJ-FM (93.5 FM, "New Country 93.5") is a radio station in Toronto, Ontario. Owned by Stingray Radio, it broadcasts a country music format. Its studios are located on Yonge Street at St. Clair Avenue in Toronto's Deer Park neighbourhood ...
, CKZZ-FM, CHHR-FM and CISL) at auction.[ These divested stations and channels were temporarily held in a ]blind trust
A blind trust is a trust in which the beneficiaries have no knowledge of the holdings of the trust, and no right to intervene in their handling. In a blind trust, the trustees ( fiduciaries, or those who have been given power of attorney) have f ...
by Pierre Boivin
Pierre Boivin (born October 28, 1953) is a Canadian businessman and was president of the Montreal Canadiens from September 2, 1999, through June 30, 2011, succeeding Ronald Corey. On July 9, 2024, he succeeded John McCall MacBain as chancell ...
until the completion of their acquisitions.
On May 16, 2013, the Jim Pattison Group
The Jim Pattison Group is a Canadian conglomerate based in Vancouver. Jim Pattison, a Vancouver-based entrepreneur, is the chairman, CEO, and sole owner of the company. The Jim Pattison Group, Canada's second largest privately held company, h ...
announced a deal to acquire three stations in Calgary and Winnipeg from Bell and Astral—CKCE-FM
CKCE-FM (101.5 FM, ''101.5 Today Radio'') is a radio station in Calgary. Owned by the Jim Pattison Group, it broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format with some segments of hot talk and listener interaction.
CKCE's studios are located on 58th ...
, CHIQ-FM, and CFQX
CFQX-FM (104.1 MHz, ''QX104'') is a commercial radio station in Manitoba. It is licensed to Selkirk and serves the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region. CFQX broadcasts a country radio format and is owned by the Jim Pattison Group. The studios are at ...
, for an undisclosed amount. The deal expanded the Jim Pattison Group's operations in Calgary (where it was planning to launch a new station, CHPK-FM
CKWD-FM is a Canadian radio station broadcasting at 95.3 FM in Calgary, Alberta owned by Jim Pattison Group. The station broadcasts a country format branded as ''Wild 95.3''. CKWD's studios are located on 58th Avenue Southwest in Calgary, while ...
), and gave the company its first stations in Manitoba. On August 26, 2013, Newcap Radio announced its intent to acquire the five aforementioned Toronto and Vancouver stations. Eventually, Newcap was in turn acquired by Stingray Digital Group in 2018.
On November 28, 2013, DHX Media
WildBrain Ltd. is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest independent library of children's television programmin ...
announced that it had reached a deal to acquire Family Channel and its sister networks for $170 million, the deal was completed in late July 2014. On December 4, 2013, Remstar
Remcorp is a Canadian private investment firm founded by businessman Maxime Rémillard. Its head offices are located in Montreal, Quebec.
History
The company was founded in 1997.
At first involved in the entertainment industry, Remcorp now m ...
, owners of the French television system V, announced that it would acquire MusiquePlus and MusiMax for an undisclosed amount.
Corporate governance
Members of the board of directors
A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency.
The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...
of Astral prior to the close of the Bell-Astral transaction were: Austin Beutel, Paul Bronfman, André Bureau (chairman), Jack Cockwell, George Cohon, Paul Godfrey
Paul Victor Godfrey, CM, OOnt (born January 12, 1939) is a businessman and former Canadian politician. During his career, Godfrey was a North York alderman, Chairman of Metro Toronto, President of the ''Toronto Sun'' and head of the Toronto B ...
, Stephen Greenberg, Ian Greenberg, Sidney Greenberg, Sidney Horn, Timothy Price, Phyllis Yaffe and Monique Jérôme-Forget
Monique Jérôme-Forget (; born August 8, 1940) is a psychologist and a former Quebec politician. She was the National Assembly of Quebec, Member of National Assembly (MNA) for the riding of Marguerite-Bourgeoys (provincial electoral district), ...
.
Former assets
Any listing with a cross (†) character at the end indicates an asset which was not acquired by Bell Canada.
Radio
Alberta
* Calgary
Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
- CIBK, CJAY, CKMX
CKMX is a Dark (broadcasting), silent radio station licensed to broadcast at 1060 AM broadcasting, AM in Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, and owned by Bell Media. Its comedy radio, comedy format was branded on-air as ''Funny 1060''. CKMX's studios wer ...
, CKCE-FM
CKCE-FM (101.5 FM, ''101.5 Today Radio'') is a radio station in Calgary. Owned by the Jim Pattison Group, it broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format with some segments of hot talk and listener interaction.
CKCE's studios are located on 58th ...
* Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
- CFBR, CFRN, CFMG
British Columbia
* Dawson Creek
Dawson Creek is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The municipality of had a population of 12,978 in 2016. Dawson Creek derives its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the community. The creek was named after ...
- CJDC
* Fort Nelson
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
- CKRX
* Fort St. John - CHRX, CKNL
* Golden - CKGR
* Invermere
Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. It is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden to the north and Cranbrook to the south. Invermere sits on the northwest shore of Windermere Lake a ...
- CKIR
* Kelowna
Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan, Okanagan Valley in the British Columbia Interior, southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna ...
- CHSU, CILK
Cilk, Cilk++, Cilk Plus and OpenCilk are general-purpose programming languages designed for multithreaded parallel computing. They are based on the C and C++ programming languages, which they extend with constructs to express parallel loop ...
, CKFR
CKFR is a radio station in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Broadcasting at 1150 AM, the station airs news/ talk and sports formats, and identifies on air as ''AM 1150 News, Talk, Sports''. It is owned by Vista Radio.
Currently on-air is Phi ...
* Kitimat
Kitimat is a district municipality in the North Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of the Regional District of Kitimat–Stikine regional government. The Kitimat Valley is part of the most populous urban dist ...
- CKTK
* Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
- CKKC
* Osoyoos
Osoyoos (, ) is the southernmost town in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia between Penticton and Omak. The town is north of the United States border in the Washington State and is adjacent to the Osoyoos Indian reserve. The origin of ...
- CJOR
* Penticton
Penticton ( ) is a city in the Okanagan, Okanagan Valley of the British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan Lake, Okanagan and Skaha Lake, Skaha lakes. In the 2021 Canadian Census, its population was 36,885, while its Census geographic un ...
- CJMG, CKOR
CKOR (800 AM) is a Canadian radio station in Penticton, British Columbia. Vista Radio owns the station, which operates with 10,000 watts of transmission power in the daytime and 500 watts at night, and airs a classic hits format under the ''Su ...
* Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 ( O.S.) 7 December 1619 (N.S.)– 29 November 1682 (O.S.) December 1682 (N.S) was an English-German army officer, admiral, scientist, and colonial governor. He first rose to ...
- CHTK
* Princeton
Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...
- CIOR
* Revelstoke - CKCR
* Salmon Arm
Salmon Arm is a city in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District of the Southern Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia that has a population of 19,432 (2021). Salmon Arm was voted the best community in British Columbia in 2019. Salm ...
- CKXR
* Summerland - CHOR
* Terrace
Terrace may refer to:
Landforms and construction
* Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river
* Terrace, a street suffix
* Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...
- CFTK CFTK may refer to:
* CFTK (AM), a radio station (590 AM) licensed to Terrace, British Columbia, Canada
* CFTK-TV
CFTK-TV ( analogue channel 3) is a television station in Terrace, British Columbia, Canada, airing CTV 2 programming. Owned and op ...
, CJFW
* Trail
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...
- CJAT
* Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
- CKZZ †, CHHR †, CISL †
* Vernon - CICF
Manitoba
* Brandon - CKX, CKXA
* Selkirk - CFQX
CFQX-FM (104.1 MHz, ''QX104'') is a commercial radio station in Manitoba. It is licensed to Selkirk and serves the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region. CFQX broadcasts a country radio format and is owned by the Jim Pattison Group. The studios are at ...
†
* Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
- CHIQ-FM†, CKMM
New Brunswick
* Bathurst - CKBC-FM
CKBC-FM is a Canadian radio station broadcasting in Bathurst, New Brunswick at 104.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 33,500 watts. The station has been broadcasting since April 18, 1955.
The station is currently owned by the Maritime Br ...
*Fredericton
Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...
- CFXY-FM
CFXY-FM (105.3 MHz) is a Canadian radio station in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The station uses the on-air brand '' Bounce 105.3'' with an adult hits format. The station is owned by Bell Media, which also owns sister stations CIBX-FM and CKHJ ...
, CIBX-FM
CIBX-FM (106.9 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, owned by Bell Media and known as ''Move 106.9''. It broadcasts an adult contemporary format. The studios and offices are on Rookwood Avenue in Fredericton, ...
, CKHJ
CKHJ (1260 AM) is a radio station in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. The station broadcasts a country format under the '' Pure Country'' branding. The station is owned by Bell Media which also owns sister stations CFXY-FM and CIBX-FM. The ...
* Grand Falls - CIKX-FM
CIKX-FM is a Canadian radio station broadcasting in Grand Falls, New Brunswick at 93.5 MHz and 5,300 watts. CIKX was originally a repeater of CJCJ in Woodstock until the 2000s, when the station opened its studios.
In April 2000, CIKX began ...
*Woodstock
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...
- CJCJ-FM
Nova Scotia
*Truro
Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...
- CKTO-FM
CKTO-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 100.9 FM in Truro, Nova Scotia. The station airs a classic hits format and is branded as ''100.9 The Wave''. The station has been on the air since 1965.
The station is owned by the Maritime B ...
, CKTY-FM
CKTY-FM (99.5 MHz) is a radio station in Truro, Nova Scotia. Owned by the Maritime Broadcasting System, it broadcasts a country format branded as ''Cat Country 99.5''.
History
The station has been on the air since September 10, 1947. It origi ...
Ontario
* Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
- CHAM
Cham or CHAM may refer to:
Ethnicities and languages
*Chams, people in Vietnam and Cambodia
**Cham language, the language of the Cham people
***Cham script
*** Cham (Unicode block), a block of Unicode characters of the Cham script
* Cham Albani ...
, CKLH, CKOC
* London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
- CIQM, CJBK
CJBK was a Canadian radio station, broadcasting in London, Ontario, Canada, on the assigned frequency of 1290 kHz. The station was owned by Bell Media. It was classified as a Class B station, having an antenna system input power of 10,000 wat ...
, CJBX, CKSL
CKSL was a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 1410 AM in London, Ontario, Canada. The station aired a comedy radio format branded as ''Funny 1410''. The station broadcast with a power of 10,000 watts from its transmitter site located on Sco ...
* Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
- CJOT †, CKQB †
* Pembroke - CHVR
* St. Catharines
St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region, the eighth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2021, St. Catharines has an area of and 136,803 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario, south of Toronto ac ...
- CHRE, CHTZ
Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (, abbreviated , ) also known as CTZ-Uraltrak (''ЧТЗ-УРАЛТРАК'') is a tractor construction plant in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk.
History
The Chelyabinsk Tractor plant was a project of the First five-y ...
, CKTB
CKTB (610 AM, "610 CKTB") is a radio station licensed to St. Catharines, Ontario. Owned by Whiteoaks Communications Group, it broadcasts a talk radio format serving the Niagara Region.
Its studios are on Yates Street in downtown St. Catharin ...
* Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
- CFRB
CFRB (1010 AM) is a commercial radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is owned by Bell Media and carries a News/Talk radio format. Its studios and offices are in the Entertainment District at 250 Richmond Street West.
One of the oldes ...
, CHBM †, CKFM
Quebec
* Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
- CHOM, CJAD
CJAD (800 AM) is a commercial radio station operating in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The station has an English language news/talk radio format and identifies itself on-air as ''CJAD 800''. Owned and operated by Bell Media, it has a daytime power ...
, CJFM
CJFM-FM (95.9 FM) is a commercial English-language radio station located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Owned and operated by Bell Media, the station broadcasts a contemporary hit radio format branded as ''95.9 Virgin Radio''.
CJFM-FM broad ...
=NRJ network
=
* CHIK-FM 98.9, Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
* CIGB-FM 102.3, Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...
/ Mauricie
Mauricie () is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making tourism in Mauricie popular. The region has a land area of 35,860.05 km2 (13,845.64 sq mi) and a popu ...
* CIKI-FM
CIKI-FM is a French language, French-language Canadian radio station located in Rimouski, Quebec.
Owned and operated by Arsenal Media, it broadcasts on 98.7 Hertz, MHz using a directional antenna with an average effective radiated power of 41,30 ...
98.7, Rimouski
Rimouski ( ; ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. Rimouski is located in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, at the mouth of the Rimouski River. It has a population of 48,935 (as of 2021). Rimouski, whose motto is ''Legi patrum fidelis'' (Faithful to ...
* CIMO-FM 106.1, Magog / Estrie
Estrie () is an List of Quebec regions, administrative region of Quebec that comprises the Eastern Townships. ''Estrie'', a French neologism, was coined as a derivative of ''est'', "east". Originally settled by anglophones, today it is about 90 pe ...
* CJAB-FM
CJAB-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Saguenay, Quebec. Its studios are located at Rue Racine Est in the former city of Chicoutimi (co-located with sister stations CFIX-FM and Noovo owned-and-operated station CFRS-DT), ...
94.5, Saguenay
* CJDM-FM 92.1, Drummondville
Drummondville () is a city in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, located east of Montreal on the Saint-François River. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 79,258. The mayor of Drummondville is Stéphanie Lacoste.
Drummondville ...
* CJMM-FM 99.1, Rouyn-Noranda
Rouyn-Noranda (; Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population 42,313) is a city on Osisko Lake in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec, Canada.
The city of Rouyn-Noranda is coextensive with a territory equivalent to a regional county municipalit ...
* CJMV-FM 102.7, Val-d'Or
Val-d'Or ( , , ; meaning "Golden Valley" or "Valley of Gold") is a city in Quebec, Canada with a population of 32,752 inhabitants according to the 2021 Canadian census. The city is located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region near La Vérendrye ...
* CKMF-FM
CKMF-FM (94.3 Hertz, MHz) is a French language, French-language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec, owned and operated by Bell Media. The station airs a mainstream rock radio format, format and is the flagship (broadcasting), flag ...
94.3, Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
* CKTF-FM
CKTF-FM (104.1 Hertz, MHz) is a French language, French-language Canadian radio station located in Gatineau, Quebec, and broadcasting to the National Capital Region (Canada), National Capital Region including Ottawa. It is owned by Bell Media and ...
104.1, Gatineau
Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region of Quebec and is also p ...
/ Outaouais
Outaouais (, ; also commonly called The Outaouais) is a region of western Quebec, Canada. It includes the city of Gatineau, the municipality of Val-des-Monts, the municipality of Cantley, Quebec, Cantley and the Papineau Regional County Municipal ...
=Rouge FM network
=
* CFIX-FM 96.9, Saguenay
* CFVM-FM 99.9, Amqui
Amqui (; ) is a town in eastern Quebec, Canada, at the base of the Gaspé peninsula in Bas-Saint-Laurent. Located at the confluence of the Humqui and Matapédia Rivers, it is the seat of La Matapédia Regional County Municipality. The main acce ...
* CHEY-FM
CHEY-FM is a French-language radio station located in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.
Owned and operated by Bell Media, it broadcasts on 94.7 MHz using a directional antenna with an average effective radiated power of 20,600 watts and a peak ef ...
94.7, Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...
/ Mauricie
Mauricie () is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making tourism in Mauricie popular. The region has a land area of 35,860.05 km2 (13,845.64 sq mi) and a popu ...
* CHRD-FM 105.3, Drummondville
Drummondville () is a city in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, located east of Montreal on the Saint-François River. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 79,258. The mayor of Drummondville is Stéphanie Lacoste.
Drummondville ...
* CIMF-FM 94.9, Gatineau
Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region of Quebec and is also p ...
/ Outaouais
Outaouais (, ; also commonly called The Outaouais) is a region of western Quebec, Canada. It includes the city of Gatineau, the municipality of Val-des-Monts, the municipality of Cantley, Quebec, Cantley and the Papineau Regional County Municipal ...
* CITE-FM
CITE-FM (107.3 MHz) is a French-language radio station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Owned and operated by Bell Media, it airs an adult contemporary format. It is also the flagship station of the " Rouge FM" network, which operates across Quebec a ...
107.3, Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
* CITE-FM-1 102.7, Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke ( , ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François River, Saint-François and Magog River, Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territ ...
/ Estrie
Estrie () is an List of Quebec regions, administrative region of Quebec that comprises the Eastern Townships. ''Estrie'', a French neologism, was coined as a derivative of ''est'', "east". Originally settled by anglophones, today it is about 90 pe ...
* CITF-FM 107.5, Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
* CJOI-FM 102.9, Rimouski
Rimouski ( ; ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. Rimouski is located in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, at the mouth of the Rimouski River. It has a population of 48,935 (as of 2021). Rimouski, whose motto is ''Legi patrum fidelis'' (Faithful to ...
=Boom FM network
=
* CFEI-FM
CFEI-FM (106.5 MHz) is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, serving the eastern suburbs of Montréal. Owned and operated by Arsenal Media, it broadcasts with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 3,000 wat ...
106.5, Saint-Hyacinthe
Saint-Hyacinthe ( , ) is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 57,239. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie regi ...
* CFZZ-FM
CFZZ-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and serving Greater Montreal as a rimshot signal. Owned and operated by Arsenal Media, it is part of the " Boom" network. As such, the station has a ...
104.1, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu () is a city in eastern Montérégie in the Canadian province of Quebec, about southeast of Montreal, located roughly halfway between Montreal and the Canada–United States border with the state of Vermont. It is sit ...
Saskatchewan
* Regina - CHBD
Television
Over-the-air television stations
* Dawson Creek
Dawson Creek is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The municipality of had a population of 12,978 in 2016. Dawson Creek derives its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the community. The creek was named after ...
- CJDC (now owned by Bell Media, reverted from CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
affiliation to CTV 2
CTV 2 is a Television in Canada, Canadian English language, English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated station, owned-and-operated television stat ...
affiliation in 2016)
* Terrace
Terrace may refer to:
Landforms and construction
* Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river
* Terrace, a street suffix
* Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...
- CFTK CFTK may refer to:
* CFTK (AM), a radio station (590 AM) licensed to Terrace, British Columbia, Canada
* CFTK-TV
CFTK-TV ( analogue channel 3) is a television station in Terrace, British Columbia, Canada, airing CTV 2 programming. Owned and op ...
(now owned by Bell Media, reverted from CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
affiliation to CTV 2
CTV 2 is a Television in Canada, Canadian English language, English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated station, owned-and-operated television stat ...
affiliation in 2016)
Specialty & pay television (English)
* Family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
- 2 multiplex channels (now owned by WildBrain
WildBrain Ltd. is a Canadian media, animation studio, production company, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest independent library of Children's tel ...
)
** Disney Junior
Disney Jr. (formerly Disney Junior) is an American pay television network owned by the Disney Branded Television sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company. Aimed mainly at children two to seven year ...
(English) (renamed Family Jr. by owner DHX Media after DHX lost the rights to Disney Channel programming to Corus)
* Disney XD
Disney XD is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years old ...
(renamed Family Chrgd by owner DHX Media after DHX lost the rights to Disney Channel programming to Corus, but eventually rebranded to WildBrainTV on March 1, 2022, with no change in programming)
*The Movie Network
Crave (formerly The Movie Network or TMN) is a Television in Canada, Canadian premium television network and Streaming service provider, streaming service owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc.
Launched in 1983 as the national service ...
- 4 multiplex channels, including HBO Canada (now owned by Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. (Canadian French, French: ) is a Canadian media conglomerate that is the mass media subsidiary of BCE Inc. (also known as Bell Canada Enterprises, the owner of telecommunications company Bell Canada). Its operations include nati ...
and renamed Crave as of November 1, 2018)
** MExcess - renamed TMN 2 in 2016 and later Crave 2 in 2018
** MFun! - renamed TMN 3 in 2016 and later Crave 3 in 2018
** MFest - ceased operations March 1, 2016
* The Movie Network Encore - 2 multiplex channels (renamed Starz
Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...
by new owner Bell Media in 2019)
* Teletoon
Cartoon Network (formerly Teletoon) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts animated series aimed at children and teenagers. It was launched on October 17 ...
(now fully owned by Corus Entertainment as of January 1, 2014, rebranded to Cartoon Network on March 27, 2023)
**Teletoon Retro
Teletoon Retro was a Canadian specialty channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment that was based on the Teletoon programming block. The service was dedicated to broadcasting classic animated television programs such as ''The Raccoons'' as w ...
(shut down on September 1, 2015, license and carriage subsumed by Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
)
**Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
(ceased operating as a separately-licensed service on September 1, 2015, moving under Teletoon Retro's license thereafter, relaunched as Boomerang on March 27, 2023)
Specialty & pay television (French)
* Canal D
Canal D is a Canadian French language discretionary service owned by Bell Media. Canal D focuses on documentary programming primarily in the form of documentary-style television series that focus on a variety of topics such as crime, biographies, ...
(now owned by Bell Media)
**Upcoming spin-off channel focusing on justice and forensic programming in the form of documentaries, magazine series, dramas and reality television series (launched by Bell Media as Canal D/Investigation on December 12, 2013, following the Astral Media acquisition before renaming itself to just Investigation)
* Canal Vie
Canal Vie is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Bell Media. Canal Vie airs lifestyle and entertainment programs aimed at women in the form of talk shows, documentaries, reality TV series, and films. Programs focus on a variety o ...
(now owned by Bell Media)
* Cinépop (now owned by Bell Media)
* Disney Junior
Disney Jr. (formerly Disney Junior) is an American pay television network owned by the Disney Branded Television sub-division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company. Aimed mainly at children two to seven year ...
(French) (renamed Télémagino
Télémagino is a Canadian French-language specialty channel owned by WildBrain. Launched on 5 July 2010, as a sister to an equivalent English-language service, it airs children's programming targeting viewers ages 2–11.
The channel previou ...
by owner DHX Media after DHX lost the rights to Disney Channel programming to Corus)
* Historia (now fully owned by Corus Entertainment as of January 1, 2014)
* MusiMax (now owned by V Media Group, later became a general entertainment channel now known as Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
)
* MusiquePlus (now owned by V Media Group, and renamed Elle Fictions
Elle Fictions (stylized ELLE Fictions) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Remstar Media Group. The channel broadcasts general entertainment programming targeting young adult women.
It replaced the music television channel Mu ...
as of 2019)
* Séries+ (now fully owned by Corus Entertainment as of January 1, 2014)
* Super Écran
Super Écran (French: ''Super Screen'') is a Canadian French-language premium television network owned by Bell Media. It airs a mix of commercial-free films and television series. Films are primarily sourced from the United States and Canada, wh ...
- 4 multiplex channels (now owned by Bell Media)
* Télétoon
Télétoon (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment that broadcasts animated series aimed at kids, teens, and adults. Its name is a portmanteau of " télévision" and "cartoon".
Télé ...
(now fully owned by Corus Entertainment as of January 1, 2014)
**Télétoon Rétro
Télétoon Rétro was a Canadian French language Category B specialty television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel was based on the former Télétoon programming block ''Télétoon Retro'' and was dedicated to broadca ...
(shut down on September 1, 2015, and replaced by Disney La Chaîne in its channel allotments under Corus ownership)
* Vrak.TV
Vrak (stylized as VRΔK) was a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. subsidiary Bell Media. The channel primarily broadcast live-action programming aimed at 13-to-35 age group audiences.
Launched in 1988 as Le Canal Fa ...
(later owned by Bell Media and renamed to Vrak
Vrak (stylized as VRΔK) was a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. subsidiary Bell Media. The channel primarily broadcast live-action programming aimed at 13-to-35 age group audiences.
Launched in 1988 as Le Canal Fa ...
, shut down on October 1, 2023)
* Ztélé (now owned by Bell Media and known as Z)
Pay-per-view television
* Viewers Choice
Viewers Choice was a Canadian English language pay-per-view (PPV) and near video on demand service. It was owned by Viewers Choice Canada Inc., which at the time of its closure was majority-owned and managed by Bell Media, with minority partner ...
(50.1%, shut down on September 30, 2014, due to redundancy with Bell and Rogers PPV services, Vu! and Sportsnet PPV)
See also
*Media ownership in Canada
Media ownership in Canada is governed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), with regards to audiovisual media and telecom networks, as well as other agencies with more specific jurisdiction, in the case of non-b ...
References
External links
Official website
(website defunct for Astral Media, now owned by Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. (Canadian French, French: ) is a Canadian media conglomerate that is the mass media subsidiary of BCE Inc. (also known as Bell Canada Enterprises, the owner of telecommunications company Bell Canada). Its operations include nati ...
)
History of Astral Media Inc.
- Canadian Communications Foundation
The Canadian Communications Foundation (CCF) was a Canadian nonprofit organization which documented the history of broadcasting in Canada, particularly radio and television networks, programs and broadcasters. The organization was established in ...
{{Authority control
Mass media companies disestablished in 2013
2013 disestablishments in Quebec
Companies based in Montreal
Companies formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange
Defunct broadcasting companies of Canada
BCE Inc. acquisitions
1961 establishments in Quebec
Mass media companies established in 1961
Bell Media
2013 mergers and acquisitions
Canadian companies established in 1956