Television Groups
View the history of ownership groups in Canada
In Montreal, four brothers founded a photo company, Angreen Photo Inc., which became the jumping off point for what was to become Astral Media, owner of the largest group of radio stations in Canada, with additional major ownerships in both conventional and specialty television channels. The brothers, Harold, Harvey, Sidney and Ian Greenberg, would each have significant contributions to make to the evolution of this exceptional company.
A history of the Bell media company from Alexander Graham Bell to now.
York Broadcasters Limited, owned by entrepreneur Jack Q’Part, was licensed to launch Toronto AM radio station CHUM 1050.
The original CITY-TV station, and the only one that would carry those official call letters, was licensed on November 25th to a company represented by Phyllis Switzer (Channel Seventy-Nine Limited). The applicant proposed a programming service that was uniquely different from, and complementary to, services provided by existing stations. The station would broadcast daily from 4 p.m. to midnight and then repeat that programming the following day between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CITY-TV would broadcast on UHF channel 79 with an effective radiated power of 31,000 watts video and 3,100 watts audio (directional) with antenna height of 403 feet.
On August 27th 1987, after many years of successful operation of its various cable systems, Shaw Cablesystems (which was later to become Corus Entertainment) made its first venture into over-the-air broadcast ownership with the acquisition of two Red Deer radio stations, CIZZ-FM and CKGY-FM. Further acquisitions by Shaw during this period included CISN-FM Edmonton (1988), CHAY-FM Barrie (1990), CKCK-FM Woodstock (1991), and CFOX-FM and CKLG-AM Vancouver (1992).
The first Canadian stations to carry an "A" logo and identity were launched by Craig Media, CKEM-TV in Edmonton and CKAL-TV in Calgary. Previously, the Craig family owned just two stations, in Brandon (CKX-TV) and Portage La Prairie (CHMI-TV), Manitoba. The two Alberta stations were each identified as A-Channel.
The beginnings of what was to become E! in Canada came about when, in July, CanWest Media Inc. received CRTC approval for the acquisition of the assets of Western International Communications Inc (WIC). These properties included several B.C. twin-stick CBC affiliates, and CHCH-TV Hamilton, Ontario, an independent station that had been launched in 1953, and that had been acquired by WIC from Maclean Hunter in 1991.
During the 1940s, a bright young student attending the University of British Columbia began buying used cars, driving them onto campus and selling them at a profit. He was so successful that he dropped out after three years to run a local Nash dealership – whose owner allowed him to complete his university studies on the side.
In 1887, John Bayne Maclean acquired the publication, Canadian Grocer. The company was incorporated in 1891 as J.B. Maclean Publishing Co. Ltd. In 1905, he bought The Business Magazine, later changing the name to Busy Man's Magazine and then to Maclean's in 1911.
Lloyd Moffat and R.E. (Bob) Price purchased the failing 10-BI Prince Albert for $500. The station had been launched in 1925 by the P.A. Radio Club. Moffat became chief engineer while Price was business manager.
Harry Steele, President and CEO and controlling shareholder of Eastern Provincial Airways, formed the Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited (NCCL). In addition to EPA, the company's interests included Clarke Transport Canada Inc. and Atlantic Inns Ltd. NCCL would later form a wholly-owned subsidiary, Newcap, which by 2008 would own over 70 radio stations.
OMNI Television was born when Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. launched CJMT-TV Toronto on September 16. Rogers had been awarded a licence by the CRTC for a second multilingual TV channel in Toronto on April 8.
Power Corporation of Canada was founded as an electrical utility company in 1925 by Arthur J. Nesbitt and Peter A. Thompson. Over the years it branched out and became a diversified and multinational management and holding company that concentrated mostly on financial services, but also had interests in asset management, energy and other sectors.
With the acquisition from Roy (later Lord) Thomson of Abitibi Témiscamingue AM radio stations CKRN Rouyn, CHAD Amos and CKVD Val d’Or, brothers Jean-Joffre and David Armand Gourd, together with Roger Charbonneau, became owners of what was to become a major Quebec radio and television station group, Radio Nord (which would later become RNC Media). The stations were supplementary affiliates of CBC Quebec.
In August, the first appearance of the name Rogers on the Canadian broadcasting scene came with the introduction of the Rogers Batteryless Radio at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. The break-through invention was powered by alternating current (A.C.), thanks to the new tubes that Edward S. (Ted) Rogers had invented, which did not need batteries, and which eliminated the severe hum that had previously been triggered by the use of alternating current. The development of the new receiver had been financed by Edward's father Albert's holding company, Standard Radio Manufacturing Corporation Ltd. (Standard).
In the 1920s, when radio began, it was logical that the first people to start selling radio receivers were the local mechanical shops, since this new “gadget” was battery powered – by larger batteries than the size of a car battery. In Edmonton, Hugh Pearson’s auto shop started CJCA, and Harold Carson in Lethbridge bought CJOC (some say he won it in a poker game!). They started talking about their problems with this new thing called radio.
The Edmonton-based Shaw family took its first steps into the world of broadcasting on December 9th. JR Shaw, in partnership with R.K. Banister and Lyle Roper, incorporated Capital Cable Television Co. Ltd.
Edward S. Rogers and his brother Elsworth, with funding from their father Albert, formed the Standard Radio Manufacturing Corporation Ltd. This company would make and market unique radio receivers that incorporated the revolutionary receiving tubes and rectified A.C. power supply that Edward had invented – the first batteryless radios. Standard was renamed the Rogers Vacuum Tube Company, but the name Standard was not to disappear for too long.
Stingray Digital was founded by a partnership of Eric Boyko, Alexandre Taillefer and Telesystem. This followed the group's purchase Soundchoice for $6 million.
Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien founded Telemedia (Quebec) Ltd. He had been director of operations for Expo 67. Power Corporation was the largest shareholder in Telemedia, which administered CHLT-AM-FM-TV and CKTS Sherbrooke. The French-language CHLT stations operated under the name Radio-Television Sherbrooke (1967) Inc. with Jean-Louis Gauthier as president. CKTS (English) was operated by subsidiary company, Telegram Printing & Publishing Co. Ltd. with Lt. Col. John J. Dunn, president.
Western Broadcasting Co. purchased CKNW-AM New Westminster in February. WBC was controlled by accountant Frank Griffiths and the Ballard family. The station was acquired from Bill Rea who founded the station in 1944.
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