CALGARY – “The signs are going up, all our vehicles have been painted” says Al Thorgeirson, regional vice-president, CHUM Television, Alberta/Manitoba, referring to the few last details on his list of Citytv branding efforts at the Calgary A-Channel station. “We’re ready.”
Effective today, the Citytv banner will be flying over the former A-Channel stations in Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. CHUM purchased Craig Media and it’s A Channels, plus other assets, in 2004 for $265 million.
As expected, the Citytv debut will share a new look and style, creative elements and programming specifically produced and acquired for the Citytv stations across the country.
CHUM matched up programming with Citytv Toronto and Citytv Vancouver. “It was an opportunity for [the established Citytv stations] to look at programming as well,” says Thorgeirson. “We needed to find a way to maintain the Citytv brand across the nation,” so that no matter where a viewer is located, they will recognize the brand.
Specific locally-produced programming changes include new daily morning and evening news programs. A-Channel’s “The Big Breakfast” will be replaced with “BreakfastTelevision” for a faster pace of news, entertainment and information. “CityNews at Noon (Edmonton and Calgary only), “City News at 6” and “City News Tonight” will follow the mandate of its sister stations in Vancouver and Toronto… “intensely-local and urban-oriented, with emphasis on the “Day in the Life” realities” of viewers, says the company.
Content, as with the A-Channel brand, will remain focused on the local communities. Thirty-one-and-a-half hours, around one-third of programming, will focus on local content each week. Citytv will also have “a little more intense response to the local market” within the refreshed news programs than we have at present, says Thorgeirson.
It is this focus on the local daily stories that will provide the regional perspective, he adds. For example, Calgary often considers itself second to Toronto in the number of head offices and more ‘white collar’; while Edmonton is often considered more ‘blue collar,’ or service oriented. He suggests that this difference will show itself more now within the Citytv format.
New fall prime-time programming will include: “Everybody Hates Chris,” with Chris Rock; “Supernatural” with Jared Padalecki from the O.C.’s producer, McG; the crime drama “Wanted” by executive producers Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent; the reality show “Three Wishes” with host Amy Grant; and “Monday Night Football”.
Also debuting on August 2, 2005. as previously reported by www.cartt.ca and in an interview today with EVP David Kirkwood, CHUM Television’s local stations The New VR (Barrie/Toronto), The New RO (Ottawa/Pembroke), The New PL (London), The New WI (Windsor), The New NX (Wingham) and BC station The New VI (Victoria/Vancouver) will be renamed A Channels.)
CHUM provided a “significant investment in these markets and stations…to generate more audience and shareholder value,” notes Thorgeirson. “Hundreds of people have been involved in branding efforts.”
The Process
While the expected signs and new sets have gone up, there really is more to this brand move-over than meets the eye. The restructuring of the Alberta operations and the ongoing transition to all things “CHUM” have meant increased efficiencies.
Master control and traffic management have been streamlined. “We completely rebuilt master control” in Alberta, says Thorgeirson. The updated Citytv Calgary facility is now the master control for Citytv Edmonton, Citytv Calgary, CLT, Razer, TV Land, BookTelevision and ACCESS.
Alberta operations will also standardize its traffic system by joining VCI, CHUM’s centralized database system. VCI improves communication among all CHUM stations, and provides access to programming and shared client content.
Properties are consolidating. The Access Media Group television services, which includes ACCESS, Canadian Learning Television, BookTelevision and CourtTV Canada, will move into The Bay building in downtown Edmonton, alongside Citytv Edmonton and 91.7 The Bounce. The Edmonton TV station has had the most major overhaul of all the prairie stations with the addition of over 15,000 square feet. The Access Media Group has been in the same building for the last 10 years, on the outer limits of southeast Edmonton.
“With the acquisition of the (former) A-Channels, it was a logical move to combine and maximize resources in Alberta,” said Alan Mayne, Chief Financial Officer, CHUM Limited, in a previous release. Seventeen full-time positions between Edmonton and Calgary were to be lost, and four new ones to be created. According to the company, one-time costs for the Alberta restructure is approximately $440,000, with net annualized operating cost savings estimated at $900,000.
But since the purchase of Craig Media, more has evolved than CHUM’s VCI traffic system flowing through Citytv “urban” prairie stations. There is genuine excitement and camaraderie for the Citytv brand transition. “The two corporate cultures (Craig Media and CHUM) have lots of similarities. They have matched very well,” adds Thorgeirson, the former COO for Craig Media. The focus on local content was one of many things CHUM had in common with Craig Media.
Just as when Craig Media was involved, decisions are being made at the local level. “We have a lot of support. Jay Switzer (president and CEO, CHUM Limited), believes in local markets assessing their own needs while maintaining the brand,” says Thorgeirson.
Thorgeirson asserts that in a 500 channel universe, they would be happy with six or seven per cent market share. Calgary, Winnipeg and Edmonton A-Channels are currently at four per cent each. In the late ’90s, a 10% market share was more common. “Certainly a challenge,” he adds, “but I think we can get there”.
Tara Blasco Raj is www.cartt.ca‘s western editor.
