GATINEAU – Corus Entertainment will face the CRTC today in the last stage of its quest to purchase a number of media assets being sold by Bell Media.
In March, Corus agreed to purchase French specialty channels Historia and Series+, three Ottawa radio stations and the half of Teletoon it didn’t own in a $400 million deal which is part of the divestitures required as conditions of the Bell Media purchase of Astral Media. While Corus already held 50% of Teletoon/Télétoon (as well as Teletoon Retro in English and French, and the Cartoon Network) with Astral, it owned none of the two French specialities, both of which had been split 50-50 between Astral and Corus’ corporate cousin Shaw Media.
Expect the Commission to have some tough questions on concentration of kids TV viewing (Corus already has YTV and Treehouse) and on media concentration in general, given that the Shaw family owns both Shaw Media and Corus Entertainment.
The hearing will also consider an application by RNC Média to renew the broadcasting licence of CKLX-FM Montréal, as well as to amend some of the station's conditions of licence, and discuss matters of non-compliance with certain sections of the Radio Regulations with the licensee that operates CJMS Saint-Constant.
