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The deal that would bring Astral Media under the Bell umbrella was revived this week with a campaign to bring the public on its side. It?s exactly what the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said Bell?s first pitch failed to do.
Canadians Deserve More attempts to make the case that Bell buying Astral will lead to more homegrown content. The CRTC?s previous ruling ? that the plan was just a ploy to put the telecom giant in control of even more programming than it already owns ? is now countered with claims that even more investment will be made in programming.
See how this works? The CRTC points out what?s wrong, then Bell says the opposite is true.
The new effort has Bell focused on promoting the idea that a purchase of Astral will allow it to create more jobs related to information and entertainment ? especially in Quebec. And it would give everyone more Canadian content to consume.
Can anyone be so cynical as to oppose the idea? The companies are banking on sincerity.
Still, it?s not like they?re just doing it for kicks when a $3.38 billion deal hangs in the balance. But the need to please a federal regulator ? even as a growing number of Canadians access foreign media online, and therefore outside of the CRTC jurisdiction ? has brought a range of stories into the foreground:
CBC Radio 2 wants to start airing commercials: Hearings this week in Gatineau, Que. are focused on the future of the public broadcaster, including an appeal to put nine minutes of advertising per hour on its FM music stations, which have attempted to reach a wider audience in the past five years. CBC Radio 2, whose drive time playlists have turned away from the classical and jazz that were staples in the past, hopes to reap the rewards of its singer-songwriter-oriented sounds. Will courting commercials motivate more people to listen?
Sirius XM Canada wants to satellite radio to pay off: The first dividend has been issued to Canadians who bought stock in satellite radio, now that the commission has approved Sirius XM?s plan to hang in there, in spite of looming technological competition. While the scheme to beam overwhelmingly U.S.-based programming was originally turned down, it was approved after the then-competing companies promised to pay a percentage of revenue to homegrown talent, which was just reduced from 5% to 4% ? allowing the difference to be shared.
Global wants to get its effort noticed: Shaw Media had to spend more money on local Canadian programming in order to get its purchase of the CanWest TV channels approved regardless of whether viewers were interested in any more of it. An aggressive marketing plan for the Toronto-based The Morning Show has been launched ? which includes street teams offering to carry bags and open doors for bleary-eyed commuters. So, should this fail to help draw a larger audience, Shaw can always go back to the CRTC to claim that they tried.
Citytv wants to move to Montreal: Rogers Media has applied for the acquisition of multicultural CJNT Metro 14, with the hope of adding to its network of traditional TV channels, the flagship of which originated 40 years ago in Toronto. But the present-day Citytv has a prime time lineup dominated by U.S. shows ? paralleling the formula employed by CTV and Global. Rogers does not promise to produce a nightly newscast for this station, arguing that Montreal anglos already have three to choose from, which raised some eyebrows at its recent hearing.
Bell Media wants to unite Canada: Speculation abounded over which details were to blame for the CRTC refusal of Bell?s bid for Astral. Quebecor was particularly determined to keep Bell from penetrating further into the province even as its CEO, Pierre Karl Peladeau, continues to struggle to win over the rest of the country through Sun News Network. But maybe the most contentious of all was a plan to turn Montreal?s TSN Radio 690 into French to comply with radio ownership rules ? Bell now promises to do its darnedest to keep it English.
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