A-Channel (1997-2005)
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Old A-Channel logo |
From 1997 to 2005,
A-Channel was a
system of three local
television stations in
western Canada. Owned initially by
Craig Media, it was integrated into
Citytv shortly after Craig's acquisition by
CHUM Limited. CHUM immediately recycled the brand for a
separate system of stations in Ontario and British Columbia.
A-Channel was first used by Craig Media as it sought to develop a national presence. Originally, Craig owned only two stations:
CKX, a
CBC affiliate in
Brandon, Manitoba, and
CHMI, branded as the
Manitoba Television Network (or MTN), in
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Looking to expand, Craig decided to counter
CanWest Global's attempts to obtain licenses from the
CRTC for television stations in
Alberta, with a proposal it dubbed "The Alberta Channel", or "A-Channel" for short. During the first round of hearings in the early
1990s, neither company obtained a licence. However, after a second round in the mid-
1990s, Craig won against CanWest. (CanWest would later buy out
WIC and assume control of its Alberta-based stations.)
A-Channel stations in
Edmonton (
CKEM) and
Calgary (
CKAL) launched in
1997. Programming included the local morning show
The Big Breakfast, as well as
Prime Ticket Movies, a brand initially used at MTN. MTN adopted A-Channel branding in
1999.
Craig tried to expand the A-Channel network to
Hamilton (
CHCH),
Montreal (
CFCF),
Vancouver (
CKVU), and
Victoria (what would become
CIVI), but was either denied by the CRTC or outbid by other buyers. The company did, however, get a station in
Toronto,
CKXT (known as Toronto 1), which, while not part of the A-Channel network, broadcast a similar lineup to A-Channel's and also adopted a similar logo.
In Edmonton, labour issues led to a strike on
September 17 2003, when employees of the city's A-Channel went on strike during negotiations for a first contract.
[Letter to local union presidents] The station filled airtime primarily with live feeds of
MTV Canada. The labour dispute was resolved on
February 14 2004.
[A-Channel employees ratify new collective agreement]On
April 12,
2004, CHUM announced a deal to purchase Craig Media for
$265 million. The sale was approved by the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on
November 19,
2004, and became official on
December 1. CHUM was forced to sell Toronto 1, because it already owned stations in Toronto and nearby
Barrie. Toronto 1 was sold to
Quebecor, owners of the media units
TVA and
Sun Media.
In March
2005, CHUM announced it would align Craig's A-Channel stations with its existing major-market stations under the Citytv brand. The change took effect on
August 2 of the same year.
A significant amount of the old A-Channel system's programming was subcontracted from CHUM, which did not have stations in the same markets. For several years before CHUM's acquisition of Craig Media, business analysts were already suggesting that some kind of merger between the two companies was likely, in part because of their already-established business relationship. The purchase of CHUM programming was diminished significantly following CKXT's launch, but increased following CHUM's purchase in the months prior to integration into Citytv.
Original programming on the old A-Channel stations included the
police reality series To Serve and Protect, the drama
1-800-Missing and the variety series
Pepsi Breakout and
MTV Select.
*"Very Independent" (1997-2003)
*"Connected To You" (2003-2005)
*
CHUM Announcement - Integration of Craig stations into Citytv
