[magnet]

Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. has acquired FM radio station Bounce from Chum Radio, a division of CTV Ltd., and Milestone Media Broadcasting Ltd.
Bounce, one of Edmonton's top hit music stations, will join Rogers' modern rock station SONiC and Rogers' ethnic radio station World FM.

That is 2 stations in 2 days (BOB FM in London, ON yesterday)

 

[PlayitSimple]

Interesting,

What is going on with CTVgm, are they strapped for cash or something?! Both these stations they are selling are top rated in their markets so why would you sell something that is performing well?! Are they looking to get out of the radio business, possibly since these stations were inherited from the CHUM purchase, they didn't own any before.

 

[hugh]

Both these stations they are selling are top rated in their markets so why would you sell something that is performing well?!

Because you get top dollar for it. My guess is CTV felt the money they got for those stations could earn more in something else, maybe more specialty tv channels?

 

[LONSat]

Re BOB FM London - its studios are located in the A-London building. Sure they can rent for a while but combined with the fact that CTV has applied to the CRTC to move the A stations into a separate corporate operating entity makes me think that BOB FM would be a non stategic asset if they were to unload the A stations. It has the feel that something is afoot. IMO Blackburn would have been a more logical buyer for BOB but maybe Blackburn couldn't match the price and CTV and Rogers have a relationship in exchanging assets in the past (City).

Edmonton is single radio station market that CTV is exiting along with London. There may be more single radio markets to come Calgary, Montreal, Kawartha Lakes although its close enough to Peterborough that it may make sense to keep that cluster.

 

[PlayitSimple]

Because you get top dollar for it. My guess is CTV felt the money they got for those stations could earn more in something else, maybe more specialty tv channels?

Looks like they are no longer interested in these markets and with both stations performing well the time was right to sell.

It appears as though CTVgm is in the midst of some major restructuring of their TV and radio properties. First they announce the re-branding of 4 specialty channels and the sale of another. Now we have the sale of 2 and possibly more radio stations. I wonder what is coming down the pipe next?!

IMO Blackburn would have been a more logical buyer for BOB

Blackburn has yet to launch the station they got approval for last year, doesn't look like that will be happening any time soon. Who knows, maybe they did bid for BOB FM but got outbid by Rogers?!

 

[cm023]

Rogers has wanted in the London radio market for a while and likley wanted to make Edmonton a proper cluster as well.

Blackburn has yet to launch the station they got approval for last year, doesn't look like that will be happening any time soon. Who knows, maybe they did bid for BOB FM but got outbid by Rogers?!

Probably for the better, most of their stations don't impress me. They likley would of changed it to 102.3 The Bull and played Heavy Metal or Country, while watching their 10+ share and 88,000 Cume go down the drain.

 

[tablo]

Would this change the station's format?

 

[BGY11]

I would be surprised if they changed formats, since I don't think Edmonton has another hip-hop/urban/CHR station. It's been a few months since I've been up there though, so I may be forgetting some of the stations.

 

[mjjl]

Blackburn has yet to launch the station they got approval for last year, doesn't look like that will be happening any time soon. Who knows, maybe they did bid for BOB FM but got outbid by Rogers?!

As was my understanding, Blackburn had no intentions to launch Free FM until 2011. They launched new stations in Leamington and Windsor within in the past couple of years and likely wanted to get them fully operational and running properly before launching yet another station.

That said I wouldn't be surprised if Blackburn submitted a bid for 102.3, since nothing would be stopping them from owning that station plus their yet-to-be-launched station.