[Lindsay649]

CRTC is not releasing its daily announcements until after 4 pm est on Friday. It is expected that the decision on the Shaw purchase of Global/Canwest will be announced alongwith a number of conditions to permit the acquisition. Must be a good one if they are waiting until the stock market closes.

 

[hugh]

The 4pm makes sense because they are public companies. The fact that its on a Friday suggests the decision won't be a popular one among the public. In other words, Shaw will get control of Global and all the Digital Channels.

 

[PlayitSimple]

Big decisions like this are always released by the CRTC on Friday afternoons after the stock market closes, for some reason!? Do they actually think if the decision was released in the middle of the day that it would crash the stock market?!

The fact that its on a Friday suggests the decision won't be a popular one among the public.

Decisions that are extremely unpopular with the public are usually released on Friday afternoon of a long weekend, where no one is paying attention- so they can slip it in under the radar.

In other words, Shaw will get control of Global and all the Digital Channels.

Gee, was there really ever any doubt that this would be rubber sta.. err I mean approved by the CRTC?! Can't wait to see what conditions are attached to this deal, hopefully they force Shaw to give everyone who watches TV OTA, free satellite dishes and local programming. I am sure Bell will be watching this decision very closely, probably to see what they can get away with- as few concessions as possible would be great for them I am sure.

 

[Francois Caron]

Maybe this post should be turned into a poll. Do you believe the CRTC will approve the Shaw-Global merger? Or reject it?

 

[kcbrk32]

My prediction: Takeover approved, but OTA stations and specialty channels must be kept at arms length in a subsidiary corporation. something like Corus is now.

 

[j0dest3r]

I don't think so. Shaw buttered them up way too much about the OTA stuff. Some were even calling Shaw a supporter of OTA.

 

[PlayitSimple]

Maybe this post should be turned into a poll. Do you believe the CRTC will approve the Shaw-Global merger? Or reject it?

I don't think there is any need for a poll, its pretty much a given IMO that it will be approved. Remember they are buying Canwest out of bankruptcy and if the CRTC denies the sale then you just prolong things and they would have to start the process all over again to look for a new buyer.

I think there will be some strings attached, most likely related to Corus and keeping the two companies separate and cancon stuff with regards to Global. Hopefully Shaw will follow through with regards to their promises to switch over all their OTA transmitters to digital and restore morning news shows on some of the Global stations that don't currently have one like Global Toronto.

 

[Nanuuk]

Why would the decision to allow the takeover be unpopular with the public Hugh?

 

[nakedgord]

Forget free dishes and local programming with them. I'd rather Global stations be required to match the CBC OTA signal strengh (aka similar to what US station have) and proper guide data for the upcoming week.

 

[SMCKINNON24]

I believe that the decision will be denied, to have them approve thry they would have to sell off some specialty like how CTV did when they bought CHUM. i can see Rogers taking Global TV

 

[bigoranget]

SM24,

I seriously doubt it will be denied. The only restrictions that may get imposed is they might have to give up some over-the-air TV stations and radio stations. As for specialty channels, I 100% guarantee they will keep them all UNLESS Shaw chooses to sell some on their own accord.

Also CTV did NOT have to give up any specialty channels in the CHUM buyout deal. They did sell some of the assets to other companies but that was on their own accord and had nothing to do with regulatory restrictions. CITY-TV was the only asset that was required to be put up for sale.

 

[musimax]

The only restrictions that may get imposed is they might have to give up some over-the-air TV stations and radio stations. As for specialty channels, I 100% guarantee they will keep them all UNLESS Shaw chooses to sell some on their own accord.

Shaw won't have to sell anything. There are no conflicting assets between Canwest/Shaw/Corus, so the CRTC won't force them to sell anything.

IMO, should they? Yes. Shaw would become an unstoppable behemoth. They are the largest cable company in the country, they have a national satellite service, the will launch their own wireless service this or next year I believe, they own Corus which is already fairly big with TV and radio assets and a production company, and they will soon own Canwest which is already huge, consisting of a national broadcast network and a slew of highly rated specialty channels. That just goes to show you how insane things have gotten here, that the CRTC has actually allowed things to get that bad and will likely continue to allow things to get this bad.

They should certainly have to sell off something, whether it be Corus or Shaw Direct.

 

[hugh]

Why would the decision to allow the takeover be unpopular with the public Hugh?

Increased media concentration and reduced competition have always been considered anti-consumer

 

[bigoranget]

Oh, I know that in the end Shaw wont have to sell anything and it's B S that they will not have to.

The worst decision the CRTC ever made was allowing CTV to acquire CHUM Limited and allowing the ridiculous deal Canwest made with Alliance Atlantis and GS Bank. Then later today with the Shaw takeover of Canwest.

You can't tell me that this isn't bad for competition. How any of these deals have been approved with so little restrictions is just beyond me.

-end rant

 

[Lindsay649]

A very fast decision that will set the standard for the next big one....Bell and CTV. Like every major decision from the CRTC a few surprises will be in the package.

 

[HD_Junkie]

Do they actually think if the decision was released in the middle of the day that it would crash the stock market?!

No, but who ever gets the info first makes the most money. Doing it after the stock market closes gives the information time to propagate. I have to agree the CRTC and competition watch dog if they do any thing it will be trivial. Sell off your 50 watt transmitter in Nowhereville or some such. Remember this was originally spun as saving almost all of broadcasting when the deal was first done.

 

[Donnybrook]

Shaw & Bell will have the same restrictions.

I expect
A) Carry 1, carry all for OTA stations. ie If you carry Global from Regina, you must carry all Regina OTA channels

B) Restriction on % of Cat 1 stations that 1 company can own

C) Maximum ownership % ceiling by 1 company on non OTA services

Shaw missed the street expected profit by 15% this quarter - smart they announced it same day as CRTC decision. Good time for Cowboy Jim to announce his "retirement". Maybe he'll be next head of CRTC.

 

[MAXAM]

I just heard on BNN that Jim Shaw is stepping down and will be replaced by his younger brother, Bradley. The change won't take place until January. The timing of this announcement strikes me as kind of odd due to the upcoming CRTC decision on the Global TV takeover later today.

 

[bigoranget]

And it's approved as expected.

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-782.htm

 

[madhi19]

Was there any doubt? The CRTC never met a cartel/monopoly they did not like!