TORONTO – Perhaps stung a little by the tough line of questioning the company faced in front of the Commission a few weeks ago, CTVglobemedia sent a letter to the CRTC last week attempting to modify its application to purchase CHUM Ltd.
In it, CTV said it would consider divesting CHUM’s Citytv stations in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary, so long as the Commission was willing to place limits on the further growth of CanWest Global’s CH network. Global, for example, went through a hearing in February where it asked the CRTC for a Calgary and an Edmonton transmitter for its Red Deer CH station.
The objections to the CTV deal at the April 30 to May 2 hearing into purchasing CHUM centred on its ownership of two stations in many markets. Chairman Konrad von Finckenstein openly wondered about creating a "national predator."
That would make the Red Deer station a must-carry on cable in the province’s largest regions, which would, in some eyes, give CanWest two local broadcast outlets in both cities.
However, because the attempted modification of the CTV deal came beyond the boundaries of the process – that is: well after the hearings closed on May 2nd – the CRTC sent the letter back and will not consider the idea, said a spokesperson.
