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Oakville, ON-based Bluepoint
Investment Corp. has received a go-ahead from the Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to buy SCN,
Saskatchewan's public education and information TV channel.
New content and program genres, as well as some commercial and advertising
material, will be a part of the reconfigured educational outlet's on-air
profile.
"The Commission approves the application by Bluepoint Investments Inc. for
authority to acquire the assets of the satellite-to-cable programming
undertaking Saskatchewan Communications Network," the CRTC announced prior
to the holidays, finalizing a deal that was first announced last June.
The five-year, as opposed to seven-year, licence comes with CRTC
permission to include advertising in its programming, although the daytime
period of 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. is to remain commercial-free while mostly
children's and educational programming is aired.
When it broadcasts commercial programming, the CRTC ruled, "The licensee
shall not broadcast more than 14 minutes of national or regional
advertising material in any clock hour in a broadcast day or more than 882
minutes of advertising material in a broadcast week."
Other time periods can have "educationally and culturally themed
programming, as well as programming designed to attract advertising
revenues." The CRTC noted that it expects the licensee to spend $1.75
million per year on independent production, and $1 million per year on
digital production, in Saskatchewan over the next seven years.
Under the deal, Bluepoint will pay $350,000 to the provincial government
for SCN's physical assets as well as its film and video properties. Some
35 SCN employees are immediately affected by the decision.
SCN was created in 1989 by the then Progressive Conservative government,
headed by Saskatchewan premier Grant Devine. The station broadcast a
variety of educational and entertainment programs, many produced within
the province, using both TV and online platforms.
The provincial government announced the decision to close SCN in its
budget last March; it closed in May, 2010.
Bluepoint, a holding company established last year to acquire some of
Canada's struggling local TV stations, is headed by Chairman and CEO Bruce
Claassen, a media industry veteran and recent chair at media management
company Aegis Media Canada.
Claassen has said the firm is interested in acquiring some Canadian
stations, as well as US companies, having secured substantial financial
investment from both Bay Street and Wall Street for its business plan.
Heading up Bluepoint with Claassen is Colin Berrie, Bay Street veteran and
former president of Avenue Financial Corp. In addition to Berrie, six
other broadcast veterans at Bluepoint bring financial, management, legal,
programming, marketing and sales experience to the company.
It's a combination that Claassen has said is appealing to financial
backers, as it is seen as being able to resuscitate some of the country's
media operations.
Claassen added, "We can see beyond all the doom and gloom and believe that
now is the time to invest in media. Bluepoint has good solid funding and
we are serious about our intention to acquire over-the-air broadcasters,
and possibly cable and other media assets throughout North America."
Source: Broadcaster, 12/28/2010 |