CANWEST EXPANDS INTO RADIO
By Adnews Staff
CanWest Global Communications Corp. has received a licence to launch a new FM radio station in Winnipeg. Although it is CanWest's first station in Canada, it is not the company's first entry into the radio business. It already operates national radio networks in New Zealand. The new jazz station has been assigned the frequency 99.1 FM. It is expected to go into operation early next year. "We have always considered radio a logical and positive next step in our multi-media strategy," said Leonard Asper, president and CEO of CanWest. "We hope this new radio licence heralds the eventual creation of a national radio system, just as we entered the TV industry 25 years ago with a single TV station in Winnipeg, which became part of the Global Television Network." In Canada CanWest publishes nine daily newspapers, plus the National Post and various community newspapers. It also operates the Global Television Network, seven specialty channels and the Internet site canada.com.