CRTC DENIES APPLICATIONS FROM CHUM, GLOBAL
By Adnews Staff
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has rejected applications from CHUM to operate new conventional television stations in Calgary and Edmonton. The commission cited the diminishing profitability of the existing stations in those markets as its primary reason for refusing the application, maintaining that the potential negative impact of the new stations outweighed the potential benefits. In the same decision, the CRTC declined an application from Global to establish new CKRD-TV Red Deer transmitters in Calgary and Edmonton. According to the commission, CanWest Global Communications is already the largest owner of media companies in Alberta, and the requested transmitters would increase the level of concentration of media ownership in those markets. However, the commission approved an application from Global to disaffiliate CKRD-TV from the CBC network once CBC begins to operate its new transmitters in Coronation and Red Deer.