VISION.COM MAY SEEK AGENCY
By Adnews Staff
Vision.com of Ottawa may look for an ad agency to promote the package of seven new specialty channels being launched in September, president Richard Stursberg told Adnews yesterday. Vision.com is a consortium of Canada's largest cable companies designed to carry out research and develop new products and services in the areas of digital television, Internet access and telecommunications. Stursberg said Vision.com hasn't decided yet whether it will use one of the agencies used by the different cable companies or if it will hire another agency. The cable companies involved in the consortium are: Rogers Cablesystems Ltd., Shaw Communications, Le Groupe Videotron, Cogeco Cable, Access Cable, Western Co-Axial, Moffat Communications, Le Cable de Riviere-du-Loup and Cable Regina. The new specialty channels are Home & Garden Television-Canada, Outdoor Life, Space: The Imagination Station, CTV News 1, History Television, Teletoon and The Comedy Network. CTV News 1 will be offered on basic cable. The others will be sold as a package. For a short time the channels will be offered free of charge so consumers can sample the programs. Vision.com wants to promote that the stations will be available for free through advertising during that time. Then it will launch a campaign to promote the channels. Separately, the new specialty channels will also promote themselves on their own. Home & Garden Television Canada will decide on its marketing plans in the next couple of weeks. Its agency is Durnan Communications of Toronto. HGTV will offer programs focused on gardening, landscaping, building, remodeling, decorating, interior design, hobbies and crafts. HGTV is owned by Atlantis Communications and U.S.-based E.W. Scripps Company, which owns and operates the HGTV network in the U.S. History Television launched a campaign promoting itself earlier this month. The agency for History Television is Harrod & Mirlin of Toronto.