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January 25, 2023 12:44 pm  #1


What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

It's a question I hadn't really thought of but Alex Pierson raised it on AM640 Wednesday morning. I know that the Rogers-Shaw deal involves wireless telephony, but as she pointed out, Shaw owns Corus. So what happens to its radio and TV broadcast properties if Rogers calls the shots at the latter company?

Rogers can't legally own yet more radio or TV stations and Corus is technically a separate entity, but will Rogers be able to have any influence at all on what those stations can do once these two giants become one? I'm pretty sure nothing overt will happen, but Rogers does have a history of taking over a place and then firing a large number of employees, in an effort to save money. So it's small wonder Pierson is worried. 

Will Rogers have any say at all in what happens at Corus, even peripherally, once this deal is done? 

 

January 25, 2023 1:06 pm  #2


Re: What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

The Shaw FAMILY controls Corus, not Shaw Communications. The CRTC may see Shaw and Corus as one company because JR Shaw controls both of them, but they are separate companies with separate board of directors, HR, payroll, etc. One of the main things that will happen though is that Corus/Global News will lose the $12 million a year that Shaw gives to Corus/Global News in lieu of running community/cable access TV in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. 

Shaw Communications also sold all of their shares of Corus back in 2019.
https://financialpost.com/telecom/shaw-exits-corus-entertainment-with-548-million-share-sale

Having said that, I am wondering if and when the Shaw family will sell off their controlling shares of Corus...

Last edited by ED1 (January 25, 2023 1:11 pm)

 

January 25, 2023 1:41 pm  #3


Re: What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

Thanks for the clarification. I knew they were somehow separate entities, but I wasn't quite sure how. If Shaw were to sell Corus, I'm trying to figure out who is best positioned to buy it. Rogers & Bell already own enough properties that the CRTC would likely never let them acquire too many more. 

Who's left? Stingray? Pattison? Or some other company waiting in the wings that we couldn't possibly conceive of. Given how broadcasting is no longer the proverbial "licence to print money" it once was, would anyone be interested in taking the chance on an expensive and still viable but possibly fading business? 

     Thread Starter
 

January 25, 2023 1:54 pm  #4


Re: What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

The only other players would be Stingray and BlueAnt.  Stingray would have to unload certain radio properties to make any deal fly.  BlueAnt might be too small but it would almost be full circle for some of the channels because Michael MacMillon was co-founder of Alliance Atlantis which Canwest bought.  They may have interest in the TV/Specialty side of Corus but not sure they would want to get into radio.  It might be a couple players get together to carve things up if the Shaw family wants to get out of things entirely.

 

January 25, 2023 2:52 pm  #5


Re: What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

LOSat wrote:

The only other players would be Stingray and BlueAnt.  Stingray would have to unload certain radio properties to make any deal fly.  BlueAnt might be too small but it would almost be full circle for some of the channels because Michael MacMillon was co-founder of Alliance Atlantis which Canwest bought.  They may have interest in the TV/Specialty side of Corus but not sure they would want to get into radio.  It might be a couple players get together to carve things up if the Shaw family wants to get out of things entirely.

I wonder if Channel Zero would also have some interest. 
I'm thinking more along the lines of content, not channels. 
So, maybe Channel zero will have no interest in Global TV.
However, snatching up the rights to Hallmark movies or whatever W currently airs may be beneficial, if more movie channels (or movie driven channels) are in their future plans in any way...
(ie Channel zero already also owns Rewind etc...)
 

Last edited by Radiowiz (January 25, 2023 2:58 pm)


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

January 25, 2023 3:55 pm  #6


Re: What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

Radio and TV divisions of Corus could be sold separately.  Even radio could be split up with Pattison buying many Corus stations in eastern Canada, and the western stations sold to another group or groups that don't have many properties out west, or mid sized companies looking to expand.  Lots of possibilities.  

 

January 25, 2023 6:39 pm  #7


Re: What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

paterson1 wrote:

Radio and TV divisions of Corus could be sold separately.  Even radio could be split up with Pattison buying many Corus stations in eastern Canada, and the western stations sold to another group or groups that don't have many properties out west, or mid sized companies looking to expand.  Lots of possibilities.  

Radio - Rogers. Bell.

 

January 25, 2023 9:14 pm  #8


Re: What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

If anyone doesn't think this deal will eventually impact Corus and its assets, then they are living in an un-Earthly fantasy realm...

 

January 26, 2023 1:19 am  #9


Re: What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

paterson1 wrote:

Radio and TV divisions of Corus could be sold separately.  Even radio could be split up with Pattison buying many Corus stations in eastern Canada, and the western stations sold to another group or groups that don't have many properties out west, or mid sized companies looking to expand.  Lots of possibilities.  

I could see Pattison potentially being interested in the TV side. They own three independent local TV stations - two in BC and one in Alberta - and I could see BC billionaire Jimmy Pattison wanting to buy Global, if not for any other reason than getting his hands on Global BC.

 

January 26, 2023 3:38 am  #10


Re: What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

Johnny B wrote:

If anyone doesn't think this deal will eventually impact Corus and its assets, then they are living in an un-Earthly fantasy realm...

In the short run, CRTC DID protect Global news so Rogers can't strip them of funding and dump it all into CityNews.
 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

January 26, 2023 10:20 am  #11


Re: What Happens To Corus If Rogers Owns Shaw?

Pattinson could have expanded east at any time, and for whatever reason have not.

The biggest always get bigger, and Bell and Rogers now have the opportunity to do so.