Shaw pulls plug on TV station purchase

July 02, 2009 Canada's continuing fire sale of local TV stations got rained on this week as cable operator Shaw Communications pulled plans to buy three over-the-air outlets from CTVglobemedia for $1 each. Calgary-based Shaw in May first proposed to purchase the loss-making stations in Brandon, Manitoba, and Wingham and Windsor in Ontario just as CTVglobemedia pitched Canada's broadcast regulator on forcing cable and satellite TV operators to pay as much as $251 million annually for carriage of local TV station signals (HR, May 4). Also this week, Canwest Global secured a deal with indie broadcaster Channel Zero for the sale of two E!-branded TV stations in Hamilton and Montreal for an undisclosed price (HR, June 30).

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