THE END OF PUBLIC ACCESS
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CHUM Reorganizing Alberta Operations
CHUM Television, a unit of Toronto-based CHUM Ltd., is reorganizing its Alberta operations, reducing its work force by 13 people as the broadcaster relocates some work and seeks to cut costs following its acquisition of Craig Media last year. CHUM said that A-Channel Edmonton, one of the Craig stations, will be integrated with Access Media Group, which includes the Access provincial educational service, Canadian Learning Television, BookTelevision and CourtTV Canada. This and other changes will save $900,000 a year on operations while trimming future spending on equipment by $2-million. CHM.NV.B (TSX) rose $1 to $35.50. CP
The Privatization of Public Media in Alberta
by Eugene Plawiuk
Once upon a time Alberta had both a public funded radio station and TV station. The radio station CKUA was the oldest and only provincially owned public radio station in North America. The TV station was ACCESS and is now the only private educational TV channel in Canada.
This week CHUM Ltd. purchased up all the shares of the Learning TV Network which includes ACCESS. Its part of its move into the Alberta media marketplace with its purchase of A-Channel in Edmonton and Calgary and its launch of a new FM radio station in Edmonton. This is the final act of fire sale piracy that sacrificed public access to media on the altar of privatization.
ACCESS was a crown corporation created to house both CKUA and an Educational TV network modeled on TVO(ntario) and the Knowledge Network in B.C. It used public access to cable to launch itself, and was a crown corporation.
The upper management of ACCESS were Tory good old boys owing their positions to who they knew , not what they knew. And it was this that led to the downfall for both CKUA and ACCESS.CKUA has survived as a community supported radio station. This week ACCESS was fully privatized.
This then is a tale of crony capitalism Alberta style.
@ February 19, 2005