The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group has announced its intention to acquire three radio stations in Calgary and Winnipeg from Bell Media and Astral Media – two companies currently trying to convince the CRTC to approve their merger.
The proposed transaction would see Bell’s Kool FM 101.5 (adult contemporary) in Calgary and FAB 94.3 (pop) in Winnipeg move to Pattison along with Astral’s QX 104 (country) in Winnipeg join Pattison’s Vancouver-based organization.
“This is a very important acquisition for our Broadcast Group and, with the approval of this transaction from the CRTC, we will expand our presence in the major markets of Calgary and Winnipeg, which we have been focusing on for some time,” said Rick Arnish, chairman of Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, in a statement.
The move is contingent on approval from the CRTC as well as the regulator’s thumbs-up to the Bell/Astral deal. Bell has been trying to acquire Astral since last year, and has already been turned down once by the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission.
Pattison is also on the verge of launching another Calgary FM radio station – CHPK or 95.3 The Peak.
Related
• Bell/Astral to take another run at merger
• Bell and Astral: The urge to merge
“Our history has been built on acquisitions and new licences, as we are great believers in the future of radio, and this purchase is part of our strategic plan to grow and expand in the west,” said Rod Schween, president of Pattison Broadcasting.
