It’s still not everywhere, but Rogers Media-owned Citytv has taken another step towards becoming a truly national broadcaster by signing a multi-year affiliate agreement with Saskatchewan Communications Network (SCN).
Beginning Jan. 2, SCN will begin carrying Citytv programming such as the primetime shows Modern Family, Terra Nova and New Girl and daytime shows like CityLine, from 3 p.m. to 5:59 p.m. It will officially be known as “Citytv on SCN” during this window.
No changes are planned for SCN’s current educational, children’s and local programming, which runs daily from 6 a.m. to 2:59 p.m. However, local programming including The Neighbors Dog, 15 Minutes of Fame and documentaries will begin airing post 3 p.m. beginning in mid-2012.
Scott Moore, president of broadcasting for Rogers Media, told Marketing on Tuesday that the deal further establishes Citytv as a truly national brand, giving it a presence in every province from Ontario westward.
“We think the City brand is a strong and growing brand,” said Moore. “Over the last few years we’ve started to program it much more as a network-type brand, and with the type of quality programming that we have, we think it makes sense to expand the footprint.”
The affiliate deal also allows Rogers to further amortize the cost of programming–an area of significant investment for the media company in recent years–through increased advertising revenues. “When we purchase programming, we don’t get a discount for only being in a certain number of homes,” said Moore. “It makes financial sense for us to broaden our reach as much as possible.”
While acknowledging that the speed with which City recoups its investment depends on advertiser demand and the local economy, Moore noted that Saskatchewan–its soaring GDP fueled by a boom in its potash mining and oil and gas industries–is currently one of the most difficult markets in the country in which to purchase high-quality TV inventory.
The affiliate deal also enables City to bring domestically produced programming such as Canada’s Got Talent to a wider audience, said Moore.
An independent broadcaster owned by former media agency executive Bruce Claassen, SCN has mandatory carriage on cable systems in the province of almost 1.1 million people.
After acquiring SCN in 2010, Claassen successfully petitioned the CRTC to allow the channel to carry commercial inventory. Speaking with Marketing in August, Claassen said that SCN had already attracted advertising from companies including Ford, Chrysler, A&W Restaurants and SC Johnson.
While Saskatchewan poses a unique scheduling challenge for broadcasters since Lloydminster is the only market in the province to observe Daylight Savings Time, Moore estimated that a minimum of 75% of City’s primetime schedule would be shown in simulcast.
From a marketing standpoint, Moore said that Citytv will be active in the Saskatchewan market beginning in the new year. Consumer marketing will focus on shows like Canada’s Got Talent, he said.
Moore was noncommittal when asked about other potential areas of expansion for the Citytv brand. “We’re being opportunistic where we can, and it’s our hope to continue to extend the reach of the Citytv brand over the next two to three years,” he said.
