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June 14, 2004 - Strategy Media Archive
Fall TV Preview

The Regional View
Waiting for CHUM
Regional buyers wait for CHUM to spruce up A-Channels as Radio-Canada makes a play for Montreal

by Patti Summerfield
page M 8

With buyers still reeling from last year's aggressive rates, numerous program changes and cancellations, it's going to take a lot more than hype and hoopla to arouse excitement about the new fall TV season. And, say buyers, broadcasters had better approach the 2004/05 buying with much more realistic ad rates and audience forecasts.

Demand is expected to be softer than last year and even if rate hikes are in the low to mid single digits, many buyers say they will increase the amount of specialty TV they buy in order to deliver the campaign weights they need to meet client objectives and budgets.

But despite prophesies about the ascendancy of cable in markets across the country, this year's upfront is still mainly a seesaw battle between CTV and Global. Five years ago it was Global's game, but today, CTV holds the majority of the top-10 and top-20 program slots in most regions. (For details on fall plans at Global and CTV, see "A more civilized affair" on page 6.)

The other big buzz is about CHUM's acquisition of Craig Media, although no visible results of this are expected until early 2005. (The CRTC hearing is expected in September.) Buyers in Ontario and Alberta speculate that better programming - and better ratings - will result from the deal. The successful Citytv format is expected to revitalize the A-Channels in Calgary, Edmonton, and Manitoba and even the sale of Craig's Toronto 1 station is expected to net better programming for regional buyers.

Toronto: T1 in limbo pending sale

Buyers in this market are hoping fledgling Toronto 1 will get a much-needed resuscitation from new ownership now that CHUM's pending purchase of Craig Media puts it into play. But as of press time, it looks like they'll have to be patient - for the time being the station seems to be in limbo.

Programming-wise the only changes announced at press time were that Toronto 1 is losing Emmy award-winning daytime talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show to a higher bid from CHUM, but has brought in some competition (of sorts) via The Tony Danza Show.

Toronto 1's prime-time focus this fall will be "Prime Ticket Movie," a schedule of back-to-back movies running 8 p.m. to midnight every Monday through Friday.

Helena Shelton, VP broadcast operations, MBS/The Media Company, says with CHUM already owning Citytv, CP24 and the New VR in the market, T1 will be sold for sure. Rumours on the street peg Quebecor (which owns Sun Media) and the Toronto Star as potential suitors.

Meanwhile, CHUM will be running DeGeneres on its Citytv and NewNet stations. Other U.S. acquisitions at CHUM include America's Next Top Model, Jack & Bobby, Battlestar Galactica (a remake of the popular 1978 series) and Life As We Know It (see "The Shows," beginning on page 23, for a full description of all fall shows by network). A new Canadian series, The Collector, runs on the Space channel this summer before hitting the City stations in the fall.

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