Asper & Canwest Global Group: Holdings

Holdings

This page is indicative only.

The CanWest Global group covers -

• Canadian broadcasting
• broadcasting in Australia and other countries
• newspapers
• magazines
• film distribution and development
• multimedia
• advertising

Canadian broadcasting

The Canadian broadcasting network Global Television reaches over 94% of English-speaking Canada and like Australia's TEN Network has not been known for high production standards or what used to be known as 'moral uplift'.

Major stations include -

• CKND-TV Winnipeg
• The Global Television System Ottawa
• STV Regina
• STV Saskatoon
• UTV, Vancouver
• CIHF-TV1 Halifax/Dartmouth
• CIHF-TV2, Saint John
• 99.1 Cool FM (Winnipeg)

There are other television stations in Hamilton, Victoria and Montreal, CBC affiliate stations in Kelowna and Red Deer, and specialty channel Prime TV.

Broadcasting in Australia and other countries

The group's overseas broadcasting holdings include

• Australian television broadcaster Network TEN (Ten) - 16% voting interest, 56.6% economic interest
• 70% of TV3, New Zealand commercial television network
• 70% of TV4, a second commercial network operating from TV3's Auckland studios
• a 45% stake in the TV3, Eire commercial television network
• 70% of More FM (More), a New Zealand commercial FM radio network with 5 stations
• a 90.5% stake in RadioWorks NZ Ltd, New Zealand's second largest radio group with four national and 27 local stations.

CanWest was the largest single shareholder in Ulster Television (UTV), with a 29.9% stake, from 1997 to 2004.

In the UK it has 95% of Solent radio station The Original 106.

Newspapers

In 2000 CanWest Global acquired all the principal metropolitan operations of the Hollinger newspaper chain in Canada, along with Hollinger's Canadian internet properties, its magazine group, most of the community publishing operations and a 50% interest in the National Post (the remaining 50% was acquired in August 2001).

The deal included 13 large metropolitan English language dailies, around 136 daily and weekly newspapers in smaller communities, and 85 trade publications and directories. A number of titles in Southern Ontario were subsequently sold to Osprey Media Group.

Major papers include

• The St. John's Telegram
• Halifax Daily News
• Charlottetown Guardian
• Montreal Gazette
• Ottawa Citizen
• Windsor Star
• Regina Leader Post
• Saskatoon StarPhoenix
• Calgary Herald
• Edmonton Journal
• Vancouver Sun
• Vancouver Province
• Victoria Times-Colonist

Magazines

Southam magazines include

• Automotive Service Data Book
• Southam Medical
• Auto Vision
• Southam Medical Lists
• Body Shop
• The Drugstore File
• Jobber News
• Dental Directories
• L'automobile
• Canadian Health Facilities
• Le Body Shop Directory
• Service Station and Garage
• Rehab Services Guide
• Canadian Medical Directory
• Jobber News Annual
• Pharmacists Directory
• Broadcaster
• American Mines Handbook
• Cablecaster
• Canadian Mines Handbook
• New Media.pro
• Canadian Mining Journal
• Mining Source Book
• Canadian MineSCAN
• Cabling Systems
• Northern Miner Newspaper
• Canadian Architect
• Northern Miner
• Combo
• Canadian Consulting Engineer
• Architectural and Design Solutions
• Dental Health
• American MineSCAN
• Dental Practice Management
• Oral Health
• Dental Directories
• OH&S Canada
• New Technology Magazine
• Back to Work Petroleum
• Explorer Canadian
• Nickels Energy Group
• Safety News
• Daily Oil Bulletin
• Canadian Occupational Health & Safety
• Canadian Oil Register
• Safety Legislation
• Energy Analects
• Statistics Quarterly
• Energy Information Services
• Canadian Plastics Directory
• Structures Buyers Guide
• Petroleum Explorer
• Environmental Industry Convention Reporter
• Hazardous Materials Management
• Les Papetieres du Quebec
• Solid Waste Recycling
• Pulp & Paper Canada
• Ecology Week
• Scott's Government Index
• Mutual Fund Source Book
• Canadian Source Book
• Fund Profiler
• Scott's Directory of Canadian Associations
• Canadian Underwriter
• Canadian Underwriter
• Statistical Centre Magazine
• Gifts and Tablewares
• Ontario Insurance Directory
• Canadian Industrial Equipment News
• Laboratory Product News
• Laboratory Buyer's Guide
• Canadian Transportation Logistics
• Trucking
• Motor Truck
• Truck News
• Truck West
• Industrial Sales
• Scott's Directories
• Canadian Transportation Guide

Film distribution and development

CanWest has followed the traditional path of new broadcasters by buying film libraries, trying to break into the distribution business and developing a film/video production presence. (For Australian experience see writing about moves by the 7 and Ten Networks to buy MGM or other production/distribution houses during the 1990s.)

The highlights are

• licensing of the Endemol (game show and 'Big Brother') library
• Fireworks Entertainment, Toronto-based film/tv financier and developer
• Fireworks Pictures, Los Angeles-based feature film distributor
• Fireworks Television, also in L.A., television program developer
• Fireworks International, London-based television program distributor

Multimedia

In the Hollinger purchase CanWest acquired some of Canada's leading internet portals,such as canada.com and faceoff.com, along with newspaper portals.

Closer to home the performance of TEN Ventures, the new media subsidiary, has been underwhelming, with negative results from online entertainment and leisure destination SCAPE (a 50% investment with Village Roadshow).

Advertising

Network TEN has a 100% interest in Eye Corp., Australia's second largest outdoor advertising company, which competes with an APN subsidiary.

Eye has a network of outdoor signage, airport advertising, visual merchandising, and shopping centre advertising in Australia and has been seeking to extend its presence in Malaysia and Indonesia.