BCE/Bell Globemedia: landmarks

Landmarks

This chronology is indicative only. It covers -

• antecedents (1844)
• beginnings (1983)
• CTV and Sun (1997)
• Bell Globemedia (2000)
• BCE exits and expands (2005)

Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline on this site.

Antecedents

1844 Toronto Globe founded as weekly newspaper

1853 Globe becomes a daily

1872 Toronto Mail established by rival

1880 telecommunications company Bell Canada established under Bell Canada Special Act ('Bell Canada Charter') following establishment of Bell Telephone (later AT&T) in US

1883 Globe owner shot by disgruntled employee

1888 Globe acquired by Jaffray family

1895 Mail merges with The Empire

1936 Globe sold to financier George McCullagh and merged with Mail & Empire

1950 Canadian Overseas Telecommunication Corporation (COTC) created as national enterprise, similar to Australia's Overseas Telecommunications Corporation (now part of Telstra)

1956 COTC partners development of first transatlantic coaxial cable

1961 CTV launched as national commercial television channel

1964 COTC launches Anik, Canada's first communications satellite

1965 Globe & Mail becomes part of FP Publications group

1967 Canadian Overseas Telephone Corporation (COTC) renamed Teleglobe Canada in the Teleglobe Canada Act

1980 Thomson Newspapers buys control of FP Publications

1981 merger of British American Bank Note (BABN) printers with Yvon Boulanger Limitée

1983 regulators approve Bell Canada restructure scheme, allowing regulated and unregulated activities under the same corporate roof

Beginnings

1983 Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) established as holding company to give effect to that approval, covering telco Bell Canada and other activities under Northern Electric arm

1984 BCE buys BABN

1987 Teleglobe privatised following Teleglobe Canada Reorganization and Divestiture Act

1987 Bell Canada Act 1987 replaces 1880 legislation, removing some restrictions (Bell Canada still cannot hold broadcasting license)

1989 BCE buys Montreal Trust stake from Desmarais' Power Financial for C$547m

1988 Bell Canada begins ALEX videotext trial in Montreal

1988 Bell Canada Enterprises buys NorthwesTel from Canadian National transport group

1988 BCE sells most of its printing interests to Quebecor but retains BABN's Lottery Division

1993 sells rest of BABN to GTC Transcontinental

1995 buys C$18.4m stake in computer services provider CGI

1998 Teleglobe buys Excel Communications to penetrate US domestic telecommunications market

CTV and Sun

1997 Baton broadcasting group, under control of Eaton department store dynasty, gains control of CTV

1997 buys 10% of Sun Media and 40% of CANOE

1998 sells Sun and CANOE stakes to Quebecor

1998 Eaton family sells 40.2% stake in CTV

1999 BCE spins off most of 39.2% stake in Nortel in move valued at C$73bn

1999 CTV buys 68% of NetStar (owner of Canadian Sports Network and Discovery Channel), outbidding offer by CanWest Global

1999 Bell Canada and Lycos create Sympatico-Lycos, intended as Canada's largest B2C portal

1999 Globe & Mail launches ROBTV business cable tv channel

1999 BCE buys remaining Teleglobe shares for C$9.65bn

2000 BCE buys CTV for C$2bn

2000 Teleglobe and Bell Canada Enterprises merge

Bell Globemedia

2000 Bell Canada Enterprises and Thomson form Bell Globemedia

2001 Bell Globemedia sells 40% stake in Sportsnet

2001 CTV buys CKY Winnipeg

2001 buys CFCF Montreal (70% from CanWest Global)

2001 takes 40% in Cogeco-controlled TQS network

BCE exits

2005 BCE sells 48.5% of Bell Globemedia for C$1.3 billion to Torstar (20%), Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (20%) and the Thomson family's Woodbridge (8.5%)

2005 agrees to sell 21% of computer-services company CGI Group for US$743m

2006 Bell Globemedia agrees to pay C$1.4bn for CHUM

2006 BCE announces that it will dissolve and turn its Bell Canada telecommunications unit into Canada's largest income trust