CTV, Televisa sign pact

The CTV Television Network has taken nafta to heart and, just three weeks after the launch of the trade agreement, formed a partnership with Televisa of Mexico. Televisa, a major Spanish-language broadcaster, operates several television stations as well as eco, an all-news channel. Televisa has had a Mexican correspondent stationed in the ctv parliamentary news bureau in Ottawa for the past year and is planning to post another in ctv’s Vancouver bureau.

The alliance is an integral part of ctv’s application for a 24-hour specialty news channel, and comes a month after ctv formed news alliances with broadcast giants Fuji Television in Japan and Nine Network in Australia.

ctv isn’t the only Canadian broadcaster looking south. Just prior to ctv’s announcement, there were strong hints that CanWest Global Communications is looking to make an acquisition in the Hispanic market.

Izzy Asper, CanWest Global chair, is reported to have told the annual shareholders meeting in Toronto Jan. 20 that ‘(CanWest) is taking a serious look at the Hispanic market.’ CanWest currently has major investments in Network Ten in Australia and TV3 in New Zealand.

Three renewed

The CanWest Global System has announced that it will renew three of its Canadian coproductions. Destiny Ridge (Atlantis Films and Great North Productions) has been renewed for an additional 18 episodes, while Madison (Forefront Productions) and Ready or Not (Insight Productions) have been picked up for an additional 26.