The ink on the proposal is barely dry, but already would-be station owners are circling CanWest Global Communications’ new assets.

Days after details of the Aspers’ sweet victory, the outcome – which leaves CanWest owning all 11 of WIC Western International Communications’ conventional tv assets plus new facilities including a post-production and transfer house – is leaving few in the industry believing the deal will look as is when it goes to the crtc for approval.

The main sticking point is the number of channels in one market CanWest could own. With three in Montreal, three in Vancouver and two in Ontario, the layout proposed, post the dissection of wic, defies the crtc’s long-standing policy of not allowing corporations to own more than a single station in a market.

David Asper, executive vp of CanWest in Winnipeg, says they’re still evaluating what assets they want to – or will have to – sell. But CanWest is already on the record saying maintaining ownership in bctv, a ctv affiliate, is not in its interest, which indicates intent to divest of a property in b.c.

In Quebec, a senior broadcasting executive who spoke off the record says active negotiations are underway between CanWest and various broadcasters to deal Montreal-based cfcf-tv, in which CanWest is now 70% owner.

That leaves Ontario, where the CanWest ownership of Global and chch-tv is expected to be the battleground for a challenge to the crtc’s duopoly policy.

‘We will be taking the position that keeping chch-tv puts Global on equal footing with the other broadcasters,’ says Asper.

‘Given that chum and Baton effectively have province-wide duopolies now, I think what we’re seeking there is parity.’

Responding to the likelihood of the regulator allowing the most profitable broadcaster in Canada two channels in the richest provincial market, Asper says that he’s ‘not aware of any provision in the Broadcasting Act that profitable broadcasters should be penalized.

‘That seems to run contra to the economic system in Canada.’

In terms of the sale of any of the tv assets, Asper says it may be that the crtc application is presented with any purchases as part of the application so that the buyers wouldn’t have to go through subsequent change-of-control hearings.

‘We’re going to try and present the crtc with as comprehensive a package a possible.’

In addition to conventional tv assets, CanWest’s $950-million purchase includes wic’s 30% interest in rob tv, all wic’s applications on file for regional news networks, its video-on-demand licence, the properties of WIC Entertainment, Western Broadcast Sales, Artray Film and Video, Allarcom Studios, Studio Post and Transfer, and commercial production house Apple Box Productions.

Artray, a division of chek-tv, is a production company based in Victoria which handles mainly commercials and corporate video and owns digital Betacams, Avid editing suites, and a studio.

Studio Post and Transfer is an Edmonton-based post and transfer facility, which was purchased in 1982 by Allarcom and is located inside the Allarcom Studios.

Apple Box is a commercial production company with offices in Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto

According to Asper, although the post-production, studio and commercial properties are left of center of the conventional tv business, CanWest’s new foray into the production business via the acquisition of Fireworks Entertainment means that they’re not necessarily on the block.

‘We have to get into those businesses and see what they’re all about before we decide. But having made a commitment to be in the content business, we’ll be examining if those businesses could be valuable to that part of the company.’

The specifics of the arrangement will take several months to play out.

Board and shareholder approval are required. Tax rulings with Revenue Canada too must be in place, a factor which is reportedly ‘crucial’ to the deal. The proposal then has to go before the commission. CanWest Global ceo Jim Sward says optimistically it will be brokered by the end of March 1999, but in reality it could take up to a year.

In the meantime, up-and-coming flags include;

– There seems to be a lack of consensus as to whether Baton has first right of refusal on the bctv stations. While Baton maintains it has first right should CanWest be willing to sell, Asper says ‘I have not seen any document that creates that right.’ Former wic executives are similarly skeptical.

– Long in the media is CanWest’s interest in acquiring NetStar Communications and its properties, including tsn and Discovery Channel. Word on the street has it that CanWest is favored to take the multimillion-dollar company.

CanWest is also in the race to buy Rysher Entertainment in the u.s. As to whether negotiations with NetStar and Rysher are continuing, Sward had no comment, but with a go-ahead on either deal, the biggest broadcaster in Canada could get larger.