Vancouver: CHUM Ltd. is hoping the CRTC overlooks its own policies yet again when it comes to the broadcaster’s $125-million purchase of Vancouver station CKVU announced this month.

Technically, the regulator still doesn’t allow broadcasters to own two stations in a single market such as Vancouver/Victoria. But historically, the now-defunct WIC Western International Communications operated BCTV in Vancouver and CHEK-TV in Victoria for years, disregarding demands from the commission to offload one. The thorny issue arose again when the CRTC allowed CanWest Global Communications, the former owner of CKVU, to keep both BCTV and CHEK in its acquisition of WIC’s television assets last year.

It seems the precedent is set for CHUM to add CKVU to its roster of stations including CIVI, its new station in Victoria that goes live in mid-September.

‘We’re not assuming or presuming anything,’ says CHUM president Jay Switzer, referring to the regulatory approvals and this multiple-station issue. ‘We want to prove we are worthy of an exemption.’

With that, CHUM is promising unduplicated (at least 90%) priority primetime programming for the CIVI and CKVU stations. According to Switzer, CHUM will produce a separate eight hours of priority programming a week (more than is required by a medium-sized broadcaster). That demonstrates, he says, CHUM’s commitment to produce local, fresh programs for each station, which translates into more local news, more local non-news programming, more locally made independent films, long-form documentaries and music/variety shows.

Just how much money will be invested in B.C., producers will have to wait until CHUM unveils its benefits package attached to its purchase application. But Switzer is quick to note that even when CHUM had no stations in B.C., it was an active funding partner in productions such as locally made Hard Core Logo, Kitchen Party, On the Nose, Better Than Chocolate and series First Wave.

‘We’ve gotten heat from Ontario producers about how much B.C. production we’ve supported,’ says Switzer. ‘But as we have said, we support the best quality that comes to our door, which at this time comes from the West Coast.’

It’s unclear how the vetting process will proceed with the CRTC or how long it will take to resolve the ownership issue. In the meantime, however, CHUM has entered into a contract with CKVU trustee Bud Sherman to program and sell CKVU beginning this fall – a move that will help CHUM at events such as the L.A. Screenings next month.

There will be few, if any, other changes made by CHUM until the application is heard. ‘We want to be respectful of the process,’ says Switzer.

For instance, branding of the station will likely be ‘neutral,’ meaning CKVU will be neither a Global station (since the Global insignia moves to BCTV/CHEK this fall) nor a CHUM station. Even with CRTC approval, the station won’t likely be relaunched as a CHUM station until fall 2002.

And, because of the purchase price, there will be no near-term move to interactive downtown studios (premises such as the Robson Square Conference Centre considered in the last round of applications) from CKVU’s current industrial area facilities, says Switzer. By comparison, CHUM is building CIVI in Victoria from the ground up for between $10 million and $20 million.

If there is approval of the Vancouver purchase, CHUM may open a downtown storefront (as it has in a similar situation in London) to act as a satellite studio for CKVU.

CanWest has said it will use the proceeds of the CKVU sale to apply to its debt from recent print and broadcast acquisitions. *

-www.chumlimited.com