Vancouver: With the announcement that the federal government has okayed wireless communication technology in Canada, shareholders at WIC Western International Communications’ annual general meeting had a lot more to tune in on.

Industry Canada Minister John Manley announced the morning of wic’s agm Feb. 29 that he had approved Local Multipoint Communications Systems, a wireless technology that promises to beam cable television and Internet signals into Canada’s homes and offices. Describing lmcs as a breakthrough for consumers in terms of increased choice and competition for telephone and cable companies, Manley called for licence applications.

The first round of licences will be open to companies that do not already provide local telephone or cable tv service in Canada.

wic is Canada’s acknowledged leader in lmcs – better known by wic’s trade name Cellularvision. wic says it will establish wireless beachheads in up to 66 Canadian cities once the crtc gives the nod.

After the Western Canadian broadcasting giant acquired the Canadian rights to Cellularvision in March 1993, wic began testing the system in Calgary in the 28 GHz spectrum in mid-1994. wic recently installed a Cellularvision test site in Edmonton that uses a lower frequency 26 GHz.

‘We are extremely pleased that Minister Manley and the federal government are taking expedient action in bringing wireless distribution services to the marketplace,’ says Doug Holtby, wic president and ceo. ‘In giving new entrants a head start in local distribution markets, it also shows the government’s commitment to real and sustainable competition.’

The new policy designates six frequency blocks for lmcs, two of which will be opened immediately and be operational within three years. Industry Canada says the competitive process for awarding the other four blocks will be, for the first time, by auction.

Manley says lmcs will create new private-sector investments and new jobs in the order of 12,000 to 15,000 within 10 years.

For wic shareholders, the Cellularvision announcement was good news after a difficult year of internal strife and external attacks.

At the meeting, Holtby clearly tried to show the solidarity of the controlling Griffiths and Allard families, whose dispute regarding coattail provisions and voting shares was resolved in favor of the Griffiths in January. The Allards, as a concession, have one more nominee on wic’s board.

The shareholder struggle opened up an ‘unsolicited takeover bid’ by Winnipeg-based CanWest, which was also stemmed when the court ruling went to the Griffiths. wic’s battle with CanWest continues in another suit about the acquisition of programming, but Holtby says it’s a battle that still awaits a response from CanWest.

wic also plans to oppose CanWest’s application for new tv licences in Alberta, says Holtby, adding that ‘Alberta is not a growing market in that way.’

wic finished fiscal 1995 (ended Aug. 31) with revenues of $422 million, a 7% increase over fiscal 1994. Net earnings, on the other hand, were $15.2 million, a 55% increase over 1994. Holtby says the acquisition of programming and recent legal wrangling has cut into wic’s revenues and earnings in the first quarter of 1996.

On March 1, the day after the agm, wic’s class b voting shares closed on the Toronto Stock Exchange up $1.25 at $20 per share. The 52-week high is $25.75 (prompted by speculation about the CanWest takeover) and the low is $13.35.