Craig Wireless Systems, Ltd. (initially Western Manitoba Broadcasters Ltd., then Craig Broadcast Systems, Inc., & next Craig Media, Inc. before its current branding) is a Canadian company which offers Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service in Manitoba and British Columbia.

In 2004, the company's media assets (its TV stations & A-Channel TV network) were acquired by CHUM Limited.

Eventually, the company was also operating in the telecommunications industry, offering wireless cable television and high-speed Internet services. The company also operated an American subsidiary in Honolulu, which in early 2003 slashed its staff ahead of merger talks with Oceanic Cable.

In 2003, after securing financing in the area of $145 million ($110 million from Providence Equity Partners & a $35 million line of credit from RBC Capital Markets and BMO Nesbitt Burns), the company reorganized its conventional and specialty television operations, with the conventional TV operations (A-Channel & its stations) under the Craig Media branding, while the specialty television channels were placed within Craig Media under Craig Specialty.

Craig Media was the owner of Toronto 1, a local television station in located in Toronto.

In 2004, the company's TV broadcasting operations (A-Channel & its stations) were acquired by CHUM Limited for CA$265 million ($197.8 million) in cash. CHUM did not acquire the company's telecommunications operations, which remain in operation under the Craig Wireless name, which the company took on after CHUM's acquisition of its television broadcasting assets. Upon the name change, another of John's grandsons, Boyd, took over the company.

Former assets

Local stations

  • A-Channel (now Citytv)
  • CKAL - Calgary, Alberta
  • CKEM - Edmonton, Alberta
  • CHMI - Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • CKX - Brandon, Manitoba (ceased operations on October 2, 2009)
  • CKXT - Toronto, Ontario (ceased operations as of November 2011)

Digital television stations under Craig Specialty

  • MTV Canada, now MTV2 Canada - originally conceived as "Connect" (youth lifestyle programming)
  • MTV2 Canada, now Stingray Juicebox - originally conceived as "Music 5" (a service consisting of 5 separate music video channels: Pop, Dance, Urban, R&B, and "Hot Hits")
  • TV Land Canada, replaced by Comedy Gold in 2010 (ceased operations as of September 2019) - originally conceived as "Retro" (classic television programming)

Proposed, but never launched

  • A-Channel News Now (24 hr. news)
  • Action Channel (action-oriented programming)
  • Jazz & Blues TV
  • PATV (Pets & Animals)
  • The MET (music and entertainment television dedicated to the presentation and promotion of emerging Canadian artists in the rock genre)
  • Stampede (western-themed programming)
  • Click TV (programs about the Internet, computers and e-business)
  • Style TV (devoted to programming about fashion, design and architecture)

References

  • Broadcaster Magazine: CHUM buying Craig, will spin-off Toronto 1
  • Craig, Stuart | History of Canadian Broadcasting
  • Craig gets financing » Playback