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A-Channel, a small group of TV stations in Western Canada owned by Craig Broadcast Systems, has branded itself as a hip, urban and local maverick. With stations in Calgary and Edmonton, a licence application for Victoria/Vancouver before the CRTC and the western mini-network's mother station, MTN in Winnipeg, rebranded last October as A-Channel, Craig is banking on local content to boost audiences-eventually.
"As we see other broadcasters with-drawing from local programming, we view that as a tremendous opportunity to own that segment of the market," says company president Drew Craig, who started out in Brandon, Man. and now runs Craig Broadcasting Systems from Calgary, although technically the head office remains in Brandon.
Kevin Menshik, director of Edmonton-based Mediactive Inc., believes that, at least for the short term, the branding strategy will work for A-Channel, and offers advantages for advertisers with particular goals. "If I have a client or brand that is trying to establish itself, or better align itself with the community, then A-Channel is a viable way to do that, because they get involved with the community as well."
The family-owned Craig mini-empire includes wireless cable and radio in addition to television. It began 45 years ago with local TV station CKX in Brandon. The Craigs entered Winnipeg in 1986 with a new station, CHMI. Dubbed MTN (Manitoba Television Network), its slogan became "Very Independent." Its trademark prime-time lineup consisted of the Prime Ticket Movie five nights a week. Newscasts were hosted by rumpled, poorly made-up anchors.
Enter the flashy, urban-style-branded imagery of A-Channel, the name that all three of Craig's independent stations now carry. In Winnipeg, MTN's "Very Independent" slogan has morphed into "InterActive," and its anchors are largely blue-eyed golden blondes, all impeccably groomed. A-Channel in Manitoba hired 15 people from across Canada to beef up its news look. As with Calgary and Edmonton, black and yellow are the station colours, macho black SUVs the news vehicles of choice, with...