CUC Broadcasting

{{Short description|Canadian media company}} '''CUC (Conway Upper Canada) Broadcasting''' was a Canadian media company, active from 1968 to 1995. Active primarily as a cable television distributor, the company also had some holdings in broadcast media and publishing.

The company was founded in 1968 by chairman Geoffrey Conway,<ref name=rivals/> with shareholders including Jerry Grafstein, Michael Koerner and Ken Lefolii.<ref>"Geoffrey Conway: Cable pioneer sought channel for children". ''The Globe and Mail'', March 1, 1988.</ref>

==Holdings== The company's '''Trillium Cable''' division served several markets in Ontario, including Scarborough, Windsor, Barrie, Pickering, Smiths Falls, Perth, Chatham and Leamington,<ref name=starcuts>"Cable takeover kills 251 jobs New owner axes Trillium staffers". ''Toronto Star'', June 15, 1995.</ref> and was also a minority investor in other smaller cable companies, including Northern Cable in Northern Ontario,<ref name=struggle>"Struggle under way to control CUC Broadcasting, sources say". ''The Globe and Mail'', March 2, 1989.</ref> '''UMG (Upper Midlands Group) Cable''' in Brockville, Cobourg and Port Hope,<ref>"Ontario cable firms". ''The Globe and Mail'', May 9, 1984.</ref> and several local systems in The Midlands region of England.<ref name=britain>"CUC closer to lining up partner Broadcaster negotiating with Telus for cable-TV venture in Britain". ''The Globe and Mail'', September 23, 1992.</ref>

CUC's broadcasting holdings included radio stations CKLW and CKEZ in Windsor,<ref name=waived>"Radio rules waived for Windsor". ''The Globe and Mail'', January 30, 1993.</ref> and a 25 per cent founding stake in YTV,<ref name=rivals>"Rivals eye cable empire after founder's death". ''The Globe and Mail'', April 2, 1988.</ref> which had increased to 34 per cent by the company's dissolution in 1995. Through its share in Northern Cable, it also held a stake in that company's radio and television subsidiary Mid-Canada Communications<ref name=rivals/> until its share of that company was bought out by local shareholder Norman Bradley in 1989.<ref name=chro>"Firm that owns CHRO sold; Deal for Northern Cable may halt bid for Ottawa licence". ''Ottawa Citizen'', May 27, 1989.</ref>

In addition, the company held a significant minority stake in the magazine ''Toronto Life''.<ref name=rivals/>

==Acquisition== Conway's death in 1988 made the company a strong takeover target,<ref name=rivals/> and by 1989 an active struggle for the controlling share of the company was under way.<ref name=struggle /> Control was ultimately maintained by Julia Conway, Geoffrey's widow.<ref name=britain/>

CUC sold its radio stations in Windsor to CHUM Limited in 1993.<ref name=waived /> The deal was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and formally established the commission's current practice of granting the Windsor market a special exemption from its normal concentration of media ownership rules because the city's proximity to the Metro Detroit market in the United States was threatening the financial viability of Windsor's radio and television services.<ref name=waived />

CUC was acquired by Shaw Cable in the 1990s, for a purchase price of $645 million.<ref name=shawcuts>"Shaw to cut CUC by 251 jobs Will reduce new unit's work force by almost half over next 4 months". ''The Globe and Mail'', June 15, 1995.</ref> First announced in April 1994,<ref>"Shaw buys Ontario network". ''Calgary Herald'', April 30, 1994.</ref> the deal was reached as part of a bidding war which also saw a competing offer from Cogeco.<ref>"Shaw hooks CUC in $635M deal". ''Financial Post'', April 30, 1994.</ref> The purchase received CRTC approval in February 1995.<ref>"CRTC approves Shaw purchase". ''Edmonton Journal'', February 18, 1995.</ref>

The merger of CUC's 420,000 subscribers with Shaw's, along with an additional 102,000 subscribers added from Shaw's simultaneous purchase of Classicomm, made Shaw the second largest cable company in Canada.<ref>"Ontario cable deal keeps Shaw in big leagues; Shaw on the move". ''Edmonton Journal'', July 30, 1994.</ref>

Shortly after the takeover was approved, Shaw cut 251 jobs from Trillium in the engineering, customer service and finance departments,<ref name=starcuts /> due to operational redundancies with Shaw's existing staff.<ref name=shawcuts />

Following an exchange transaction between Shaw and Rogers Cable in 2001,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Rogers, Shaw swap cable assets, strike Internet alliance|work=CBC|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/rogers-shaw-swap-cable-assets-strike-internet-alliance-1.229973|access-date=August 16, 2021}}</ref> most of Trillium's and UMG's former markets are now served by Cogeco, with Scarborough and Barrie now being served by Rogers Cable.

==References== {{reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuc Broadcasting}} Category:Defunct cable and DBS companies of Canada Category:Defunct radio broadcasting companies of Canada Category:Defunct broadcasting companies of Canada Category:1968 establishments in Ontario Category:Mass media companies established in 1968 Category:1995 disestablishments in Ontario Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 1995 Category:Shaw Communications Category:1995 mergers and acquisitions