Astral Media

Infobox_Company
company_name =Astral Media
company_
company_type = Public
foundation = 1961
location= Montreal, Québec
key_people =
industry =Media
num_employees = 1,759 (2008)cite web |url=http://zenobank.com/index.php?symbol=CA;ACM.A&page=quotesearch|title=Company Profile for Astral Media Inc (CA;ACM.A) |accessdate=2008-10-07]
revenue = increaseUS$ 646 million (2007)
net_income = increaseUS$ 131 million (2007)
homepage = [http://www.astral.com astralmedia.com]
:"For the former broadcasting company which owned the above properties, see Standard Broadcasting."

Astral Media Inc. (tsx|ACM.A/ACM.B) is a Canadian media corporation. It is Canada's largest radio broadcaster with radio stations in eight provinces, as well as several television stations that are available across Canada, including The Movie Network, Viewers Choice, Family, Teletoon and more.

Astral Media's roots lie with Angreen Photo, a Canadian company founded in 1961. It was created when Montreal's Greenberg brothers founded it to operate the photography concession in Miracle Mart, a department store chain. Its acquisition in 1968 of a photographic store eventually grew into a 125-store chain, Astral Photo, the remnants of which are now owned by the Black's Photography chain. The store grew quickly into motion picture processing after acquiring the Pathé-Humphries motion picture lab. The name was changed to Bellevue Pathé and later to AstralTech.

Astral, in its present day form, was constituted in 1973 under the name Astral Bellevue Pathé Limited. Astral eventually undertook videocassette duplication and video wholesaling. Astral also produced or executive produced over 100 feature films and television programs and television miniseries. In 1983, the Greenbergs acquired complete control of two pay-per-view networks. Astral expanded its television operations by launching new networks. Astral ceased to be directly involved in film and program production in 1983. Later, it also became involved with the home video market, lasting from the mid-1980s until at least 1996. Astral Media is known for it's sound which is remarkably louder then the running program irritating many people.

In February 2000, Astral Communications became Astral Media. For a discussion of The Movie Network/Movie Central duopoly, see The Movie Network.

On February 23, 2007, Astral announced that it had signed a letter of intent and had entered into exclusive negotiations regarding the acquisition of substantially all the assets of radio broadcaster, Standard Radio Inc. [ [http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2007/23/c3982.html Astral Media announces signature of letter of intent to acquire Standard Radio] ] The transaction was approved by the CRTC on September 28, 2007 and was completed on October 29.

Corporate governance

Current members of the board of directors of Astral Media are: Normand Beauchamp, Austin Beutel, Paul Bronfman, André Bureau (chairman), George Cohon, Paul Godfrey, Stephen Greenberg, Ian Greenberg, Sidney Greenberg, Sidney Horn, Mila Mulroney, Timothy Price and Gary Slaight.

Radio

Alberta

* Calgary - CIBK, CJAY, CKMX
* Edmonton - CFBR, CFRN
* St. Albert - CFMG

New Brunswick

*Bathurst - CKBC-FM
*Fredericton - CFXY-FM, CIBX-FM, CKHJ-FM
*Grand Falls - CIKX-FM
*Woodstock - CJCJ-FM

Nova Scotia

*Truro - CKTO-FM, CKTY-FM

British Columbia

* Dawson Creek - CJDC
* Fort Nelson - CKRX
* Fort St. John - CHRX, CKNL
* Golden - CKGR
* Kelowna - CHSU, CILK, CKFR
* Kitimat - CKTK
* Nelson - CKKC
* Osoyoos - CJOR
* Penticton - CJMG, CKOR
* Prince Rupert - CHTK
* Princeton - CIOR
* Revelstoke - CKCR
* Richmond - CISL, CKZZ
* Salmon Arm - CKXR
* Summerland - CHOR
* Terrace - CFTK, CJFW
* Trail - CJAT
* Vancouver - CKZZ
* Vernon - CICF

Manitoba

* Brandon - CKX, CKXA
* Selkirk - CFQX
* Winnipeg - CKMM

Ontario

* Hamilton - CHAM, CKLH, CKOC
* London - CIQM, CJBK, CJBX, CKSL
* Ottawa - CKQB
* Pembroke - CHVR
* St. Catharines - CHRE, CHTZ, CKTB
* Toronto - CFRB, CJEZ, CKFM

Quebec

Énergie network

:* CKMF-FM 94.3, Montreal:* CHIK-FM 98.9, Quebec City:* CKTF-FM 104.1, Gatineau / Outaouais:* CIMO-FM 106.1, Magog / Estrie:* CIGB-FM 102.3, Trois-Rivières / Mauricie:* CJAB-FM 94.5, Saguenay:* CJMM-FM 99.1, Rouyn-Noranda:* CJMV-FM 102.7, Val-d'Or:* CIKI-FM 98.7, Rimouski:* CJDM-FM 92.1, Drummondville

RockDétente network

:* CITE-FM 107.3, Montreal:* CITF-FM 107.5, Quebec City:* CIMF-FM 94.9, Gatineau / Outaouais:* CITE-FM-1 102.7, Sherbrooke / Estrie:* CHEY-FM 94.7, Trois-Rivières / Mauricie:* CFIX-FM 96.9, Saguenay:* CJOI-FM 102.9, Rimouski

Boom FM network

:* CFEI-FM 106.5, Saint-Hyacinthe:* CFZZ-FM 104.1, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu:* CHRD-FM 105.3, Drummondville:* CFVM-FM 99.9, Amqui

Other stations

* Montreal - CHOM, CJAD, CJFM

askatchewan

* Regina - CHBD

atellite radio

Astral also programs two channels for broadcast on Sirius Canada:
* Rock Velours, based on the RockDétente format, airs on Sirius channel 192
* Énergie², based on the Énergie format, airs on Sirius channel 193.

In addition, Astral partnered with CHUM Limited in an application for a terrestrial digital subscription service which was also licensed by the CRTC at the same time as the satellite radio services. The license to launch that service expired on June 16, 2007.

Television

Over-the-air television stations

:"See also: Great West Television"
* Dawson Creek - CJDC
* Terrace - CFTK

pecialty & pay television

* Canal D
* Canal Vie
* Cinépop
* Family - 1 multiplex channel
* Historia (50%)
* The Movie Network - 4 multiplex channels
* Mpix - 1 multiplex channel
* MusiMax
* MusiquePlus
* Séries+ (50%)
* Super Écran - 3 multiplex channels
* Teletoon (English / French) (both 50%)
* Teletoon Retro (English / French) (both 50%)
* Viewers Choice (50.1%)
* VRAK.TV
* Ztélé

References

External links

* [http://www.astralmedia.com/ Official Astral Media website]
* [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ownership/Cht60.pdf CRTC chart of Astral Media's assets] (PDF)
* [http://www.movieentertainment.ca The Movie Network's program listings Magazine]