TORONTO – Rogers Media a month ago inked an affiliate deal with Saskatchewan Communications Network (SCN) to get simulcasts of American primetime series like Alcatraz and Modern Family into that province.
But on Tuesday, the Toronto-based broadcaster unveiled a revised deal to acquire 100% of the publicly-funded educational broadcaster after Ontario-based Bluepoint Investment Corp., which acquired SCN a year ago, decided to cash out.
Terms of the takeover deal, including the price tag, were not disclosed.
But, pending regulatory approval, the acquisition will allow Rogers to turn SCN into Citytv Saskatchewan, the latest addition to its countrywide network of Citytv stations.
“We initially had a conversation about an affiliation agreement, but it became apparent to both sides that we should to look at acquiring the network,” Scott Moore, president of broadcast at Rogers Media, said Tuesday.
Bluepoint purchased SCN in 2010 and managed to change the channel’s license obligation from a commercial-free educational broadcaster to a TV station showing educational and cultural programming from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., and popular programming outside those hours.
Under the proposed takeover agreement, Rogers will maintain commercial-free educational programming from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
And the remainder of the schedule will feature the Citytv programming lineup, with some variation for staggered time zone changes in Saskatchewan.
That Citytv Saskatchewan schedule will include 30 Rock, 2 Broke Girls, and the upcoming Canada's Got Talent reality competition series.
Saskatchewan TV viewers currently view American series like Modern Family and 30 Rock on cross-border U.S. TV stations.
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