|
overview
holdings
landmarks
|
landmarks
This chronology is indicative only. It covers -
Context is provided by the broader communications and
media timeline on this site.
antecedents
1844 Toronto Globe founded as weekly newspaper
1853 Globe becomes a daily
1872 Toronto Mail established by rival
1880 telecommunications company Bell Canada established
under Bell Canada Special Act ('Bell Canada Charter')
following establishment of Bell Telephone (later AT&T)
in US
1883 Globe owner shot by disgruntled employee
1888 Globe acquired by Jaffray family
1895 Mail merges with The Empire
1936 Globe sold to financier George McCullagh
and merged with Mail & Empire
1950 Canadian Overseas Telecommunication Corporation (COTC)
created as national enterprise, similar to Australia's
Overseas Telecommunications Corporation (now part of Telstra)
1956 COTC partners development of first transatlantic
coaxial cable
1961 CTV launched as national commercial television channel
1964 COTC launches Anik, Canada's first communications
satellite
1965 Globe & Mail becomes part of FP Publications
group
1967 Canadian Overseas Telephone Corporation (COTC) renamed
Teleglobe Canada in the Teleglobe Canada Act
1980 Thomson Newspapers buys
control of FP Publications
1981 merger of British American Bank Note (BABN) printers
with Yvon Boulanger Limitée
1983 regulators approve Bell Canada restructure scheme,
allowing regulated and unregulated activities under the
same corporate roof
beginnings
1983 Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) established as holding
company to give effect to that approval, covering telco
Bell Canada and other activities under Northern Electric
arm
1984 BCE buys BABN
1987 Teleglobe privatised following Teleglobe Canada
Reorganization and Divestiture Act
1987 Bell Canada Act 1987 replaces 1880
legislation, removing some restrictions (Bell Canada still
cannot hold broadcasting license)
1989 BCE buys Montreal Trust stake from Desmarais' Power
Financial for C$547m
1988 Bell Canada begins ALEX videotext trial in Montreal
1988 Bell Canada Enterprises buys NorthwesTel from Canadian
National transport group
1988 BCE sells most of its printing interests to Quebecor
but retains BABN's Lottery Division
1993 sells rest of BABN to GTC Transcontinental
1995 buys C$18.4m stake in computer services provider
CGI
1998 Teleglobe buys Excel Communications to penetrate
US domestic telecommunications market
CTV and Sun
1997 Baton broadcasting group, under control of Eaton
department store dynasty, gains control of CTV
1997 buys 10% of Sun Media and 40% of CANOE
1998 sells Sun and CANOE stakes to Quebecor
1998 Eaton family sells 40.2% stake in CTV
1999 BCE spins off most of 39.2% stake in Nortel in move
valued at C$73bn
1999 CTV buys 68% of NetStar (owner of Canadian Sports
Network and Discovery Channel), outbidding offer by CanWest
Global
1999 Bell Canada and Lycos create Sympatico-Lycos, intended
as Canada's largest B2C portal
1999 Globe & Mail launches ROBTV business cable
tv channel
1999 BCE buys remaining Teleglobe shares for C$9.65bn
2000 BCE buys CTV for C$2bn
2000 Teleglobe and Bell Canada Enterprises merge
Bell Globemedia
2000 Bell Canada Enterprises and Thomson
form Bell Globemedia
2001 Bell Globemedia sells 40% stake in Sportsnet
2001 CTV buys CKY Winnipeg
2001 buys CFCF Montreal (70% from CanWest Global)
2001 takes 40% in Cogeco-controlled
TQS network
BCE's exit, CHUM and CTVglobemedia
2005 BCE sells 48.5% of Bell Globemedia for C$1.3 billion
to Torstar (20%), Ontario Teachers'
Pension Plan (20%) and the Thomson
family's Woodbridge (8.5%)
2005 agrees to sell 21% of computer-services company CGI
Group for US$743m
2006 Bell Globemedia pays C$1.4bn for CHUM
2006 BCE announces that it will dissolve and convert its
Bell Canada telecommunications unit into Canada's largest
income trust
2006 abandons conversion plan after government changes
income trust rules
2006 agrees to sell Telesat for C$3.25bn to Public Sector
Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) and Loral Space
& Communications joint venture
2007 Bell Globemedia Inc. becomes CTVglobemedia Inc.
2007 Rogers agrees to pay C$375m
for CTVGlobemedia's CITY-TV network
2007 BCE agrees to be acquired by Ontario Teachers' Pension
Plan and Providence Equity Partners for US$48.8bn
2007 Cogeco Radio-Télévision
and CTVglobemedia secure court protection from creditors
for TQS network
2008 Quebec Superior Court agrees with TQS Board decision
to accept offer by Remstar Corporation for all shares
held by Cogeco and CTV Television Inc.
://:
|
|
