Strategy and Competition
Haliburton's strategy has been based on the conversion of former AM radio stations to FM, adoption of generally more contemporary-oriented music formats, modest staffing levels, and economies of scale through shared voice tracking, production and advertising sales across the regional group.
CHNO in Sudbury was an AM oldies station when Haliburton acquired it from Pelmorex; a stipulation in the CRTC's approval of the transaction allowed it to move to FM. In 2000, it relaunched at 103.9 as a contemporary hit radio station branded as Z103. After a short time, it was sold in 2001 to the larger Newcap Broadcasting for significantly more than it had been acquired for. The CRTC, wary of potential "license trafficking," accepted the sale on the grounds that Haliburton had been losing money with CHNO, and would reinvest the proceeds into its contemporaneous purchase of CKLP in Parry Sound.
CHMT in Timmins launched in 2001 as an adult contemporary station as Mix 93, but soon faltered under competition from CKGB, formerly an AM country station which adopted the EZ Rock adult contemporary brand and moved to FM shortly after CHMT launched. CHMT flipped to country about a year later, and eventually relented as had CHNO, abandoning its own sales staff and sharing sales with the two Rogers Media stations in Timmins.
On March 17, 2005, the CRTC published notice of an application Haliburton filed in 2004 to launch an FM country station in North Bay, which was approved on August 11, 2005. However, the North Bay station launched as an adult hits format in the summer of 2006, instead of the country music format the station originally proposed.
On April 7, 2005, they published notice of an application also filed in 2004 to launch an FM "adult contemporary rock" station in Haliburton itself. This license was also subsequently granted, and the station launched in 2006.
On August 4, 2010, Haliburton applied to operate a new FM radio station in Barry's Bay to operate at 106.5 MHz with an adult contemporary format. Haliburton received CRTC approval on January 12, 2011.
On December 13, 2010, Haliburton applied to operate a new FM radio station in Kemptville, Ontario. The new station will operate on 97.5 MHz with an adult contemporary format. Haliburton received CRTC approval on April 21, 2011.
On May 19, 2011, Haliburton applied to operate a new FM radio station in Prescott, Ontario. The new station would operate at 107.9 MHz with a hot adult contemporary music format. Haliburton received CRTC approval on November 10, 2011.
On November 9, 2011, Haliburton submitted applications to the CRTC to acquire CJFB-FM in Bolton, Ontario and CFGM-FM in Caledon, Ontario. This was approved on March 14, 2012.
Read more about this topic: Haliburton Broadcasting Group
Famous quotes containing the words strategy and/or competition:
“Our strategy in going after this army is very simple. First we are going to cut it off, and then we are going to kill it.”
—Colin Powell (b. 1937)
“All adults who care about a baby will naturally be in competition for that baby.... Each adult wishes that he or she could do each job a bit more skillfully for the infant or small child than the other.”
—T. Berry Brazelton (20th century)