Shaw Communications logo, used from 1993 to 1997Shaw Communications logo, used from 1997 to 2012
Shaw Communications Inc. was a Canadiantelecommunications company which provided telephone, Internet, television, and mobile services. The company was founded in 1966 as Capital Cable Television Company, Ltd. by JR Shaw in Edmonton. The company was acquired by and amalgamated into Rogers Communications in 2023; most operations were rebranded to the Rogers brand beginning in July of that year, with services and sponsorships in former Shaw markets having used the transitional brand Rogers together with Shaw for promotional purposes.[4][5]
The company also provided mobile services through its subsidiary Freedom Mobile, under both the Freedom and Shaw Mobile brands, in areas of Alberta, British Columbia, and Southern Ontario; Freedom was sold to Vidéotron simultaneously with the Rogers merger. The company's chief competitor for home telecommunications in western Canada was Telus Communications.
History
Shaw was founded in 1966 by JR Shaw as Capital Cable Television Company, Ltd. in Edmonton, Alberta.[6] It was originally a subsidiary of Shawcor, JR's father's firm, but the business was split from Shawcor in the 1970s.[7][8] The company changed its name to Shaw Cablesystems Ltd. (after founder and chairman JR Shaw) and went public on the TSX in 1983. The company grew during the 1980s and 1990s through acquisitions of firms including Classicomm in the Toronto area, Access Communications in Nova Scotia, Fundy Cable in New Brunswick, Trillium Cable in Ontario, Telecable in Saskatchewan,[9] Greater Winnipeg Cablevision[10] (serving areas east of the Red River), and Videon Cablesystems of Winnipeg (serving areas west of the Red River), which, back in 1998, had itself previously acquired Vidéotron's assets in Alberta.[11] However, two swaps, in 1994 and 2001, with Rogers Cable have resulted in its assets being restricted to Western Canada and a few areas of Northern Ontario.[12] In 1999, Shaw spun out its media properties into a second publicly traded company, Corus Entertainment.[13][14] In 2001 the Moffat family sold Videon Cablesystems to Shaw.
In 2008, Shaw entered the AWSspectrum auction with the intention of possibly becoming a wireless phone provider. The auction ended July 2008, giving Shaw Communications enough spectrum to build a wireless network in its home provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.[17] This spectrum ultimately went unused and was sold to Rogers Communications in January 2013.[18]
In July 2009, Shaw announced its acquisition of Mountain Cablevision; in September, Rogers sued Shaw to block the sale, citing violations of a non-compete clause. However, the suit was quickly dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court.[19][20] The purchase was approved by the CRTC on October 22, 2009.[21][22] The acquisition was Shaw's first cable property east of Sault Ste. Marie since the 2001 swaps with Rogers and Cogeco. Shaw's re-entry into Southern Ontario would be short-lived, as its Hamilton system would be resold to Rogers in January 2013 as part of a deal which also saw unused wireless spectrum sold to the company, and saw Rogers sell its stake in specialty channel TVtropolis.[18]
Return to broadcasting
On April 30, 2009, Shaw announced a deal to acquire three television stations — CHWI-TV in Windsor, Ontario, CKNX-TV in Wingham, Ontario and CKX-TV in Brandon, Manitoba — from CTVglobemedia. CTV had indicated that it would shut down the stations, all of which were incurring extensive financial losses, later in the year if a buyer could not be found, and had placed them on the market at a price of just $1 each.[23] However, it was reported on June 30, 2009, that Shaw had backed out of the deal and was declining to complete the purchase.[24] CHWI-TV would remain on the air as is; CKNX-TV would become a repeater of London station CFPL-TV in September 2009, while CKX-TV would close down entirely in October 2009.
In February 2010, Shaw announced an agreement with the financially troubled Canwest, whereby Shaw would buy an 80% voting interest, and 20% equity interest, in the restructured entity of Canwest, pending approvals from the CRTC and others.[25] Three months later, following negotiations with rival bidders, the company said it would purchase the entirety of Canwest's broadcasting assets, including the interests in the CW Media subsidiary partially held by Goldman Sachs Capital Partners.[26] Canwest's newspapers were not part of the Shaw deal and were sold separately to Postmedia Network.
The acquisition was completed on October 27, 2010, after CRTC approval for the sale was announced on October 22, forming the Shaw Media division.[27]
2012–2023
In November 2012, Shaw underwent a corporate re-branding developed by the Vancouver-based agency Rethink, introducing an updated logo and slogan ("You won't miss a thing"), along with a new promotional campaign featuring the animated characters Bit and Bud—robots who lived in a representation of Shaw's "pipe". The campaign drew comparisons to Bell Canada's former beaver characters of Frank and Gordon, which were overseen by Shaw's then-new chief marketing officer Jim Little while he was at Bell.[28][29]
In April 2013, Shaw Business Solutions took over Enmax's Envision subsidiary, which had built a fibre-optic network throughout Calgary. The acquisition was completed for $225 million.[30]
final Shaw Communications logo, used since 2012 until 2023
In February 2015, Shaw announced that they would close operations for service call centres in Edmonton, Calgary and Kelowna, and consolidate operations in Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Montreal. 1,600 of Shaw's 14,000 employees were affected by the consolidation and cuts.[32] The company offered affected employees the option to relocate to its centralized offices, apply for a new job at their location, or leave the company with a severance package for former employees unable to relocate.[32][33]
In 2013, Shaw attempted to begin developing an IPTV-based platform for its television services. However, after experiencing issues developing the platform, Shaw took a $55 million write-down in June 2015, and announced that it was licensing Comcast's cloud-based Xfinity X1 architecture.[34][35] In January 2016, Shaw launched its mobile television app FreeRange TV, based on X1 infrastructure, which allows Shaw subscribers to stream selected TV channels and on-demand content.[36][37] On January 11, 2017, Shaw launched its X1-based cable service, BlueSky, in Calgary.[38] Shaw also launched BlueCurve, a new suite of routers which was likewise based on Comcast's xFi platform and hardware.[39]
Freedom Mobile, divestment of media assets
On December 16, 2015, Shaw announced its proposed acquisition of independent wireless provider Wind Mobile from its investors in a deal worth approximately $1.6 billion.[40] The transaction closed on March 1, 2016.[41] Under Shaw, the company was renamed Freedom Mobile in November 2016, coinciding with the launch of its 4G LTE network.[42] The acquisition of Wind was funded by a reorganization in April 2016, which saw the Shaw Media unit transferred to Corus Entertainment,[43] in exchange for $1.85 billion in cash and 71,364,853 class B non-voting shares of Corus.[44] The sale did not include Shaw's 50% stake in the Shomi streaming service and CJBN-TV Kenora; Shomi was shut down in November 2016 and CJBN-TV Kenora was shut down in January 2017.[43][45]
Acquisition by Rogers
On March 15, 2021, Rogers announced that it would acquire Shaw for $26 billion, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval.[46] This proposed acquisition was criticized by public lobby groups like OpenMedia, as a move that would reduce national competition in the Canadian wireless communication market by removing one of the four major competitors from the market.[47]
For the sale to go ahead, the CRTC ordered Rogers to divest Freedom Mobile. It was reported on June 17, 2022 that Quebecor, a media and telecommunications company based in Quebec, intended to acquire the company for 2.85 billion.[48] The CRTC approved the merger on March 24, 2022.[49]
On May 9, 2022, the Competition Bureau announced an application to the Competition Tribunal to block the transaction due to its effects on the wireless market.[50][51]
On August 1, 2022, Rogers announced that the merger was expected to be completed at the end of the year; however, on October 25, 2022, it was announced that the Rogers-Shaw merger had been rejected as proposed.[52] On January 24, 2023, Canada's Federal Court of Appeal allowed the merger to proceed.[53] The merger was approved by the federal government on March 31, 2023, and completed on April 3.[54][55] Immediately following the transaction, Shaw Communications was amalgamated into Rogers Communications, and no longer exists as a separate entity, though some subsidiaries such as Shaw Cablesystems may still exist as distinct legal entities.[56]
Other activities
Shaw was the parent of Shaw Broadcast Services (previously Shaw Satellite Services, Canadian Satellite Communications, or Cancom) and, through Shaw Broadcast Services,[57]Shaw Direct, one of Canada's two national direct broadcast satellite providers. For many years it also owned a number of radio stations and specialty television services; these assets were later spun off into Corus Entertainment in an effort to satisfy a now-repealed CRTC policy discouraging cross-ownership of cablesystems and specialty services.
Internet usage-based billing
In December 2010, Shaw filed complaints with the CRTC to have competing internet video services such as Netflix classified as broadcasters under Canadian law.[58] In the same month, Shaw introduced usage-based billing on internet plans and lowered plan caps an average of 25% while introducing overage fees of $1 to $2 per gigabyte.[59] On February 8, 2011, Shaw agreed to put a hold on usage-based billing for its services and to this date continues to not charge customers any overages for surpassing Internet data caps.[60]
The Global Television Network is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's second most-watched private terrestrial television network after CTV, and has fifteen owned-and-operated stations throughout the country. Global is owned by Corus Entertainment — the media holdings of JR Shaw and other members of his family.
Rogers Communications Inc. is a Canadian communications and media company operating primarily in the fields of wireless communications, cable television, telephony and Internet, with significant additional telecommunications and mass media assets. Rogers has its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario.
Vidéotron is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Owned by Quebecor, it primarily serves Quebec and Ottawa, as well as the Francophone communities of New Brunswick and some parts of Eastern Ontario. Its principal competitors are Bell Canada and Telus Communications.
Rogers Cable is Canada's largest cable television service provider with about 2.25 million television customers, and over 930,000 Internet subscribers, primarily in Southern and Eastern Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. Rogers Cable is a division of Rogers Communications Canada Inc., the operating unit of Rogers Communications Inc.
Canwest Global Communications Corporation, which operated under the corporate name Canwest, was a major Canadian media conglomerate based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with its head offices at Canwest Place. It held radio, television broadcasting, and publishing assets in several countries, primarily in Canada.
Corus Entertainment, Inc. is a Canadian mass media and television production company. The company was founded in 1987 as Shaw Radio, Ltd. as a subsidiary of Shaw Communications and was spun-off from Shaw in 1999. It has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. Corus is headquartered at Corus Quay in Toronto, Ontario.
WIC Western International Communications Ltd. was a Canadian media company that operated from 1982 to 2000, with operations including broadcast and specialty television, radio, and satellite distribution via a majority interest in Canadian Satellite Communications.
Food Network, formerly called Food Network Canada, is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel based on the U.S. cable network of the same name. It airs programming related to food, cooking, cuisine, and the food industry. The Canadian version of Food Network is a joint venture between Food Network Canada Inc. a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment and the U.S. network's parent company Television Food Network, G.P..
Slice is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts programming targeting young adult women, including general entertainment, reality, and true crime programming.
Score Media Inc. was a Canadian media company. Partially owned by Alliance Atlantis and later Canwest, its main asset was The Score, a national specialty television service providing sports news, information, highlights, live events, and other sports-related entertainment programming. The company also owns closed captioning service Voice to Visual Inc., and mixed martial arts promotion The Score Fighting Series.
HGTV is a Canadian English-language discretionary cable and satellite specialty channel owned as a joint venture between Corus Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery. HGTV broadcasts programs relating to real estate, home and garden design, and renovations.
IFC was a Canadian English language specialty channel. The channel was owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel broadcast independent films, documentaries, and television series. Its name was licensed from the American company AMC Networks, the owner of IFC. The channel ceased operations on September 30, 2019.
History2 is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Men TV General Partnership, a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment dedicated to airing historic and non-historical programming of military, science, and technology interest.
In 2007, significant ownership changes occurred in Canada's broadcast television industry, involving nearly every private English-language network and television system. In addition to the shuffling of network affiliations and mergers involving various networks, several new television stations and rebroadcast transmitters also signed on the air.
Dusk was a Canadian English language specialty channel. Dusk broadcast programming consisting of films, television dramas, and reality TV, and documentary-style television series from the thriller, suspense and supernatural genres.
Magnolia Network is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel that broadcasts lifestyle programming related to home design, renovations, and food. The channel's brand and much of its foreign programming is licensed from its American namesake, Magnolia Network. The channel is a joint venture between HGTV Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Shaw Media, Inc. was the television broadcasting division of Shaw Communications. It owned the Global Television Network, which broadcasts nationally via 13 television stations, as well as 19 specialty channels including Slice, HGTV Canada, Showcase, Food Network Canada, and History. Shaw Media consisted of the broadcasting assets of the former Canwest. Shaw Media properties were acquired in April 2016 by sister company Corus Entertainment.
Shomi was a Canadian subscription video on demand service jointly owned by Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications, in operation from 2014 to 2016. The service was viewed as a Canadian-based competitor to Netflix, with a library of 1,200 films and 11,000 hours' worth of television programs available on launch. Shomi content could be accessed as an over-the-top service through the service's website and apps, or through the video-on-demand libraries of participating television providers. The service emphasized manually curated categories of content, in contrast to the algorithmic approach used by competing services.
In June 2024, Rogers Communications announced a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery, under which it will hold the rights to the channel brands and programming of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) factual and lifestyle television networks. The agreement will trigger a major re-alignment of Canadian specialty television, ending the long-term associations between the brands of WBD predecessors Discovery Communications and Scripps Networks Interactive with Bell Media and Corus Entertainment respectively.
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CAD $5.509 billion (2021) [3] 
