Craig Wireless

Craig Wireless Systems, Ltd. (initially Western Manitoba Broadcasters Ltd., then Craig Broadcast Systems, Inc., & next Craig Media, Inc. before its current branding) is a Canadian company which offers Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service in Manitoba and British Columbia.

In 2004, the company's media assets (its TV stations & A-Channel TV network) were acquired by CHUM Limited.

History

The company has its roots in Western Manitoba Broadcasters, a company John Craig founded alongside Dr. H.O. McDiarmid, Alexander Boyd, Edmund, Fotheringham, Harold Smith, James Rust and M.W. Kerr in 1948.

In the mid-1940s, Craig had bought radio station CKX-FM from the Manitoba Government Telephone System upon its relinquishment of its two licenses for CKX-TV & CKY-FM.

By 1955, John's son, Stuart Craig, had succeeded his father as President and General Manager of CKX-TV (which brought television to Brandon, Manitoba) & CKX-FM (which followed in 1963). Craig took it upon himself to expand the operations of both CKX stations; those expansion operations resulted in the launch of the broadcast company.

The company was based in Brandon, Manitoba, then later in Calgary, Alberta with Drew Craig, John's grandson & Stuart's son, as its CEO.

In 1991, Western Manitoba Broadcasters changed its name to Craig Broadcast Systems.

Craig Broadcast Systems was the owner of the original A-Channel system; CKX, a CBC affiliate, in Brandon, Manitoba; and three digital television specialty channels: MTV Canada (now MTV2), MTV2 (now Stingray Juicebox), and TV Land Canada (later replaced by Comedy Gold

Former assets

External links

• Broadcaster Magazine: CHUM buying Craig, will spin-off Toronto 1
• Craig, Stuart | History of Canadian Broadcasting
• Craig gets financing » Playback