CHEK-TV employees buy Victoria broadcaster
Last Updated: Friday, September 4, 2009 | 6:47 PM PT
CBC News
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Employees and investors have purchased Victoria's CHEK-TV from Canwest Global. (CBC)Victoria's oldest television station is staying on the air because employees and investors secured its purchase from Canwest Global Communications Friday.
CHEK-TV had been scheduled to close Monday after the company rejected an earlier bid.
Dana Hutchings, a host and one of about 40 workers at the station, said staffers are aware of the difficulties in remaining open.
"No one went into this to save our jobs. We went in with a very strong business plan. We've got a three-year model. And I think we went into it very realistically. It's tough with this economy," Hutchings said.
Canwest's cut was part of the financially troubled company's efforts to get rid of its unprofitable small-market stations across Canada.
CHEK first went on-air as a CBC affiliate on Dec. 1, 1956, three years after the CBC opened B.C.'s first station, in Vancouver.
Corrections and Clarifications
- Dana Hutchings is a host on CHEK-TV. Earlier versions of this story gave her name incorrectly as Dana Hutchins. Sept. 6, 2009 l 2:18 AM ET
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