overview merge & churn globalisation print film music broadcast Australia list BCE - holdings - chronology timeline

BCE chronology This chronology is indicative only. There's a separate, more general communications and media timeline.      beginnings 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') 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 1983 regulators approve Bell Canada restructure scheme, allowing regulated and unregulated activities under the same corporate roof 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 1987 Teleglobe privatized following Teleglobe Canada Reorganization and Divestiture Act 1987 Bell Canada Act 1987 replaces 1880 legislation, renoving some restrictions (Bell Canada still cannot hold broadcasting license) 1988 Bell Canada begins ALEX videotext trial in Montreal 1988 Bell Canada Enterprises buys NorthwesTel from Canadian National transport group 1998 Teleglobe buys Excel Communications to penetrate US domestic telecommunications market 1997 Baton broadcasting group, under control of Eaton department store dynasty, gains control of CTV 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) ::