Corus Completes Shaw Acquisition

TORONTO: Corus Entertainment has completed its acquisition of Shaw Media, putting in place a new leadership team and corporate brand.

The $2.65 billion acquisition more than doubles the size of Corus, as it now houses Shaw Media’s 19 specialty channels—including Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, Slice, Lifetime Canada, HISTORY, Showcase, National Geographic Canada and BBC Canada—as well as Global’s footprint of conventional stations in markets such as Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Saint John.

“This is a landmark day for us,” said Doug Murphy, the president and CEO of Corus. “As a combined company, we are creating an integrated media and content powerhouse that gives us the competitive scale to grow both domestically and globally. With our strong media brands, compelling content and talented team, this transformational acquisition marks a new beginning that builds on our strengths and positions us well for future growth.”

Corus also unveiled a redesigned corporate brand. “The redesigned Corus logo represents the start of a new chapter for us. It’s a powerful visual cue that the new Corus has arrived,” said Murphy.

The new senior leadership team includes execs from both Corus and Shaw. Barbara Williams serves as executive VP and COO. Greg McLelland is the executive VP and chief revenue officer. Colin Bohm is executive VP of international development and corporate strategy. Tom Peddie is executive VP and chief financial officer. Gary Maavara serves as executive VP and general counsel. Kathleen McNair is executive VP, special advisor to the CEO and chief integration officer.

“Corus and Shaw Media each have extraordinary talent across all levels, and we are confident that we have put in place a team and structure that will enable us to immediately advance our strategic priorities,” Murphy continued. “There remains much work to be done, but we have a plan in place and are moving quickly to integrate these two companies and realize the benefits of the combined organization.

“We would also like to thank the independent Special Committee of Corus, comprised of Fernand Bélisle, Mark Hollinger, Wendy Leaney and Terrance Royer, for their diligence and invaluable guidance throughout this entire process.”