With a new slate of commissioned series on the horizon and the need to compete on the same footing with CTV and Global to acquire programming, CHUM's acquisition of Craig Media couldn't have come at a better time for the Toronto-based media company.

CHUM announced April 12 that it has signed a definitive agreement, pending CRTC approval, to purchase all shares of Craig Media for $265 million. The deal establishes CHUM with four Western conventional stations - A Channels in Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, plus CKX in Brandon - and gives the broadcaster a second local Toronto station, Toronto 1.

The deal also adds MTV Canada, MTV2 and TV Land digital specialty television channels to CHUM's burgeoning specialty properties.

CHUM now has a presence in virtually every major center from Ottawa to Victoria. It has yet to establish a foothold in Quebec or the Maritimes.

But, despite appearances, CHUM president and CEO Jay Switzer maintains that CHUM is not out to become the next national network, but rather will expand its position as a series of local stations tied together by some common national programming and centralized back-office support.

What the new acquisition does is boost its ad revenue pool, allowing CHUM to further spread the risk involved with acquiring expensive U.S. programs and commissioning a growing slate of national programming ventures. "Critical mass does matter. It lets us take larger risks," says Switzer.

The broadcaster is set to announce a new lineup of commissioned series including Godivas, a 16-ep series out of Vancouver from Keatley Film. Pending CTF funding, Godivas will be CHUM's first nationally produced indigenous series.

"We have a full, 10-point Canadian, visibly Canadian, hyper-Canadian series - our first big one in production in Vancouver right now," says Switzer. "We have to pay the same licence fee to trigger Telefilm CTF that Global and CTV do, yet with less coverage. It's frustrating for everyone.

"Now we are able to ensure that [Godivas] is seen by more [viewers]. We can be more aggressive with Canadian producers and frankly get more back from revenues for the costs that we are already committing to. We don't quite have one hand tied behind our back anymore."

CHUM is also behind a pair of Detective Murdoch Mysteries MOWs from Shaftesbury Films and Original Pictures, plus the six-hour mini Outpost and 10-ep dramatic series Cancer: A Practical Application, both from Crescent Entertainment.

While Switzer says the Craig deal was in the works since before Christmas, the stakes were raised following a CRTC February decision to deny CHUM its application to launch stations in Calgary and Edmonton.

"CHUM's aspirations to grow in Western Canada are well known and this acquisition provides us with not only an opportunity to reach Alberta and Manitoba audiences on a conventional television platform, but provides additional digital channels to complement CHUM's stable of specialty brands," says Switzer.