Channel Zero buying Hamilton's CHCH

The buyer for Hamilton’s CHCH-TV promises to “broadcast all news/all day with well known movie favourites in the evening” and to “aggressively pursue” high-definition plans.

Toronto-based Channel Zero, which operates Silver Screen Classics, Movieola, adult channels AOV Adult Movie Channel, XXX Action Clips Channel and MaleFlixxx Television and The Fight Network, has bought the local station, along with a Montreal affiliate for an undisclosed price.

Channel Zero says it will offer jobs to all current employees and one of its conditions is that unionized staff agree to work under a now-expired collective agreement until November 2010, said a Canwest spokesperson.

“These stations have lost millions over the last few years. That’s not sustainable,” said Cal Millar, vice-president and general manager of Channel Zero.

“We’re small but we’re profitable ... We want to give CHCH another 55 years.”

Canwest is being crushed under $4 billion in debt and had lost $1.5 billion in the first four months of this year.