Following a year-long approval process, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has signed off on Vista Radio’s purchase of the 21 stations and 27 regional repeater transmitters.
Approval has been granted for the sale of 21 Bell Media B.C. radio stations to a Courtenay-based company.
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Following a year-long approval process, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has signed off on Vista Radio’s purchase of the 21 stations and 27 regional repeater transmitters.
Vista president Bryan Edwards announced the news Thursday in a staff email.
“This is a monumental moment for Vista Radio and further cements our commitment to delivering exceptional local broadcasting and digital presence throughout the province and country,” wrote Edwards.
“This acquisition represents a great opportunity for all of us. In coming together, we will create an even stronger, more vibrant network of local radio stations and news portals serving, informing, and entertaining listeners across British Columbia and Canada.”
The deal was first announced in early 2024, in the wake of Bell’s plans for widespread layoffs, programming cuts and the sale of 45 of its 103 regional radio stations across the country.
The move drew harsh words from Premier David Eby, who said Bell had bought up local radio stations like “corporate vampires” and then “sucked the life out of them, laying off journalists.”
At the time, Edwards had promised there would be no layoffs or closures if the sale were approved.
Vista Radio operates 52 stations across three provinces and the Northwest Territories. The deal with Bell will see Vista taking on all of Bell’s radio stations in B.C. outside of Vancouver and Victoria.