New Development as Kevin O’Leary quits CBC, Joins Bell Media

Last fall, CBC lost the NHL rights to Rogers Media because it couldn’t afford to spend $5.2-billion on hockey for its one TV channel. On Tuesday, it lost one of its highest-profile personalities, Kevin O’Leary, to Bell Media, where he will become an on-air contributor to that company’s expanding stable of TV and radio properties.

But while Mr. O’Leary said in an interview that he was not making the move for money, both episodes point to the same phenomenon: the increasing dependence on cross-promotion as a business strategy, which the public broadcaster cannot pursue with the same intensity as its privately funded competitors.

“I’m interested in promoting some ideas that I think are important for Canadians. I’m a huge advocate for capitalism,” Mr. O’Leary explained. “I’m not interested in money, for working on television, that’s not why I do it. I want the loudest voice I can have for my ideals.”

In moving from CBC to Bell Media, Canada’s largest private broadcaster, he immediately multiplies the outlets for his particular gospel. At CBC Newsnet, where he was co-host of The Lang and O’Leary Exchange, about 70,000 viewers tuned in every night. Appearing on CTV’s flagship morning show Canada AM, as well as the network’s eTalk, The Marilyn Denis Show, and The Social, the financial news channel BNN, and multiple Bell Media radio stations, he could reach millions every week.
In the wake of last year’s $3-billion acquisition of Astral Media, Bell’s extensive television properties now include the CTV and CTV Two networks, which comprise 30 local stations; 35 specialty channels; and four pay-TV services. It also has 106 radio stations. Like other private Canadian broadcasters, Bell has been bulking up in part as a defensive measure against foreign competitors such as Netflix.