Press release: 1997-03-03: Shaw Communications Acquires Company for SEGA Channel

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: The Free Library

 CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 3, 1997--Shaw (Alberta Stock Exchange SCL.A., TSE, Alberta Stock Exchange SCL.B.)--SHAW Communications Inc. today announced that they have acquired 100 percent of the company formed to distribute SEGA Channel in Canada.

The company, SC Interactive Video Inc. holds an exclusive licence to distribute SEGA Channel across Canada via cable and all other means of electronic distribution into the home.

SEGA Channel is a digital, interactive, 16-bit, multi-media service providing Canadians with video-games on demand, 24 hours-a-day, 365 days a year. A modest monthly fee provides unlimited playing time from a menu of up to 50 games.

SEGA games are delivered directly to a cable customers' SEGA Genesis game platform through a special SEGA Channel adapter provided by the local cable company.

A unique feature offered by SEGA Channel is the Password for Parents security program. Password for Parents is easily activated and automatically screens out those games which do not meet the acceptable rating selected by the parents. This security system can only be modified by parents using their secret PIN number.

SEGA Channel is now being played and enjoyed in over 10,000 Canadian homes.

SHAW Communications Inc. is a diversified Canadian communications company and one of the largest cable television operators in the country. With approximately 1.5 million homes, SHAW serves about 20 percent of the Canadian cable television market.

The Company's communications portfolio includes 10 radio stations; the provision of telecommunications services through SHAW FiberLink; high-speed cable modem access to the Internet through SHAW WAVE (TM); an interactive video games service through SEGA Channel; and paging services and products through SHAW MobileComm Inc.

Programming assets include: YTV, Canada's youth specialty channel; Treehouse, a newly licensed specialty service dedicated to pre-schoolers; Country Music Television (CMT), Canada's country music video network; and interests in Teletoon, the animation channel, and the Comedy Channel. The company also holds strategic investments in Digital Music Express (DMX), a digital audio service, and Microcell Telecommunications Inc., a wireless telecommunications provider.

CONTACT: Shaw Communications Inc.

Jim Shaw, Jr., 403/750-4500

or

SC Interactive Video Inc.

Terry Coles, 403/ 750-4500
COPYRIGHT 1997 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 1997, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.