CHCH FINDS NEW HOME IN HAMILTON

New Broadcast Facility to Open on Innovation Drive by Spring 2021

HAMILTON, Ontario – Channel Zero, together with Mayor Fred Eisenberger, announced today the acquisition of a new, permanent home for the operations and broadcast facilities of its flagship television station, CHCH-TV. Purchase of the property was completed on Monday, October 15 in Hamilton, kicking off the process of designing and building a new broadcast centre to be located at 4 Innovation Drive in Flamborough. Design and construction of CHCH’s new home will commence in 2019, with operations set to be live by the Spring of 2021.

The announcement comes following an extensive two year search that ultimately met its goal of keeping the Hamilton-based broadcaster operating within the city it calls home. With the aid of the City’s Planning Division, Channel Zero visited and evaluated dozens of potential locations, arriving at the eventual decision of Innovation Drive for its favourable location, ample space, and the technical requirements necessary for live broadcasting.

“We are absolutely thrilled that we’ve found the ideal property in a rapidly growing part of suburban Hamilton,” said Cal Millar, President & COO of Channel Zero Inc. “We can’t thank Mayor Eisenberger and city staff enough for their tremendous help. Once we focused in on the specific location at Clappison’s Corners, Councilor Partridge was especially supportive as we closed out the acquisition.”

Millar added, “It’s also quite remarkable and completely fitting that a TV station historically known for its independence and originality would end up finding a new home on Innovation Drive.”

“Congratulations to Cal and the Channel Zero team on the acquisition of their new, permanent broadcast centre on Innovation Drive at Clappison’s Corners,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger. “The City of Hamilton is proud to be home to CHCH-TV for over 60 years and we’re delighted as they continue their commitment to local and regional news from their new studio home.”

Channel Zero will now embark on an extensive process to finalize the site plan on Innovation Drive, design new sophisticated studio spaces, and then renovate and construct upon the existing site. Once construction is complete, broadcast operations will be relocated to the new facility from the current site at 163 Jackson Street West, with the intention of not interrupting a single live newscast. CHCH-TV produces over 24 hours of original local news programming each week, including newly-expanded full-hour weekend news broadcasts at 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

In addition to a new location and enhanced studio space at Innovation Drive, the development plan also includes the creation of a local news bureau to be located in the heart of downtown Hamilton, placing CHCH-TV reporters in close proximity to City Hall, Municipal Courthouses, the FirstOntario Centre, and other areas of interest.

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For more information, please contact:

Nick Bannard

Channel Zero inc.

nick.bannard@chz.com

About CHCH-TV

CHCH-TV started broadcasting in 1954 and is proud to be the news leader for Hamilton and the surrounding Halton and Niagara regions of Southwestern Ontario. CHCH produces over 24 hours of original local news programming each week. With a primetime line-up anchored by movies, news magazine shows, fan favourite retro programming and hit dramas, CHCH is available to over 92% of Ontario households and is viewed by millions nationally each week. CHCH News is produced daily out of its broadcast studio located in Hamilton, Ontario. For more information, please visit chch.com.

About Channel Zero

Channel Zero is an independent Canadian media company that owns over-the-air channel CHCH-TV and a bouquet of specialty channels including Rewind, Silver Screen Classics, and Halla Bol Kids TV, Canada’s first South Asian HD TV channel. Channel Zero’s digital sales agency Junction Digital offers advertisers marketing solutions on our owned and operated websites, as well as through our trading desk. The film division of Channel Zero features Ouat Media, an Academy Award® winning film sales and distribution company. Channel Zero’s head office is located in Toronto, Ontario.