Pelmorex
Encyclopedia
Pelmorex Media Inc. is a Canadian
broadcast group. The company operates the broadcasting licence for The Weather Network
and its French
sister station, MétéoMédia
. The Weather Network and MétéoMédia are Canada’s only 24-hour national specialty television networks devoted to weather reporting. Pelmorex also offers a full range of weather-related products, services and multimedia applications to a number of consumer and commercial clients.
"Pelmorex" is a portmanteau derived from the name of the company's founder, Pierre L. Morrissette. Morrissette effectively owns 59.64% of the company, with 10.36% owned by other Canadian investors and 30% owned by The Weather Channel
in the United States
. The Weather Channel is in turn owned by NBC Universal
, Blackstone Group
, and Bain Capital
.
In the 1990s, the company owned the Pelmorex Radio Network
stations in Northern Ontario
. The company sold the stations in 1998 and 1999, to Telemedia
and Haliburton Broadcasting Group
.
Pelmorex was chosen to be one of Canada's Top 100 Employers
in 2002 by Mediacorp Canada Inc. and recognized for its leadership in broadcasting for employment equity in a cover story by Maclean's
.
In 2006, Pelmorex purchased the operations of World Weatherwatch of Markham, Ontario. Established in 1976, World Weatherwatch provides a wide variety of meteorological services to a broad client base including the Ontario Ministry of Transportation
(MTO), Hydro One
and Bruce Nuclear Generating Station
, as well as numerous cities and municipalities. The firm has been providing weather services to the transportation, rail, aviation and municipal sectors for many years. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
in the United States. The service will provide alerts to participating media outlets, who will then relay the information to their viewers and listeners.
This system was partially approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on February 28, 2007, with conditions; in addition, the CBC
and Bell ExpressVu also applied to the CRTC for their own emergency services. On June 11, 2009, the CRTC gave Pelmorex full approval of the service, which will serve to complement efforts set forth by the federal government, as well as provincial and local governments. In correlation to this, the CRTC also ordered all cable and satellite companies to carry both The Weather Network and MétéoMédia on the digital basic tiers -- Bell TV and Shaw Direct already do so; most cable systems already carry one or the other on analog, depending on location.
Pelmorex first issued a proposal for All Channel Alert in 2001, but was denied, due to efforts at the time by local stations, as well as developments by Environment Canada to establish a similar system of its own.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
broadcast group. The company operates the broadcasting licence for The Weather Network
The Weather Network
The Weather Network is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel that broadcasts weather-related news and information 24 hours a day....
and its French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
sister station, MétéoMédia
MétéoMédia
MétéoMédia is a 24-hour Canadian French language Category A specialty channel and web site, which provides weather information 24 hours a day. It primarily serves viewers in Quebec, although some cable TV systems in Ontario and New Brunswick carry the channel as well. It is available nation-wide...
. The Weather Network and MétéoMédia are Canada’s only 24-hour national specialty television networks devoted to weather reporting. Pelmorex also offers a full range of weather-related products, services and multimedia applications to a number of consumer and commercial clients.
"Pelmorex" is a portmanteau derived from the name of the company's founder, Pierre L. Morrissette. Morrissette effectively owns 59.64% of the company, with 10.36% owned by other Canadian investors and 30% owned by The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel is a US cable and satellite television network since May 2, 1982, that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news, along with entertainment programming related to weather 24 hours a day...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Weather Channel is in turn owned by NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
, Blackstone Group
Blackstone Group
The Blackstone Group L.P. is an American-based alternative asset management and financial services company that specializes in private equity, real estate, and credit and marketable alternative investment strategies, as well as financial advisory services, such as mergers and acquisitions ,...
, and Bain Capital
Bain Capital
Bain Capital LLC is a Boston-based private equity firm founded in 1984 by partners from the consulting firm Bain & Company. Originally conceived as an early-stage, growth-oriented investment fund, Bain Capital today manages approximately $65 billion in assets, and its strategies include private...
.
In the 1990s, the company owned the Pelmorex Radio Network
Pelmorex Radio Network
The Pelmorex Radio Network was a system of Canadian radio stations in Northern Ontario, owned and operated by Pelmorex.-History:In 1989, Pierre Morrissette founded his own communications company, Pelmorex Media Inc., and acquired several french and english-language radio stations that were serving...
stations in Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
. The company sold the stations in 1998 and 1999, to Telemedia
Telemedia
Telemedia was a Canadian media company, which had holdings in radio, television and magazine publishing.The company was launched in 1968 by Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien.Telemedia was held privately until it became publicly traded in the late 1980s....
and Haliburton Broadcasting Group
Haliburton Broadcasting Group
The Haliburton Broadcasting Group is a Canadian group of FM radio stations, located primarily in smaller markets in Ontario.-History:The company is named for the Haliburton region in Central Ontario, where majority owner and president Christopher Grossman, a longtime radio sales manager, trainer...
.
Pelmorex was chosen to be one of Canada's Top 100 Employers
Canada's Top 100 Employers
Canada's Top 100 Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places in Canada to work. First held in 1999, the project aims to single out the employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional working conditions and progressive human resources policies. Winners are...
in 2002 by Mediacorp Canada Inc. and recognized for its leadership in broadcasting for employment equity in a cover story by Maclean's
Maclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
.
In 2006, Pelmorex purchased the operations of World Weatherwatch of Markham, Ontario. Established in 1976, World Weatherwatch provides a wide variety of meteorological services to a broad client base including the Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Ministry of Transportation (Ontario)
The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario is the provincial ministry of the government of Ontario which is responsible for transport infrastructure and related law in Ontario. The ministry traces its roots back over a century to the 1890s, when the province began training Provincial Road Building...
(MTO), Hydro One
Hydro One
Hydro One Incorporated delivers electricity across the Canadian province of Ontario. It is a Corporation established under the Business Corporations Act with a single shareholder, the Government of Ontario....
and Bruce Nuclear Generating Station
Bruce Nuclear Generating Station
Bruce Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian nuclear power station located on the eastern shore of Lake Huron, in the communities of Inverhuron and Tiverton, Ontario. It occupies 932 ha of land. The facility derives its name from Bruce County in which it is located, in the former Bruce Township...
, as well as numerous cities and municipalities. The firm has been providing weather services to the transportation, rail, aviation and municipal sectors for many years. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
All Channel Alert
Pelmorex has undertaken a project that would create a national warning system called All Channel Alert (French: Système d'alerte tous canaux), similar to the Emergency Alert SystemEmergency Alert System
The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
in the United States. The service will provide alerts to participating media outlets, who will then relay the information to their viewers and listeners.
This system was partially approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on February 28, 2007, with conditions; in addition, the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
and Bell ExpressVu also applied to the CRTC for their own emergency services. On June 11, 2009, the CRTC gave Pelmorex full approval of the service, which will serve to complement efforts set forth by the federal government, as well as provincial and local governments. In correlation to this, the CRTC also ordered all cable and satellite companies to carry both The Weather Network and MétéoMédia on the digital basic tiers -- Bell TV and Shaw Direct already do so; most cable systems already carry one or the other on analog, depending on location.
Pelmorex first issued a proposal for All Channel Alert in 2001, but was denied, due to efforts at the time by local stations, as well as developments by Environment Canada to establish a similar system of its own.