December 5, 2010

450 years ago
1560

Died on this date
François II, 16. King of France, 1559-1560. François II was King consort of Scots as a result of his marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, and acceded to the French throne upon the accidental death of his father Henri II. Although he was legally of age, François II delegated governing to François, Duke of Guise, and Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine, his uncles from the House of Guise. François II's reign was dominated by religious crisis; François was a Roman Catholic, and his opposition to Protestants led to the Amboise conspiracy, an attempted Huguenot coup in 1560 against the King and the House of Guise. King François was plagued by ill health, and died of an ear condition. He left no children, and was succeeded on the throne by his 10-year-old brother Charles IX.

170 years ago
1840

Politics and government
U.S. President Martin Van Buren delivered his annual State of the Union message to Congress.

140 years ago
1870

Born on this date
Vítězslav Novák. Czech composer. Mr. Novák was known for his patriotic works, including tone poems and cantatas. He died on July 18, 1949 at the age of 78.

Died on this date
Alexandre Dumas père, 68. French author and playwright. Mr. Dumas, born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was successful with plays such as Henri III et sa cour (Henry III and his court) (1829) playwright before achieving greater success with historical novels such as Les Frères Corses (The Corsican Brothers) (1844); Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (The Count of Monte Cristo) (1844-1846); and Les Trois Mousquetaires (The Three Musketeers) (1844). His son Alexandre Dumas, fils also became a prominent novelist and playwright.

Politics and government
U.S. President U.S. Grant delivered his annual State of the Union message to Congress.

120 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Fritz Lang. Austro-Hungarian-born U.S. film director. Mr. Lang, a native of Vienna, began his career in Germany, but fled shortly after the Nazis came to power, going to Paris, and eventually Hollywood, where he spent the remainder of his career. His movies included Metropolis (1927); M (1931); The Woman in the Window (1944); Scarlet Street (1945); and The Big Heat (1953). Mr. Lang died on August 2, 1976 at the age of 85.

Sport
Québec strongman Louis Cyr lifted 490 pounds with one finger while working with the P.T. Barnum circus.

100 years ago
1910

Born on this date
Abraham Polonsky. U.S. screenwriter and director. Mr. Polonsky was a lawyer and Marxist who joined the Communist Party U.S.A. in 1930, and wrote essays, radio scripts, and novels before going to Hollywood in the 1940s. He won the Academy Award for his screenplay for Body and Soul (1947), and wrote and directed Force of Evil (1948), a classic in the genre of film noir. Mr. Polonsky was blacklisted after refusing to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Un-American Activities Committee in 1951. He held a longtime hatred of director Elia Kazan, who testified as a "friendly witness" before the House Committee, and named names of Communists in Hollywood. Mr. Polonsky wrote scripts using fronts and pseudonyms, and resigned his Communist Party membership in the 1950s after rejecting Stalinism, while remaining a staunch Marxist. He created and was script supervisor for the Canadian television series Seaway (1965-1966), wrote the screenplay for Madigan (1968), and returned to directing with Tell Them Willie Boy is Here (1969). Mr. Polonsky died on October 26, 1999 at the age of 88.

90 years ago
1920

Football
APFA
Akron (8-0-2) 0 @ Buffalo (9-1-1) 0
Chicago Cardinals (6-2-1) 0 @ Decatur (10-1-2) 10
Canton (6-4-2) 0 Washington 0 @ New Haven, Connecticut
Rochester Scalpers 0 @ Rochester (6-3-2) 0
Columbus Pirates 0 @ Columbus (2-6-2) 24
Detroit Maroons 7 @ Detroit (2-3-3) 7

70 years ago
1940

Died on this date
Jan Kubelík, 60. Czech musician and composer. Mr. Kubelik was a popular concert violinist from the late 1890s until his death, and was one of the major artists in the early years of recordings. His compositions included six violin concertos.

War
The first Royal Canadian Navy corvettes joined the Battle of the Atlantic. The torpedoed Canadian destroyer HMCS Saguenay limped into a British port after taking a hit from a German torpedo; it was the first Canadian warship to be torpedoed. Dissatisfied with the Soviet refusal to join the Tripartite Pact, German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler instructed his generals to prepare for an invasion of the U.S.S.R. in the spring. The British House of Commons voted against any criticism of King George VI's speech from the throne, in which he precluded peace talks with Germany.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said in a statement read to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Conference that he would seek U.S. Senate approval for a treaty with Canada to complete the seaway project.

Soviet Ambassador to Japan Constantin Smetanin advised Japan that the U.S.S.R. had not changed her policy with regard to China, despite Japan's recognition of the Japanese-sponsored Chinese regime in Nanking led by Wang Ching-wei.

Politics and government
U.S. Representative J.E. Rankin (Democrat--Mississippi) introduced a bill to prevent the loss of seats by eight states under the 1942 reapportionment by increasing membership of the House of Representatives to 450.

Religion
The Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office, the Roman Catholic Church's highest organ on faith and morals, condemned euthanasia--execution practiced for reasons of race improvement or for economic reasons--as "contrary to natural and positive divine law."

Health
The influenza epidemic spread from California to Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, and Idaho.

Economics and finance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau announced that a $50-million loan would be made to Argentina from the Treasury's gold stabilization fund to stabilize her currency.

Baseball
The Pittsburgh Pirates released right fielder Paul Waner, 37, who had been with the team since 1926. Mr. Waner, the National League batting champion in 1927, 1934, and 1936, had batted .290 with 1 home run and 32 runs batted in in 89 games in 1940.

60 years ago
1950

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Guy from Nowhere, starring Lawrence Fletcher, Catherine McLeod, and Barry Nelson

Died on this date
Charlie Ross, 65. U.S. journalist. Mr. Ross became the first professor of the University of Missouri's School of Journalism in 1908. He became the chief Washington correspondent for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1918, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. Mr. Ross was a longtime friend of Harry and Bess Truman, and was appointed White House Press Secretary shortly after Mr. Truman succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of the United States. He had just finished a press conference and was preparing to make some comments for television news when he died of a heart attack. Mr. Ross was temporarily succeeded as White House Press Secretary by Stephen Early, who had performed the same duties for Mr. Roosevelt.

Music
Margaret Truman, daughter of U.S. President Truman, sang at Constitution Hall in Washington. Washington Post music critic Paul Hume wrote a negative review that appeared in the paper the next day.

War
Chinese forces entered the North Korean capital of Pyongyang as United Nations troops were pushed back towards South Korea. The Royal Canadian Navy destroyer HMCS Cayuga at the port of Chinnampo, helpeds to guard the evacuating troops against enemy attack, then started shelling the port to destroy railway lines, docks, and huge supplies of strategic materials which had to be left behind. By the following day, all ships had cleared the river. U.S. Senators Claude Pepper (Democrat--Florida) and Paul Douglas (Democrat--Illinois) called for an attack on Communist China, with Sen. Douglas urging the use of nuclear weapons.

Crime
Former U.S. State Department employee Judith Coplon's conviction as a Soviet spy was reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York because of procedural difficulties, although the court maintained that her "guilt is plain."

Economics and finance
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an excess profits tax expected to yield at least $3 billion per year.

Business
Ford Motor Company and General Motors announced automobile price hikes; the GM increase averaged less than 5% and Ford's from $87.50-$165 per car.

Boxing
World heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles (66-5-1) retained his title with a knockout of Nick Barone (43-9-1) at 2:06 of the 11th round at Cincinnati Gardens. Mr. Barone had never been knocked down until the knockout.

Football
NCAA
Ohio State University halfback Vic Janowicz was awarded the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding college player in the United States for 1950.

50 years ago
1960

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Xipna Aghapi Mou--Nana Mouskouri

#1 single in France (IFOP): Itsy Bitsy Petit Bikini--Dalida (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Are You Lonesome To-night?--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)
2 Last Date--Floyd Cramer
3 Poetry in Motion--Johnny Tillotson
4 Stay--Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs
5 A Thousand Stars--Kathy Young with the Innocents
6 North to Alaska--Johnny Horton
7 He Will Break Your Heart--Jerry Butler
8 New Orleans--U.S. Bonds
9 Sailor (Your Home is the Sea)--Lolita
10 Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go--Hank Ballard and the Midnighters

Singles entering the chart were Sad Mood by Sam Cooke (#69); Groovy Tonight by Bobby Rydell (#79); The Hoochi Coochi Coo by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (#84); The Magnificent Seven by Al Caiola and his Orchestra (#87); Rambling by the Ramblers (#88); Wonderland by Night by Anita Bryant (#89); Dance by the Light of the Moon by the Olympics (#90); You are My Sunshine by Johnny and the Hurricanes (#91); Little Miss Blue by Dion (#96); The Age for Love by Jimmy Charles (#97); (You Better) Know What You're Doin' by Lloyd Price and his Orchestra (#98); Wabash Blues by the Viscounts (#99); and Rockin', Rollin' Ocean by Hank Snow (#100).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Music Vendor)
1 Are You Lonesome To-night?--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)
2 Last Date--Floyd Cramer
--Lawrence Welk and his Orchestra
3 A Thousand Stars--Kathy Young with the Innocents
4 Wonderland by Night--Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra
--Louis Prima
5 Stay--Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs
6 Poetry in Motion--Johnny Tillotson
7 Many Tears Ago--Connie Francis
8 North to Alaska--Johnny Horton
9 He Will Break Your Heart--Jerry Butler
10 Sailor (Your Home is the Sea)--Lolita

World events
Pierre Lagaillarde, who had led the 1958 and 1960 European insurgencies in Algeria, failed to appear in a Paris court and was reported to have fled with four fellow defendants to Spain en route to Algeria. Mr, Lagaillarde and 14 others on trial before a military tribunal for their part in the 1960 Algerian uprising had been granted provisional liberty, most of them before the trial began.

Politics and government
Charlotte Whitton was re-elected Mayor of Ottawa.

40 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): Mademoiselle Ninette--Michael Holm

#1 single in France: Lady D'Arbanville--Cat Stevens (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Anna--Lucio Battisti (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): A Song of Joy--Miguel Ríos (10th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): I Hear You Knocking--Dave Edmunds (2nd week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Lookin' Out My Back Door/Long as I Can See the Light--Creedence Clearwater Revival (3rd week at #1)
2 Cracklin' Rosie--Neil Diamond
3 Julie, Do Ya Love Me--Bobby Sherman
4 It's Only Make Believe--Glen Campbell
5 (They Long to Be) Close to You--Carpenters
6 Yellow River--Autumn
--Jigsaw
--Christie
--Leapy Lee
7 Spill the Wine--Eric Burdon and War
8 A Song of Joy--Miguel Rios
9 Joanne--Michael Nesmith & the First National Band
10 In the Summertime--Mungo Jerry
--The Mixtures

Singles entering the chart were We've Only Just Begun by the Carpenters (#38); I (Who Have Nothing) by Tom Jones (#46); Sweetheart by Engelbert Humperdinck (#55); Wait for September, with versions by Allondee; and Jack Wild (#56); You Can Get it if You Really Want by Desmond Dekker (#58); and Lady D'Arbanville by Cat Stevens (#60).

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Where Have I Been Wrong--The Cats (2nd week at #1)
2 She Likes Weeds--Tee-Set
3 See Me, Feel Me--The Who
4 To My Father's House--The Les Humphries Singers
5 Memo from Turner--Mick Jagger
6 Hello Darkness--Shocking Blue
7 Over and Over--George Baker Selection
8 Love is All Around--Sandra & Andres
9 Paranoid--Black Sabbath
10 Stop I Don't Wanna' Hear it Anymore--Melanie

Singles entering the chart were Voodoo Chile by the Jimi Hendrix Experience (#17); Tears in the Morning by the Beach Boys (#22); The Witch by Rattles (#25); Rozegeur Maneschijn by Herman Van Veen (#31); and Lady of the Night by Ben Cramer (#40).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family (3rd week at #1)
2 The Tears of a Clown--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
3 Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland
4 I'll Be There--The Jackson 5
5 We've Only Just Begun--Carpenters
6 Fire and Rain--James Taylor
7 One Less Bell to Answer--The 5th Dimension
8 No Matter What--Badfinger
9 Heaven Help Us All--Stevie Wonder
10 Share the Land--The Guess Who

Singles entering the chart were The Green Grass Starts to Grow by Dionne Warwick (#79); Lonely Days by the Bee Gees (#81); Precious, Precious by Jackie Moore (#84); Ruby Tuesday by Melanie (#85); Gypsy Queen - Part I by Gypsy (#86); Black Night by Deep Purple (#90); Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn (#91) Sing High, Sing Low by Anne Murray (#92); Keep on Loving Me (You'll See the Change) by Bobby Bland (#94); Lady Love by the Klowns (#95); Free to Carry On by the Sandpipers (#96); and Maggie by Redbone (#100).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family (3rd week at #1)
2 The Tears of a Clown--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
3 Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland
4 I'll Be There--The Jackson 5
5 Share the Land--The Guess Who
6 Montego Bay--Bobby Bloom
7 5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years of Love)--The Presidents
8 See Me, Feel Me--The Who
9 Heaven Help Us All--Stevie Wonder
10 You Don't Have to Say You Love Me--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were Ruby Tuesday by Melanie (#64); The Green Grass Starts to Grow by Dionne Warwick (#77); Love the One You're With by Stephen Stills (#78); Heartbreak Hotel by Frijid Pink (#82); Whiter Shade of Pale by R.B. Greaves (#84); Stealer by Free (#86); Morning by Jim Ed Brown (#92); After the Feeling is Gone by Five Flights Up (#96); Paranoid by Black Sabbath (#97); Satin Red and Black Velvet Woman by Dave Mason (#98); and Sweet Mary by Wadsworth Mansion (#99).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family (3rd week at #1)
2 The Tears of a Clown--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
3 Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland
4 We've Only Just Begun--Carpenters
5 Indiana Wants Me--R. Dean Taylor
6 5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years of Love)--The Presidents
7 You Don't Have to Say You Love Me--Elvis Presley
8 Montego Bay--Bobby Bloom
9 See Me, Feel Me--The Who
10 Heaven Help Us All--Stevie Wonder

Singles entering the chart included Stealer by Free (#69); Stop the War Now by Edwin Starr (#70); Everything is Going to Be Alright by Teegarden & Van Winkle (#76); The Green Grass Starts to Grow by Dionne Warwick (#77); Church Street Soul Revival by Tommy James (#81); Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson (#87); Workin' Together by Ike & Tina Turner (#88); Mr. Bojangles by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (#89); Keep on Loving Me (You'll See the Change) by Bobby Bland (#90); Paranoid by Black Sabbath (#91); Help Me Find a Way (To Say I Love You) by Little Anthony and the Imperials (#94); Somebody's Watching You by Little Sister (#96); Your Time to Cry by Joe Simon (#99); and Way Back Home by the Jazz Crusaders (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family (3rd week at #1)
2 Share the Land--The Guess Who
3 Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland
4 See Me, Feel Me--The Who
5 Montego Bay--Bobby Bloom
6 Fire and Rain--James Taylor
7 The Tears of a Clown--Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
8 Beautiful Second Hand Man--Ginette Reno
9 Fly Little White Dove, Fly--The Bells
10 After Midnight--Eric Clapton

Singles entering the chart were Isn't it a Pity by George Harrison (#67); Burning Bridges (#68)/Sweet Gingerbread Man (#95) by the Mike Curb Congregation; We Gotta Get You a Woman by Runt (#72); Black Night by Deep Purple (#73); If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot (#78); Paranoid by Black Sabbath (#81); Think About Your Children by Mary Hopkin (#83); Silver Moon by Michael Nesmith & the First National Band (#91); It's All in My Mind by Clarence Carter (#96); Cheryl Moana Marie by John Rowles (#97); Satin Red and Black Velvet Woman by Dave Mason (#98); I Think it's Going to Rain Today by Tom Northcott (#99); and Things Ya Say by Tommy Graham (#100).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 I Think I Love You--The Partridge Family (3rd week at #1)
2 Fly Little White Dove, Fly--The Bells
3 Share the Land--The Guess Who
4 Gypsy Woman--Brian Hyland
5 Burning Bridges--The Mike Curb Congregation
6 Fire and Rain--James Taylor
7 See Me, Feel Me--The Who
8 Heed the Call--Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
9 You Don't Have to Say You Love Me--Elvis Presley
10 I'll Be There--The Jackson 5
Pick hit of the week: No Matter What--Badfinger

Terrorism
Two days after being freed after two months of confinement by the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ), U.K. Trade Commissioner to Canada James Cross talked to the media in Montreal, and then flew back to London with his wife.







World events
The Irish government, citing a "secret armed conspiracy by the underground Irish Republican Army," assumed emergency powers permitting it to hold any citizen without trial.

Crime
The Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy and Bill Masterson Trophy were all stolen from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto; they were later recovered.

Religion
Pope Paul VI ended his Asian tour, leaving Colombo, Ceylon and flying back to the Vatican.

Football
NFL
Chicago (4-8) 13 @ Minnesota (10-2) 16

30 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Woman in Love--Barbra Streisand (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Woman in Love--Barbra Streisand (2nd week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Woman in Love--Barbra Streisand (2nd week at #1)
2 Man on the Moon--Ballyhoo
3 Another One Bites the Dust--Queen
4 Upside Down--Diana Ross
5 Rock Hard--Suzi Quatro
6 Don't Stand So Close to Me--The Police
7 The Drunken Sailor--Babe
8 The Wanderer--Donna Summer
9 The Winner Takes it All--ABBA
10 Shouldn't Fall in Love--City Limits

Singles entering the chart were Me Myself I by Joan Armatrading (#19); and Give Me the Night by George Benson (#20).

Diplomacy
It was disclosed that messages from Thomas Watson, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.S.S.R., to the U.S. State Department indicated that U.S. Senator Charles Percy (Republican--Illinois) had told Soviet leaders that he favoured a Palestinian state led by Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Since Sen. Percy was to become chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the announcement stirred anger in the State Department, the Pentagon, and President-elect Ronald Reagan’s transition team.

King Khalid of Saudi Arabia invited King Hussein of Jordan and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad to Riyadh to talk over their differences.

The U.S.A. suspended $25 million in new military aid to El Salvador pending the report of a fact-finding mission led by former assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs William Rogers. The mission was sent after the bodies of four American Roman Catholic nuns and a female lay worker had been found in a crude grave 25 miles southeast of San Salvador the previous day. Extreme rightist groups were being blamed for the murders.

The leaders of the U.S.S.R. and their eastern European allies held a surprise meeting in Moscow to discuss the labour unrest in Poland. The Polish trade union movement Solidarity assured the nation that no further strikes were being planned.

War
The Iranian government announced that Iraqi bombers had destroyed a main oil pipeline, and that Iran had retaliated by bombing the Iraqi oil terminal of Fao.

Society
U.S. Surgeon General Julius Richmond reported that while the overall death rate for all Americans had dropped by 20% from 1960-1978, it had grown 11% for people aged 15-24. In the single year of 1977-78, the rate had jumped by 3%. Blamed were deaths from automobile accidents and murders stemming from drug and alcohol abuse and emotional problems. In addition to these statistics, infant mortality had dropped by 47% to 13 deaths per 1,000 live births; motor vehicle deaths were up; and deaths from heart disease were down by 20%.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that unemployment rate had fallen in November from 7.6%-7.5%, indicating a small economic recovery.

25 years ago
1985

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CITV
Tonight’s episode: The Beacon, starring Charles Martin Smith; One Life, Furnished in Early Poverty, starring Peter Riegert

20 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): No Coke--Dr. Alban (3rd week at #1)

Economics and finance
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation President Gerard Veilleux announced that in April 1991 budget cuts would take effect that would cut 1,110 jobs--about 10% of CBC’s work force. He added that the CBC would close three of its flagship stations and abandon all local programming services to concentrate on national and regional programming. Federal government support for CBC had increased by about 2% per year since the Progressive Conservative government had taken power in 1984, but was below the rate of inflation. This was combined with a decline in advertising revenue of $50 million in 1990. Opposition members of parliament criticized the government for failing to provide adequate support for CBC, accusing the government of not restructuring CBC, but dismembering it.

Baseball
The Toronto Blue Jays traded first baseman Fred McGriff and shortstop Tony Fernandez to the San Diego Padres for second baseman Roberto Alomar and right fielder Joe Carter. Mr. McGriff batted .300 with 35 home runs and 85 runs batted in in 1990, while Mr. Fernandez batted .276 with 4 homers and 66 RBIs. Mr. Carter, who had been acquired by the Padres from the Cleveland Indians after the 1989 season, batted .232 with 24 homers and 115 RBIs in 1990, while Mr. Alomar hit .287 with 6 home runs and 60 RBIs. Messrs. Fernandez and Alomar were primarily known for their defensive skills.

10 years ago
2000

Politics and government
The Democratic and Republican Parties elected their leaders for the new United States Senate that would take office on January 3, 2001. Trent Lott of Mississippi was chosen majority (Republican) leader, while Tom Daschle of South Dakota would be the minority (Democratic) leader. Technically, the Democrats would remain the majority party until January 20, when Republican Dick Cheney would replace Vice President Al Gore as President of the Senate and would have the power to cast the deciding vote to break a tie.

Quebec politician and activist Yves Michaud, in seeking the Parti Québécois nomination for a provincial by-election in Mercier, stirred up controversy in a radio interview, when he stated that the Jewish people had suffered, but other peoples had also endured great tragedies. Branded as an anti-Semite, he was censured by the Quebec National Assembly on December 14.

Economics and finance
A United Nations report made public said that poverty and unemployment in Palestinian-controlled areas in the West bank and Gaza Strip were up sharply. Because of Israeli restrictions during the current strife, about 20% of the Palestinian workers had been unable to get to their jobs in Israel, causing mush economic hardship. Pounding by Israeli bombs had caused substantial damage to buildings.

Business
Seagram Company was voted out of existence in a merger between the 76-year-old Canadian distiller and French conglomerate Vivendi.

Shaw Communications Ltd. announced plans to purchase Moffat Communications of Winnipeg and consolidate the cable industry leader’s hold on the western Canadian market.