The dreams of two high-profile Canadian entrepreneurs appeared to have taken divergent paths. Jim Balsillie, co-CEO with Research in Motion, has walked away from a $175-million offer to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins (and hockey phenoms Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin Eugeny Malkom) – apparently due to the National Hockey League’s refusal to provide him with any kind of flexibility to move the franchise. It must have been a difficult decision for Balsillie, who’s a passionate hockey fan and pick-up player (note: I wonder if he’s allowed to bring his Blackberry on the bench?)
Meanwhile, John Bitove (one-time part owner of the Toronto Raptors) is trying to become the Mark Cuban of Canada with the launch of HDTV Networks, which aims to be Canada’s first high-definition TV network. In applying for a license, Bitove plans to offer free, over-the-air broadcasts. Bitove has a few bucks lying around after taking Canadian Satellite Radio (aka XM Canada) public last year – a move that was a major, major financial home run. Bitove, however, may find HD a tougher nut to crack given there doesn’t appear to be a lot of momentum/consumer adoption despite all the buzz. Maybe it’s a programming issue; maybe cablecos are simply charging too much for the “right” to watch HD.
Technorati Tags: Blackberry, HD, Wireless
