The Province from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 15

Friday, August 29, 1997 The Province A15 1 mm taw me BCTV won't change with Baton takeover, CEO says mm umnsnecBe By Stuart Hunter Staff Reporter, and Canadian Press Baton Broadcasting took a bigger bite of Canada's television picture yesterday by taking over CTV, but it'll be business as usual for the Lower Mainland's BCTV. "It doesn't mean any changes," BCTV CEO Art Reitmayer said, adding the station has an affiliation agreement with Baton until August 1999. "How it sorts out down the road it really depends on what all parties see as the best way of going," said Reitmayer. The CRTC approved Baton's takeover of the CTV television network, meaning the Toronto-based company now holds 57 per cent of the network after a complicated series of asset swaps and cash payments. To win CRTC approval, Baton pledged strong local programming blended with competitive national content.

Ian Morrison, spokesman for the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, supported Baton's quest. "We felt that having one single body that was in a position to be concerned with the welfare of CTV, and in whose interest it would be for CTV to be successful, would be a good thing," said Morrison. Baton also controls CIVT-TV, a recently approved station that has yet to begin local broadcasts. Inquest hears there's no law requiring checks KAMLOOPS There are no regulations requiring inspection of underground gas lines, even for systems installed decades ago, a coroner's inquest heard yesterday. Stan Bucholz, a provincial gas inspector in Kamloops, told the coroner's jury that certification of underground gas lines is left to private companies and contractors.

The inquest is exploring a Jan. 7 explosion at the Monte Vista Motel that killed Marc Olivier and Gordon Prouse. The blast was fuelled by propane leaking from an underground line. Provincial gas inspectors examine equipment only after the gas meter and are not responsible for ensuring underground lines from the tank meet gas code specifications. "We don't do anything before the meter," Bucholz said.

"The company that supplies the tank installs everything Bucholz also added there are no regulations calling for soil testing, even though copper pipe can corrode in some kinds of soil. Earlier, the RCMP's civilian 911 supervisor gave evidence detailing what emergency services were dispatched and when they were sent. Stevi Sharron said 911 dispatchers worked hard to send out all emergency services. No decisions were made to alert police or ambulance first. She said she's confident proper procedure was followed.

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