Condo Living TV - Introductory Article

Living the condominium lifestyle is about to get a whole lot clearer thanks to a new television show being produced by Shaw TV (Cable 10), sponsored by Source Media Group and Streetside Development Corporation.

Named for Source Media’s Condo Living magazine, Condo Living is a new segment on Shaw’s Cable 10 TV hosted by Calgary media personality Barb Mitchell.

"There is nothing like this in Calgary for the condo market," says Norma Robertson, spokesperson for Calgary-based Source Media Group, publishers of Condo Living, New Home Source and Western Canadian Resorts & Investment Properties magazines. “The show will shed some light on many of the grey areas of condominium ownership and tie-in well with our magazine. It's another information source people can use when they are buying or even already living in condos," says Robertson, “and further illustrates Source Media Group’s leadership position in the Calgary marketplace.”

Tackling topics ranging from pet-friendly digs and the ins and outs of condo boards; to getting the most bang for your buck at any price range; to condos as investment properties; Condo Living's three-minute vignettes will begin airing on Shaw September 14, and will run every Wednesday for 26 weeks.

Robertson says she was elated when Shaw TV approached Source Media Group to be a sponsor for the project, and the fact that leading condo developer Streetside has also come on-board makes the project that much stronger.

Tara Fletcher of Shaw TV says the brevity of the Condo Living segments and its strictly local focus —just three minutes in length and featuring Calgary homes and experts — adds to the appeal for viewers. "It's easy for people to watch because it will be short, and they'll have plenty of chances to catch the show because it will play 20 times throughout the day," says Fletcher.

Fletcher says the idea was spurred by the reality that Calgary's seen a dramatic spike in people of all ages opting for condominium living over single-family digs. "It's a new way of living for people — Calgary's downtown was a ghost town ten years ago and now more and more people are choosing to live there, from new buyers to empty nesters," says Fletcher.

And, since human nature seems to include a desire to catch a glimpse of how other people live, Mitchell will "hit the streets" to find some interesting abodes across the city for viewers to sneak peeks of. The segments will feature interviews with condo experts and a myriad of Calgarians who have chosen the condominium lifestyle. Many episodes will be shot on location at different condo properties around town.

Kendra Milne, Marketing Co-ordinator at Streetside, says the volume of people buying condos in the city and the opportunity to provide specific information to help those would-be homeowners is what drew the developer to also sponsor the show. "I think whether you are buying a single-family home or a condo, you have a lot of questions, but with condominiums you have some very specific ones," says Milne.

"I watched the taping of the first show at our Red Haus project — it provides such a great opportunity for our current owners and future buyers," says Milne. "And Barb Mitchell is certainly very knowledgeable about the city and its happenings."

"TV is a great partner for print," says Robertson. "They can't get into as much detail in a few minutes, but we can really expand on what's covered because we have two to four pages and graphics to go along with it."

Condo Living magazine readers who miss segments, or are interested in learning more on the topics covered by Mitchell and her guests can pick up this publication for a follow-up article to every segment — including interviews with additional experts.

Feel free to go back to the archives page for more articles.

View even more archived articles on our Condo Living website or pick up the current issue at over 400 locations in Calgary for up-to-date articles on new developments and other related topics.

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