Cable TV operator Shaw Communications Inc. is reported to have signed a deal to acquire the television assets of CanWest Global Communications Corp. for $2 billion, a step which some analysts tag as a gamble on the future of new media.

The deal, which is revealed to permit CanWest to get out of the troubling waters of bankruptcy protection from creditors most probably by August, is for 11 Global TV stations across Canada and a stable of highly profitable specialty channels, including HGTV, Food Network and Showcase.

Paul Robertson, President of Shaw-controlled Corus Entertainment Inc.'s TV division, now operates one of the top jobs in Canadian television, grabbing a rise via senior marketing and executive roles in the Canadian media industry.

Mr. Robertson is appointed as Shaw's Group Vice-President in charge of TV and will report to Brad Shaw, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman Jim, Shaw's younger brother.

However, the appointment news came as a surprise, as the relationship between Shaw and Corus has remained close overlooking the distance the two companies must maintain at regulatory hearings.

"There are a lot of moving parts to CanWest TV", said Kaan Yigit of Toronto-based Solutions Research Group, noting there are specialty and conventional assets in addition to complicated and necessary negotiations. "He has the right experience and temperament for it".