CBNT-DT

Last updated

CBNT-DT
Logo for CBNT-DT.jpg
Channels
Branding
  • CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
  • CBC Here & Now (newscasts)
Programming
Affiliations CBC Television
Ownership
Owner Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
CBN, CBN-FM, CBAFT-DT
History
First air date
October 1, 1964(59 years ago) (1964-10-01)
Former call signs
CBNT (1964–2011)
Former channel number(s)
Analogue: 8 (VHF, 1964–2011)
Call sign meaning
CBC Newfoundland Television
Technical information
Licensing authority
CRTC
ERP 14.54 kW
HAAT 252.9 m (830 ft)
Transmitter coordinates 47°31′59″N52°47′26″W / 47.53306°N 52.79056°W / 47.53306; -52.79056
Links
Website www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador

CBNT-DT (channel 8) is a television station in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, broadcasting the English-language service of CBC Television. Owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the station maintains studios on University Avenue, and its transmitter is located south-southwest of George's Pond in St. John's.

Contents

History

The station went on the air on October 1, 1964, as previous CBC affiliate CJON-TV (then on channel 6, now an independent station on channel 21) switched networks to CTV. CBNT originally broadcast from the Browning Harvey Building on Water Street West in downtown St. John's. It was the second television station to sign on in the Metro Area (CJON, the previous CBC affiliate, was the first to open just nine years earlier in 1955). In 1966, the present television building, located on University Avenue, opened.

On April 30, 2007, CBC Radio's operations out of the old Avalon Telephone building on 342 Duckworth Street in downtown St. John's were moved to the television station's building on University Avenue after renovations to accommodate the radio broadcasts were completed.

Programming

The station generally adheres to the Atlantic Time Zone feed of the CBC network schedule; as a result, most CBC programs air a half-hour later in Newfoundland, which is in the Newfoundland Time Zone, compared to other areas of Canada.

Until September 2009, to accommodate Here & Now's 6:00 p.m. timeslot, the network provided a separate Newfoundland Time feed of its weekday afternoon schedule between 4:00 and 6:00 local time. The 7:00 p.m. NT timeslot was then taken by Land and Sea (Monday) and repeats of Living Newfoundland and Labrador (Tuesday–Friday). As a result, the network program that normally aired at 3:30 p.m. local time (such as the Great Canadian Food Show ) was preempted entirely. With few exceptions, this separate feed ended when Here & Now expanded to 90 minutes in September 2009. In late 2015, Here & Now returned to 60 minutes.

As CBNT's master control operations are now handled directly from the CBC's facilities in Toronto, there isn't any remaining direct technical obstacle to the station carrying a full Newfoundland Time schedule. However, given the added difficulty of coordinating such a schedule with live national news or sports broadcasts (for example The National and Hockey Night in Canada ), as well as viewer familiarity with the current scheduling practices across all channels, such a switch is not likely in the near future.

Local programming

Current non-news local programming on CBNT includes Land and Sea , a regional documentary series in production since 1964, making it likely one of the longest-running television shows in Newfoundland and Labrador. Land and Sea is currently aired on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. On January 15, 2007, CBNT premiered a new local program, Living Newfoundland and Labrador; it aired at 3:30 p.m., and was repeated Tuesday to Friday at 7:00 p.m.. Living Newfoundland and Labrador was cancelled in August 2009.

From 1984 to 2011, CBNT was the home of the annual Janeway Children's Miracle Network Telethon, which usually airs the weekend following the U.S. Memorial Day holiday. Up until the early 1990s, the telethon was produced in cooperation with Avalon Cablevision Cable 9 (now Rogers TV). It was taped at the Avalon Cablevision studio, using CBC personalities, and Cable 9 volunteers. The Cable 9 feed was simulcast on CBC stations across the province, until the rebranding of Avalon Cablevision Ltd. to Cable Atlantic. At that time, the Cable Atlantic offices and studio underwent major renovations. CBNT then started using their own studio facilities. This telethon moved to CJON-TV in 2012.

Other CBC programs previously produced in Newfoundland and Labrador include Reach for the Top , which was hosted by Bob Cole for many years, then later by Art Andrews and Peter Miller; As Loved Our Fathers, written by Tom Cahill; Soundings; Yarns from Pigeon Inlet, a television adaptations of stories written by Ted Russell; Skipper and Company, which featured Ray Bellew; Where Once They Stood , a community profile series; Yesterday's Heroes; the 1997 five-part series East of Canada: The Story of Newfoundland; the Ryan's Fancy show; and from 1982 until the late 1990s with a brief gap in the middle of the decade, Newsfinal (CBC's local late night news show, anchored at times by Deborah Collins, Karl Wells, Glenn Tilley, etc.).

News operation

CBNT presently broadcasts 10 hours, 5 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week (with two hours each weekday, a half-hour news and On Point current affairs program Saturdays, and a half hour of news on Sundays).

When CBNT first signed on, its local newscast was known as CBC Regional News. In the mid-1970s, it adopted the Here & Now name. Here & Now was the name of the newscast for decades prior to 2000, when CBC budget cuts forced it to be cut to a half hour from an hour and integrated into Canada Now .

CBNT restored its old newscast in late 2005. Here & Now currently airs from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Notable current on-air staff

Notable former on-air staff

Technical information

Subchannel of CBNT-DT [1]
Channel Res. Aspect Short nameProgramming
8.1 720p 16:9 CBNT-DTMain CBNT-DT programming / CBC Television

Analog-to-digital conversion

On August 31, 2011, the date on which Canadian television stations in CRTC-designated mandatory markets transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts, the station's digital signal relocated from channel to VHF channel 8. [2]

Transmitters

CBNT had a very large system of 89 rebroadcast transmitters, spread throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Due to federal funding reductions to the CBC, in April 2012, the CBC responded with substantial budget cuts, which included shutting down CBC's and Radio-Canada's remaining analog transmitters on July 31, 2012. [3] None of CBC or Radio-Canada's television rebroadcasters were converted to digital. This left the St. John's area as the only part of the province with over-the-air coverage from CBC. However, few Newfoundlanders lost access to CBC programming due to the high penetration of cable and satellite.

As a result of the closedown, some of EastLink's cable systems in the Great Northern Peninsula replaced CBNT with CBHT-DT from Halifax, due to what EastLink claimed were "technical issues" involving CBNT. Furthermore, in most of these affected communities, high-speed broadband internet, which could be used to watch regional programming from CBNT online, is not available. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

The CTV Television Network, commonly known as CTV, is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by BCE Inc. in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned television network and is now a division of the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE. It is Canada's largest privately or commercially owned network consisting of 22 owned-and-operated stations nationwide and two privately owned affiliates, and has consistently been placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival Global Television Network in key markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CJON-DT</span> Independent TV station in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador

CJON-DT, branded on-air as NTV, is an independent television station in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, owned by Newfoundland Broadcasting Company Ltd. The station's studios are located on Logy Bay Road in St. John's, and its transmitter is located in the city's Shea Heights section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CHCH-DT</span> Independent TV station in Hamilton, Ontario

CHCH-DT is an independent television station in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Channel Zero, the station maintains studios on Innovation Drive in the west end of Hamilton; prior to 2021, it was located near the corner of Jackson and Caroline streets in downtown Hamilton for nearly 65 years. The station has additional offices at the Marriott on the Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Its transmitter is located on First Road West in the former city of Stoney Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CITV-DT</span> Global TV station in Edmonton

CITV-DT is a television station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, part of the Global Television Network. The station is owned and operated by network parent Corus Entertainment, and maintains studios on Allard Way Northwest in the Pleasantview neighbourhood of Edmonton; its transmitter is located just off of Highway 21, southeast of the city. CITV-DT carries the full Global network schedule, and its programming is similar to sister station CICT-DT in Calgary.

CTV 2 Atlantic is a Canadian cable television channel serving Atlantic Canada owned by Bell Media, with its studios located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc., it operates as a de facto owned-and-operated station of its secondary CTV 2 television system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CBUT-DT</span> CBC Television station in Vancouver

CBUT-DT is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, serving as the West Coast flagship of CBC Television. It is part of a twinstick with Ici Radio-Canada Télé station CBUFT-DT. Both stations share studios at the CBC Regional Broadcast Centre on Hamilton Street in downtown Vancouver, while CBUT-DT's transmitter is located atop Mount Seymour in the district municipality of North Vancouver.

CBET-DT is a CBC Television station in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The station's studios are located on Riverside Drive West and Crawford Avenue in Downtown Windsor, and its transmitter is located near Concession Road 12 in Essex.

CBLT-DT is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the English-language service of CBC Television. It is part of a twinstick with Ici Radio-Canada Télé outlet CBLFT-DT. Both stations share studios at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre on Front Street West in downtown Toronto, which is also shared with national cable news channel CBC News Network and houses the studios for most of the CBC's news and entertainment programs. CBLT-DT's transmitter is located atop the CN Tower.

CKCK-DT is a television station in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. Owned and operated by network parent Bell Media, the station maintains studios and transmitter facilities on Eastgate Drive and Highway 1, just east of Regina proper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CHAN-DT</span> Global TV station in Vancouver

CHAN-DT, branded on-air as Global BC, is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Global Television Network. Owned and operated by network parent Corus Entertainment, the station has studios on Enterprise Street in the suburban city of Burnaby, which also houses Global's national news headquarters. Its transmitter is located atop Mount Seymour in the district municipality of North Vancouver.

CFCF-DT is a television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media alongside Noovo flagship CFJP-DT. Both stations share studios at the Bell Media building, at the intersection of Avenue Papineau and Boulevard René-Lévesque Est in downtown Montreal, while CFCF-DT's transmitter is located atop Mount Royal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CBHT-DT</span> CBC Television station in Halifax, Nova Scotia

CBHT-DT is a CBC Television station in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The station's studios are located on Chebucto Road in Halifax, and its transmitter is located on Washmill Lake Drive on the city's west side.

CHEK-DT is an independent television station in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, serving Vancouver Island and Greater Vancouver. The station is owned by the CHEK Media Group, a consortium made up of station employees and local investors. CHEK-DT's studios are located on Kings Road in Victoria, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Warburton Pike on Saturna Island.

CBC Television is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-language counterpart is ICI Radio-Canada Télé.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newfoundland Time Zone</span> Time zone in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

The Newfoundland Time Zone (NT) is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting 3.5 hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) during standard time, resulting in UTC−03:30; or subtracting 2.5 hours during daylight saving time. The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the meridian 52 degrees and 30 arcminutes west of the Greenwich Observatory. It is observed solely in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland Time Zone is the only active time zone with a half-hour offset from UTC in the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Television in Canada</span>

Television in Canada officially began with the sign-on of the nation's first television stations in Montreal and Toronto in 1952. As with most media in Canada, the television industry, and the television programming available in that country, are strongly influenced by media in the United States, perhaps to an extent not seen in any other major industrialized nation. As a result, the government institutes quotas for "Canadian content". Nonetheless, new content is often aimed at a broader North American audience, although the similarities may be less pronounced in the predominantly French-language province of Quebec.

CFTO-DT is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the CTV Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media alongside Barrie-based CTV 2 outlet CKVR-DT, channel 3. CFTO-DT's studios are located at 9 Channel Nine Court in Agincourt, and its transmitter is located atop the CN Tower in Downtown Toronto. The station shares the Agincourt studio complex with CTV's headquarters, which includes studios for the network's news programming, along with most of Bell Media's specialty channels.

CBC News produces a variety of local newscasts for CBC Television's owned-and-operated stations (O&Os) throughout Canada. On most stations, the local news operation is branded with standard, regional titles such as CBC Toronto News. However, there are variations to this naming convention for northern Canada and certain markets where the CBC has historically been strong in local news, such as Here & Now in Newfoundland, Compass on Prince Edward Island, and Northbeat on CBC North.

Living is a group of regional Canadian lifestyle television programs that aired on CBC Television stations. The initial broadcast was on January 15, 2007. Due to budgetary issues, the Living programs were not continued past the end of the 2008–09 television season. The final episodes of each Living series aired on August 28, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CBNLT</span> Former CBC television station in Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

CBNLT was the local CBC Television owned-and-operated station (O&O) for Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It was an analog semi-satellite of CBNT-DT, the CBC owned and operated station in St. John's. Until 1985, it produced limited amounts of local programming. The station was founded by the Iron Ore Company of Canada Aviation, Ltd, and was co-owned with nearby sister station CFKL-TV in Schefferville, Quebec.

References

  1. RabbitEars TV Query for CBNT
  2. Digital Television – Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) Archived September 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Speaking notes for Hubert T. Lacroix regarding measures announced in the context of the Deficit Reduction Action Plan
  4. "Rural viewers upset about losing CBC TV". CBC News. August 2, 2012.