CFQC-DT

Last updated

CFQC-DT
Channels
Branding
  • CTV Saskatoon (general)
  • CTV News Saskatoon (newscasts)
Programming
Affiliations CTV
Ownership
Owner Bell Media Inc.
History
First air date
December 5, 1954(69 years ago) (1954-12-05)
Former call signs
CFQC-TV (1954–2011)
Former channel number(s)
Analogue: 8 (VHF, 1954–2011)
  • CBC (1954–1971)
  • CTV (secondary, 1969–1971)
Call sign meaning
"Canada's Finest Quality Channel" (unofficial)
Technical information
Licensing authority
 CRTC
ERP 13 kW
HAAT 267.9 m (879 ft)
Transmitter coordinates 52°11′28″N106°23′16″W / 52.19111°N 106.38778°W / 52.19111; -106.38778
Links
Website CTV Saskatoon

CFQC-DT (channel 8) is a television station in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. Owned and operated by network parent Bell Media, the station has studios on 1st Avenue North and 23rd Street East in the Central Business District neighbourhood of Saskatoon, and its transmitter is located near Highway 41 and Burgheim Road, northeast of the city.

Contents

Master control facilities are located at the studios of CFCN-DT in Calgary, shared with eight other CTV owned-and-operated stations in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. [1]

History

CFQC-TV logo Spring 1973.jpg
Station logo, circa 1970s.
CFQC-TV ad Fall 1973.jpg
CFQC-TV used this logo and promotional format as of Fall 1973.

CFQC-TV first signed on the air on December 5, 1954; it was originally owned by the Murphy family along with CFQC radio (AM 600, now CKBL-FM at 92.9). The first program broadcast (other than test patterns) was a film of the 42nd Grey Cup game, followed by assorted entertainment programs and the station's first newscast. [2] CFQC reported the next day that 40,000 viewers had tuned in, with the station's signal reported to have been received as far away as 40 miles (64 km) south of Regina. [3]

Initially a CBC affiliate, as early as 1967, the Murphys wanted to switch to CTV. However, these plans were put on hold in November 1967 when the federal government denied an application for a new CBC station, citing budget cuts, among other reasons. [4] Eventually, however, Regina's CBKRT (now CBKT) won permission to set up a rebroadcaster in Saskatoon. CFQC-TV, meanwhile, started airing CTV programs on tape delay in 1969, becoming a full-time CTV affiliate on October 17, 1971, when CBKST signed on as a rebroadcaster of CBKRT.

CFQC-TV's former logo (1998-2001). CFQC-TV.jpg
CFQC-TV's former logo (1998–2001).

The Murphy family bowed out of broadcasting in 1972 and sold CFQC-AM-TV to Baton Broadcasting, owners of CTV's flagship station, CFTO-TV in Toronto. There were some concerns that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) would not approve of one person owning two CTV stations, especially if that person was Baton, by far the largest and richest station owner. At the time, CTV was a cooperative based on the concept of "one owner, one vote." However, a provision in the cooperative's bylaws provided that if one owner ever bought a second station, the acquired station's shares would be redistributed among the other seven owners so that each owner would still have only one vote out of eight. The CRTC approved the deal in late 1972, and the Murphy family earned a handsome return on patriarch Pappy Murphy's original investment when he founded CFQC radio in 1923.

In 1986, Baton purchased CKCK-TV in Regina and CBC/CTV twinsticks in Yorkton and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Eventually, CFQC-TV became the centre of Baton's Saskatchewan operations. In 1987, Baton's six Saskatchewan stations began branding as the Saskatchewan Television Network, which joined with Baton's Ontario stations in 1994 as the Baton Broadcast System. Baton bought controlling interest in CTV in 1997, making CFQC-TV a CTV owned-and-operated station.

In the past, it identified itself as "CFQC", "TV8" and (during much of the 1970s and '80s) "QC8, Saskatoon Television." Although now known as "CTV Saskatoon", per the current branding standards for CTV affiliates, many longtime viewers in central and northern Saskatchewan still refer to the station as "QC" or "QC8". The QC8 branding continued to be used even after the station began to air on channel 9 for those who subscribed to cable television.

A number of local programs were produced at CFQC's Saskatoon studios over the years. Children's television host Helen Lumby hosted a kindergarten-focused show at CFQC in her early career, before moving on to create Size Small . In the 1970s and 1980s, the station aired a number of public affairs programs, often with titles playing on the "Q" element of the station identity, such as Big Q Country (political discussion) and Q-Line (a phone-in program where viewers could ask questions of civic leaders, among others). CFQC also produced a companion program to the national Canada AM morning show titled Saskatchewan AM, which combined local news with children's programming such as reruns of Rocket Robin Hood .

From 1954 until 1991, CFQC-TV shared some on-air personnel such as newsreaders with CFQC-AM, as well as studio facilities. This ended when CFQC-AM was sold. The radio station continued to share the CFQC call letters after it moved to the FM dial in 1995 (though for promotional purposes it was rebranded Hot93). In 2007, CFQC-FM officially changed call letters to CKBL-FM, leaving the TV station the only user of the original call letters dating back to 1923.

As with its Regina sister station, CFQC's programming is aired in pattern with that of Winnipeg sister station CKY-DT, with prime time programming running from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. simultaneously with east coast stations, and CTV's 7 p.m. ET programming bumped to 10 p.m. However, as Saskatchewan does not observe daylight saving time and remains on Central Standard Time year-round, programming is delayed by an hour in comparison to CKY when DST is in effect. [5] As with all other CTV stations in Saskatchewan, it broadcasts the annual Telemiracle telethon (which alternates between Saskatoon and Regina on a yearly cycle) in March, supporting the Kinsmen and Kinettes of Saskatchewan. [6] [7]

News operation

As of September 15, 2023, CFQC-DT broadcasts 10 hours of news programming presented from CFQC's Saskatoon studios each week (two hours each weekday). An additional 24 hours of provincial news programming per week from CTV Regina is simulcast on CFQC.

Alumni of CFQC's news department include Keith Morrison, who went on to become the weekend anchor of the CTV National News before joining NBC, and Don Wittman, who became a sports commentator for the CBC. Dawna Friesen, after a stint at CFQC, furthered her career in U.S. broadcast journalism before becoming anchor of the Global network's national newscast Global National in 2010. Natasha Staniszewski had a stint with CFQC from 2007 to 2009, became a co-anchor for the late-night edition of SportsCentre on TSN, and is now a media host for the CFL's Calgary Stampeders and the NHL's Calgary Flames. Jim McCrory worked for CFQC in various capacities from 1963 to his retirement in 2001; McCrory died in January 2012. One of the longest-serving alumni of the station was Greg Barnsley, who joined CFQC when it first went on the air in the 1950s and remained as a general-duties host and weather forecaster until his retirement in the mid-1990s.

Newscaster Rob MacDonald was the longest-serving on-air personality, being part of CFQC from March 15, 1976, until his retirement on January 20, 2017. [8] Sportscaster Kevin Waugh worked at the station for close to 40 years, prior to his election as a Member of Parliament for Saskatoon—Grasswood in the 2015 Canadian federal election. Waugh and Barnsley "flipped the switch" that officially transferred CFQC to digital broadcasts in 2011. With the retirement of Craig Wilson in early 2019, Jeff Rogstad is currently the longest serving on-air personality active at the station.

CFQC's newscasts are also broadcast by CIPA-TV in Prince Albert, since that station does not broadcast a local 6 or 11:30 p.m. newscast. As a result, CFQC's program regularly includes reports from Prince Albert.

From at least the late 1980's until 1994 (when it became part of BBS and branded its newscasts as "CFQC-TV News"), CFQC was one of only two television stations in Canada known to have adopted the "NewsCentre" branding (a Canadian variation on the popular American "NewsCenter" branding) for its local newscasts, the other being CBC owned and operated affiliate CBUT in Vancouver, which used it briefly in the mid- to late-1980's.

Effective September 15, 2023, CFQC no longer broadcasts local morning, 5 p.m., 11:30 p.m., or weekend evening newscasts from its studios. These local shows were replaced with province-wide news programming originating from CTV Regina, [9] which includes news stories and other content from the Saskatoon newsroom. The noon and 6 p.m. newscasts continued to be presented and broadcast from the CFQC studios. These changes were a result of cutbacks enacted by CTV's parent company, Bell Media, on June 14, 2023. [10] Previously, on Oct. 21, 2017, CFQC had ended broadcast of a stand-alone weekly farm magazine program, Farmgate, in favour of incorporating the segments into its regular newscasts. Up to that point, Farmgate had been the most-watched agricultural program in Saskatchewan and ran for almost three decades.

CFQC's noon newscast was cancelled on February 8, 2024, as part of nationwide programming cuts by Bell Media. [11]

Radio station

The CFQC call letters were originally assigned to an AM radio station that began broadcasting in Saskatoon in 1923 under the ownership of the Murphy family. From 1953 to 1991, the television and radio stations were under common ownership (first the Murphys, then Baton), for a time sharing broadcast facilities and on-air personnel. Baton exited radio in 1991, and CFQC radio moved into its own studio facility. In 1995, the station moved to the FM dial where it became CFQC-FM or "Hot 93". In November 2007, the station changed its call letters to CKBL-FM and it adopted the branding "The Bull".

Technical information

Subchannel

Subchannel of CFQC-DT [12]
Channel Res. Aspect Short nameProgramming
8.1 1080i 16:9 Main CFQC-DT programming / CTV

Analogue-to-digital conversion

On August 31, 2011, when Canadian television stations in CRTC-designated mandatory markets transitioned from analogue to digital broadcasts, CFQC shut down analog signal and flash cut its digital signal into operation on VHF channel 8 at approximately 12:05 a.m. CT. [13] The ceremonial switchover was conducted by longtime sports anchor Kevin Waugh and now-retired veteran CFQC broadcaster Greg Barnsley, who had been involved with the station when it first signed on the air.

Former transmitters

On July 30, 2019, Bell Media was granted permission to close down the analog transmitters for CFQC-TV-1 and CFQC-TV-2 as part of Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2019-268. Both transmitters were shut down by February 26, 2021. [14]

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.

CJOH-DT is a television station in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, serving the National Capital Region as part of the CTV Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media alongside Pembroke-licensed CTV 2 outlet CHRO-TV. The two stations share studios with Bell's Ottawa radio properties at the Market Media Mall building on George Street in downtown Ottawa's ByWard Market; CJOH-DT's transmitter is located on the Ryan Tower at Camp Fortune in Chelsea, Quebec, north of Gatineau.

<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">CKPR-DT</span> CTV affiliate in Thunder Bay, Ontario

CKPR-DT is a television station in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, affiliated with CTV. It is owned by locally based Dougall Media alongside Global affiliate CHFD-DT. Both stations share studios on Hill and Van Norman Streets in central Thunder Bay, while CKPR-DT's transmitter is located in Shuniah, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baton Broadcast System</span> Canadian television system

The Baton Broadcast System, also known as BBS, was a Canadian system of television stations located in Ontario and Saskatchewan, owned by Baton Broadcasting. BBS was the successor to two provincial systems also owned by Baton, the Saskatchewan Television Network (STN) and Ontario Network Television (ONT).

CHRO-TV is a television station licensed to Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, serving the capital city of Ottawa as part of the CTV 2 system. It is owned and operated by Bell Media alongside CTV outlet CJOH-DT. The two stations share studios with Bell's Ottawa radio properties at the Market Media Mall building on George Street in downtown Ottawa's ByWard Market; CHRO-TV's transmitter is located on TV Tower Road near Pembroke. The station operates a digital-only rebroadcaster in Ottawa, CHRO-DT-43, with transmitter in the city's Herbert Corners section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CBKST</span> Former CBC television station in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

CBKST, VHF analogue channel 11, was a CBC Television owned-and-operated station licensed to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, which operated from 1971 to 2012. The station was owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. CBKST's master control facilities were located in the Hutchinson Building on 2nd Avenue South in Downtown Saskatoon after being relocated from an office tower above Midtown Plaza. Its transmitter was located between Highways 5 and 41.

CBKT-DT is a CBC Television station in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is part of a twinstick with Ici Radio-Canada Télé station CBKFT-DT. The two outlets share studios with sister radio stations CBK, CBK-FM and CBKF-FM at the CBC Regina Broadcast Centre at 2440 Broad Street in Downtown Regina; CBKT-DT's transmitter is located near McDonald Street/Highway 46, just northeast of Regina proper.

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.

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.

CFCF-DT is an English-language 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. The two stations share studios at the Bell Media building, at the intersection of Avenue Papineau and Boulevard René-Lévesque Est in downtown Montreal; CFCF-DT's transmitter is located atop Mount Royal.

CFRN-DT is a television station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media alongside cable-exclusive CTV 2 Alberta. The two outlets share studios with sister radio station CFRN on Stony Plain Road in Edmonton; CFRN-DT's transmitter is located near Highway 21, southeast of Sherwood Park.

CIPA-TV is a television station in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. Owned and operated by network parent Bell Media, it is a semi-satellite of CFQC-DT in Saskatoon. CIPA-TV's studios are located on 10 Street West in Downtown Prince Albert, and its transmitter is located between Louis Reil Trail/Highway 11 and Highway 2, south-southwest of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CICC-TV</span> CTV station in Yorkton, Saskatchewan

CICC-TV is a television station in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. Owned and operated by network parent Bell Media, it is a semi-satellite of CKCK-DT in Regina. CICC-TV's studios are located on Broadway Street East and 6 Avenue North in Yorkton, and its transmitter is located adjacent to Highway 52, west of the city.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">CKBI-TV</span> Former TV station in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">CFSK-DT</span> TV station in Saskatchewan, Canada

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CKY-DT is a television station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. The station is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media, and maintains studios on Graham Avenue in Downtown Winnipeg; its transmitter is located near Lord Selkirk Highway/Highway 75 in Ritchot.

References

  1. ↑ "Power failure knocks CTV channels off the air for two hours". Fagstein. October 5, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  2. ↑ "TV Program for Sunday". The StarPhoenix . December 4, 1954. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Wide Area Covered in TV Debut Here". The StarPhoenix . December 6, 1954. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  4. ↑ King, Stirling (November 2, 1967). "Pearson sidetracks CBC for city". The StarPhoenix . Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Canadian Communications Foundation – CKCK-TV History". Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  6. ↑ Olson, Matt (March 1, 2019). "43rd Kinsmen Telemiracle gearing up for Saturday showtime". The StarPhoenix . Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  7. ↑ Robinson, Ashley (January 19, 2017). "Telemiracle brings top of the line entertainment to Sask". Regina Leader-Post. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  8. ↑ "CTV Saskatoon: Rob MacDonald celebrates 40 years". March 15, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Cole Davenport". CTV Regina. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Bell Media cuts 1,300 positions, shutters six radio stations | Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Bell Media ends some CTV newscasts, sells radio stations in media shakeup amid layoffs". CTVNews. February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  12. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for CFQC
  13. ↑ Digital Television – Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) Archived July 7, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ "CRTC Decision 2019-268". July 30, 2019.
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