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This article gives an overview of the media in London, Ontario, Canada .
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(January 2018) |
This article gives an overview of the media in London, Ontario, Canada .
London pioneered in the establishment of cable television in Canada, being either the first or second city in Canada with cable service, when Ed Jarmain and others wired the first 15 homes, and had to purchase TV sets for 14 of them. London's first cable system, established in 1952, broadcast American signals that crossed the border, including WICU from Erie, Pennsylvania. Shortly afterward, another cable operator, named Community Television was also established serving southwestern London and a "gentleman's agreement" set a boundary, convoluted in the old London South (Wortley Road) area; Community Television was later purchased by Maclean-Hunter, and Maclean Hunter was ultimately purchased by Rogers Cablesystems. London Cable TV later merged with Canadian Cablesystems, a cable operator owned by the Famous Players Theatre chain, with Jarmain remaining as chief executive. Canadian Cablesystems was acquired by Rogers in 1978, and Rogers purchased Maclean Hunter in 1993. Rogers TV Cable 13, brings around 60 of the 76 home and away games of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. In the 2009 OHL Playoffs Rogers TV carried all home and away games in the London Knights schedule. This was the first time games from the Tulio Arena in Erie, PA and The Dow Event Centre in Saginaw, MI were broadcast on Canadian television. Rogers TV also has exclusive coverage of the Western Mustangs.
London had the second private local television station in Canada, CFPL (on-air November 28, 1953), and CFPL was the first Canadian local channel to broadcast in colour (1966). As part of CHUM Limited's NewNet system was branded as The New PL. In August 2005, CFPL was re-branded as A-Channel. In August 2008, A-Channel was re-branded to A, effectively re-branding the CFPL station once more and on August 31, 2011, A was re-branded as CTV Two until September 2018 now CTV 2 . Several other stations from neighbouring cities have established retransmitters or are otherwise available in London, as follows:
| OTA virtual channel (PSIP) | OTA actual channel | Rogers Cable | Call sign | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | 17 (UHF) | 3 | CIII-DT | Global | Transmitted from Paris; rebroadcaster of CIII-DT-41 (Toronto) |
| 10.1 | 10 (VHF) | 9 | CFPL-DT | CTV 2 | |
| 13.1 | 13 (VHF) | 12 | CKCO-DT | CTV | Transmitted from Kitchener |
| 16.4 | 14 (UHF) | 16 | CITS-DT-2 | Yes TV | Rebroadcaster of CITS-DT (Hamilton) |
| 18.1 | 18 (UHF) | 2 | CICO-DT-18 | TVOntario | Rebroadcaster of CICA-DT (Toronto) |
| 20.1 | 20 (UHF) | 14 | CJMT-DT-1 | Omni Television (OMNI 2) | Rebroadcaster of CJMT-DT (Toronto) |
| 31.1 | 31 (UHF) | 7 | CITY-DT-2 | Citytv | Transmitted from Woodstock; rebroadcaster of CITY-DT (Toronto) |
| 51.1 | 51 (UHF) | 11 | CHCH-DT-2 | Independent | Transmitted from Alvinston; rebroadcaster of CHCH-DT (Hamilton) |
| 69.1 | 48 (UHF) | 4 | CFMT-DT-1 | Omni Television (OMNI-1) | Rebroadcaster of CFMT-DT (Toronto) |
| – | – | 13 | – | Rogers TV | Community channel for Rogers Cable subscribers |
Both the English- and French-language television services of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC Television and Ici Radio-Canada Télé, respectively) and French-language provincial broadcaster TFO are only available via pay television in London.
On cable, television stations from Detroit, Michigan are available, along with several stations from the Cleveland, Ohio, Erie, Pennsylvania and Buffalo, New York markets.
From late 1970 to the mid-1980s, Erie dominated as its four network affiliates were the only American stations available on the basic cable dial of two-thirds of Londoners, and Londoners came to know Erie fairly well, familiar with Mayor Louis Tullio, Millcreek Mall, the Miracle Mile and other Erie landmarks. Londoners were contributors to WQLN-TV, the public broadcasting station. Erie stations, other than WQLN, are now no longer carried on London cable systems.
London also had radio since 1922 when CJGC was established. It joined a Windsor station in early 1933 to become CKLW, but a local station was reestablished late that year, CFPL. A sister FM station was established in 1948, and both are now owned by Corus Entertainment. Competitor CKSL started in 1956; a third station, CJOE, was founded by Joe McManus in 1967, changing to CJBK in 1973. In addition to one station each with Fanshawe College (CIXX) and the University of Western Ontario (UWO) (CHRW-FM), other stations are associated with existing stations.
CBC Radio One operates a CBC production centre, CBCL-FM, at the London Public Library's Central Branch that produces a local morning show, London Morning, and a regional afternoon show, Afternoon Drive, that covers Southwestern Ontario from London to Windsor in addition to the network's standard national and province-wide programming. Before 1978, CBC programming was carried on CFPL-AM, as well as on CFPL-FM prior to 1972. The CBC continues to operate rebroadcast transmitter CBBL for CBC Music, relaying the signal of Toronto's CBL-FM.
The following stations broadcast in London:
| Frequency | Call sign | Branding | Format | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM 1290 | CJBK | NewsTalk 1290 | News radio, talk radio | Bell Media Radio | Signed off the air permanently June 14, 2023. |
| AM 1410 | CKSL | Funny 1410 | Radio comedy | Bell Media Radio | Signed off the air permanently August 14, 2016, at midnight. |
Radio stations from other nearby cities can also be heard in London. Those stations are:
| Frequency | Call sign | Branding | Format | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FM 91.5 | CKBT-FM | The Beat | top 40/CHR | Corus Entertainment | Heard in London via their Paris, ON Transmitter |
| FM 92.1 | CKPC-FM | Lite 92 | soft adult contemporary | Evanov Radio Group | |
| FM 94.1 | CKZM-FM | MyFM | adult contemporary | My Broadcasting Corporation | Licensed in October 2010; signed on May 20, 2011 |
| FM 96.7 | CHYM-FM | CHYM 96.7 | adult contemporary | Rogers Radio | Provides City Grade Coverage in London |
| FM 101.3 | CKOT-FM | Easy 101.3 | adult contemporary | Rogers Radio | |
| FM 103.1 | CFHK-FM | Fresh 103.1 | hot adult contemporary | Corus Entertainment | Operates from Corus Entertainment's studios in London even though its city of license legally remains in St. Thomas |
| FM 103.9 | CKDK-FM | Country 104 | country music | Corus Entertainment | Based in Woodstock with a London office, and advertises for concerts and stores in London. Previously known as 1039 FM with a classic hits format. |
| FM 104.7 | CIHR-FM | Heart FM | adult contemporary | Byrnes Communications | Recent Power Increase provides city grade coverage in London |
| FM 105.3 | CFCA-FM | 105.3 Virgin Radio | Top 40/CHR | Bell Media | Has City Grade coverage in London |
| FM 107.3 | CJDL-FM | Country 107.3 | country music | Rogers Radio |
| Frequency | Call sign | Branding | Format | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM 1380 | CKPC (AM) | Arise 1380 | christian radio | Evanov Radio Group | Signed off the air permanently August 4, 2023 |
| AM 1510 | CKOT-AM | Country 1510 | country music | Rogers Radio | Signed off the air permanently on February 17, 2013 |
There is also a First Nations/community radio station in Oneida Nation of the Thames which operates at 89.5 FM. This unlicensed station is branded as Oneida Radio 89.5 FM The Eagle or Eagle Radio 89.5 and has no call sign.
Until 1937, London had two daily newspapers: the London Free Press (established 1849) and the London Advertiser. The Advertiser folded in 1937. The Free Press, formerly owned by the Blackburn family, is now owned by Sun Media, a subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc.
Sun Media's subsidiary Bowes Publishing also owns and publishes The Londoner, a community-focused weekly started by Controller Gord Hume and former Free Press editor-in-chief Philip R. McLeod in 2002.
Founded in 1989 by Bret Downe, Scene was published every two weeks, on a Thursday. It ceased publication in 2018.
Our London is a free community newspaper launched in May 2015 that is delivered every Thursday to all London homes. It is published by Metroland Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. Our London was formerly the London Community News which ran from June 2011 to May 2015. It was sold to Postmedia in November 2017 and will eventually cease publication. [1] . Our London ceased publication in 2017.
Founded in 2003, L'Action is a weekly French language newspaper serving London, Sarnia, Woodstock and Owen Sound.
The independent London Telephone Company (established 1879) was bought by the Bell Telephone Company of Canada in 1881; the Byron Telephone Company, serving areas annexed by London in 1961 and 1993, was purchased in August 1960. The Ilderton Telephone Company served areas now within London city limits, but ceded those areas to Bell Canada when customers demanded improved phone service; further cession would make the company unviable so it was sold to Bell Canada. Bell Canada continues to be the incumbent local exchange carrier for London.
Canada Post has a large presence in the London area. The postal region that London is located in is the Huron-Rideau Region. The London Mail Processing Plant (LMPP) is located at 951 Highbury Avenue and coordinates and processes all the mail for the N Code area from Kitchener to Windsor. Canada Post has several other administration offices, as well as six depots.
Londoners also took part in London-based online publishing through the now defunct newspaper London Fuse.
The media of Canada is highly autonomous, uncensored, diverse, and very regionalized. Canada has a well-developed media sector, but its cultural output—particularly in English films, television shows, and magazines—is often overshadowed by imports from the United States. As a result, the preservation of a distinctly Canadian culture is supported by federal government programs, laws, and institutions such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
CHUM Limited was a Canadian media company based in Toronto, Ontario in operation from 1945 to 2007. The company was founded in 1945 as York Broadcasters Limited when it launched CHUM-AM 1050 but was acquired by salesman Allan Waters in 1954. CHUM had expanded to and owned 33 radio stations across Canada under its CHUM Radio Network division and also owned other radio stations.
CKVR-DT is a television station in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the CTV 2 system. It is owned and operated by Bell Media alongside Toronto-based CTV outlet CFTO-DT, channel 9 ; it is also sister to 24-hour regional news channel CP24. CKVR-DT's studios are located at 33 Beacon Road in Barrie, and its transmitter is located near Essa Road/Highway 27 on the city's southwest side.
CFPL-DT is a television station in London, Ontario, Canada, part of the CTV 2 system. It is owned and operated by Bell Media alongside Kitchener-based CTV station CKCO-DT, channel 13. CFPL-DT's studios and local transmitter are located on Communications Road on the southwestern side of London, and its Wingham-area rebroadcast transmitter is located on Tower Road in South Bruce.
Rogers Communications Inc. is a Canadian communications and media company operating primarily in the fields of wireless communications, cable television, telephony and Internet, with significant additional telecommunications and mass media assets. Rogers has its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario.
Rogers Cable Inc. is Canada's largest cable television service provider with about 2.25 million television customers, and over 930,000 Internet subscribers, primarily in Southern & Eastern Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. Rogers Cable is a division of Rogers Communications Partnership, itself wholly owned by Rogers Communications Inc.
CFPL-FM, branded as FM96, is a Canadian radio station owned by Corus Entertainment and based in London, Ontario. It transmits at a power of 179,000 watts on the assigned frequency of 95.9 MHz. CFPL-FM plays an alternative-leaning active rock format. CFPL-FM's studios are located in downtown with other Corus London stations while its transmitter is located in Southwest London on the CFPL-DT tower that is also utilized by sister station CFHK-FM.
Bell Media Inc. is a Canadian media conglomerate that is the mass media subsidiary of BCE Inc.. Its operations include national television broadcasting and production, radio broadcasting, digital media and Internet properties.
CTV 2 is a Canadian English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated television stations (O&Os) in Ontario, one in British Columbia and two regional cable television channels, one in Atlantic Canada and the other in Alberta.
CKNX-TV was a television station owned by CTVglobemedia which served mid-western Ontario, Canada. It was part of the A television system. The station's offices, studios, and transmission facilities were located at Carling Terrace corner John Street in Wingham. A bureau in Owen Sound closed down in late 2004.
CHWI-DT is a television station licensed to Wheatley, Ontario, Canada, broadcasting CTV 2 programming to the Windsor area. Owned and operated by Bell Media, the station has studios at the Bell Canada Building in downtown Windsor with a secondary office in Chatham; its transmitter is located on Zion Road in Chatham.
Shaw Communications Inc., stylized as Shaw), was a Canadian telecommunications company which provided telephone, Internet, television, and mobile services. The company was founded in 1966 as Capital Cable Television Company, Ltd. by JR Shaw in Edmonton. The company was acquired by and amalgamated into Rogers Communications in 2023; most operations were rebranded to the Rogers brand beginning in July of that year.
Rogers Media Inc., operating as Rogers Sports & Media, is a Canadian subsidiary of Rogers Communications that owns the company's mass media and sports properties, such as the Citytv and Omni Television terrestrial television stations, Sportsnet, OLN, localized versions of FX and FXX, the Rogers Radio stations, Frequency Podcast Network, and these properties' associated digital media outlets.
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.
CHRW-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 94.9 FM in London, Ontario. It is licensed as a community-based campus radio station by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The station broadcasts from Room 250 of the University Community Centre at the University of Western Ontario.
CHST-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 102.3 FM in London, Ontario. The station uses the on-air brand and format Jack 102.3. CHST broadcasts from the CFPL-TV tower in Southwest London. Due to CHST's low ERP relative to some London area radio stations, its broadcast signal covers only Middlesex, Elgin, and Oxford counties. The station's coverage to the west is impeded by co-channel WGRT in Port Huron, Michigan.
WQLN is a PBS member television station in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States, owned by Public Broadcasting of Northwest Pennsylvania, Inc. Its studios and transmitter are located in Summit Township, south of the Erie city limits.
CJBK was a Canadian radio station, broadcasting in London, Ontario, Canada, on the assigned frequency of 1290 kHz. The station is owned by Bell Media, has an antenna system input power of 10,000 watts, as a Class B station. CJBK's studios were located at 1 Communications Road along with sister stations CJBX-FM, CIQM-FM and CFPL-DT while its former transmitter site was located near White Oak Road and Manning Drive south of London. The station last aired a News/Talk/Sports format. It broadcast the Western Ontario Mustangs college football team, served as its flagship station. It also broadcast Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings games.
The following is a list of media outlets for Hamilton, Ontario:
Situated between three major United States cities and on the border with Canada, there are many sources of media in Erie, Pennsylvania. Erie is home to five major television broadcast networks, one daily newspaper, a city-regional magazine, several radio stations and one major social media news website.