If CBC really wants to change their city of license for CBAT, the CRTC should require them to maintain OTA in Saint John in analog until such time they can afford a digital upgrade for Saint John.

Saint John (along with Moncton and Fredericton) is also a mandatory market, so the CRTC would not permit CBAT to continue in analog to service it. The only way they could continue in analog is if they significantly reduced power so as to not service either market (only the rural residents near the transmitter) but I can't imagine the CBC is terribly interested in this as it would mean further investment in analog technology.

If the city of license is Saint John, it is surprising that they are moving CBAT to Fredericton considering Saint John has twice the population. I guess they like the idea of having the station in the provincial capital.

The Industry Canada database indeed shows the CBAT-DT application as being allocated to Fredericton.

There was talk CBC was applying to maintain an analog signal in London past the cut-off date. I wonder if they will do the same for Saint John.

According to Industry Canada (by way of Stampeder's web site), CBC has been granted post-transitional digital allocations in Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Brandon, Manitoba. They already have post-transitional allocations for the Radio-Canada transmitters in all of those cities, so obviously these new allocations are meant for the English network.

I wonder if they will do the same for Saint John.
That would be subject to both CRTC and IC approval and available post transition frequency allocations. They might need to reduce power and/or change frequency. In the case of CBC London, their current channel is not available post transition. They would need to change frequency and reduce power or get special permission to remain on the current channel at reduced power.

The CRTC has already stated that they won't allow exceptions in mandatory markets. That's probably why CBC London has not received an extension. I believe the stations that have been approved are not mandatory markets.

There was talk CBC was applying to maintain an analog signal in London past the cut-off date.

This is not going to happen!. The CBC initially was only going to transition a limited number of stations by the deadline, and apply for extensions in the other markets, but the CRTC remained firm that no extensions would be granted in mandatory markets so the CBC has changed their plan is now going to transition the main transmitter for every station by the deadline and shutdown repeaters in mandatory markets.

CFYK Yellowknife's status just changed in the IC Database from APproved (by CRTC) to AUthorized (by IC), which is the final step before OPerational.

This is not going to happen!. The CBC initially was only going to transition a limited number of stations by the deadline, and apply for extensions in the other markets, but the CRTC remained firm that no extensions would be granted in mandatory markets so the CBC has changed their plan is now going to transition the main transmitter for every station by the deadline and shutdown repeaters in mandatory markets.

sad, disappointing

That means that the CBC will be the ONLY broadcaster (CBC London repeater) in the London area that won't transition to DTV... CITS, OMNI1, OMNI2, TVO, CHCH (Alvinston), CITYTV (Woodstock), Global (Paris), CTV (Kitchener) will all be making the switch to DTV, not CBC/SRC!

How do I cut my tax dollars from going to the CBC??

How do I cut my tax dollars from going to the CBC??An understandable rhetorical question, but I would hope that Londoners would intervene in as many CRTC proceedings as possible that involve CBC DTV in order to get the priority of London discussions raised.

An understandable rhetorical question, but I would hope that Londoners would intervene in as many CRTC proceedings as possible that involve CBC DTV in order to get the priority of London discussions raised.

That's where news organizations like the London Free Press need to step in. I bet tons of OTA viewers in London who don't read forums like this have any idea what's coming this summer. When they flip on their TV sets at the beginning of October and can't get Hockey Night in Canada, all heck will break loose. Then the media will notice.

I wonder if CBC brass have any idea how big the population of London and the surrounding counties currently served by Channel 40 really is. With at least 10% OTA viewership in the region, that's at least 90,000 households lost for potential viewership. As an advertiser I'd be concerned.

What I'd like to see is a press release stating that CBC is about to deny London-area viewers to enjoy their English-language television service for free in digital and with HD programming, while they allow this benefit for viewers in smaller cities like Regina and Fredericton, and while American television viewers across the United States are currently enjoying this benefit from ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX stations.

That's where news organizations like the London Free Press need to step in. I bet tons of OTA viewers in London who don't read forums like this have any idea what's coming this summer. When they flip on their TV sets at the beginning of October and can't get Hockey Night in Canada, all heck will break loose. Then the media will notice.

I agree. At a "Friends of Canadian Broadcasting" meeting I attended last night, half of the people there watch CBC OTA. None of them (other than myself) were aware that they were going to loose the CBC outright. They thought they'd just have to buy the converter box.

IDK if it is because the CBC isn't allowed to report on the CBC (or something like that) but they have done nothing to warn the public of the upcoming service loss.

Also, at the same meeting, these friends were telling me that the local paper seems to have a strong anti-CBC position, so I doubt they'll be willing to help in any positive way.

IDK if it is because the CBC isn't allowed to report on the CBC (or something like that) but they have done nothing to warn the public of the upcoming service loss.

The CBC doesn't report in London period, Radio or TV. London is a CBC "We Don't Care" black hole.

The CBC does have a small news bureau in London where the morning regional newscasts originate from with some local content. It is however insufficient in my opinion but is more than what your statement would lead people to believe.

Also, at the same meeting, these friends were telling me that the local paper seems to have a strong anti-CBC position, so I doubt they'll be willing to help in any positive way.

They might like reporting that the CBC is abandoning London though. :)

The CBC does have a small news bureau in London where the morning regional newscasts originate from with some local content. It is however insufficient in my opinion but is more than what your statement would lead people to believe.

I believe CBC simply doesn't care about London. It has long showed in their token efforts with the radio bureau there.

This story is about a CBC proposal to the CRTC that Fredericton goes digital on a different channel than they were alloted, and that St. John lose its OTA TV altogether.

People can comment to the CRTC regarding this. Deadline Feb 19, 2011.


http://www.thewirereport.ca/reports/content/11841-cbc_proposes_tv_transmitter_that_leaves_out_saint_john_nb

... they have done nothing to warn the public of the upcoming service loss.

I wonder if they will have to warn the public about the loss of service to London once the regulations around public service annoucements (see http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-927.htm) come into effect.

The proposed regulations state the following:

SERVICE LOSS NOTICES

4. (1) Except as otherwise provided under a licensee’s condition of licence, if the conversion of a transmitter to digital results in the loss of a licensee’s signal for a part of the population served, the licensee must, beginning no later than March 1, 2011 or six months before the licensee ceases to broadcast in analog, whichever is sooner, broadcast a service loss notice at least once per broadcast day.

(2) At least three of the required notices per broadcast week must be broadcast between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.

(3) The broadcast notices must

(a) have a duration of at least 30 consecutive seconds;

(b) contain the information set out in Schedule 2; and

(c) be closed captioned and contain audio description of on-screen information.

(4) A licensee may use a crawl to fulfil up to 25% of their obligations under this section.

(5) A crawl must not be used during the broadcast of programming that contains audio description of on-screen information or described video.

OTHER MEANS OF INFORMATION

5. Except as otherwise provided under a licensee’s condition of licence, every licensee must, beginning no later than March 1, 2011 or six months before the licensee ceases to broadcast in analog, whichever is sooner, post and keep posted on their website the information regarding the conversion that is set out in Schedule 1 and, if applicable, Schedule 2.

SCHEDULE 2

(Paragraph 4(3)(b) and section 5)

SERVICE LOSS NOTICES

A service loss notice must contain the following information:

(a) a statement to the effect that the Canadian television system is in the process of converting its over-the-air transmitters from analog to digital and that some viewers might experience a loss of service following the conversion;

(b) a statement to the effect that only those viewers who receive the signal directly over the air might be impacted by the conversion;

(c) a description of the discrete geographic areas where the loss of service is likely to occur;

(d) a description of the steps that an over-the-air viewer must take to continue receiving and viewing the station’s over-the-air programming after the conversion, including information about the antennas or converter boxes that viewers might need for that continued reception and viewing, or an indication of where further information on those steps can be found;

(e) the exact date and time that the station will cease broadcasting in analog; and

(f) the licensee’s contact information and website address.

Under the proposed regulations, it would appear that the CBC would have to start informing the public about the loss of service in London by March 1. But the one part that worries me is "...if the conversion of a transmitter to digital results in the loss of a licensee’s signal for a part of the population served..." which might not cover the case where an analog transmitter is shut down completely, without being replaced by a digital transmitter. I hope this case is actually covered.

CBET is one among several stations to appear in the IC database this morning; the station is seeking 25.82 kW on channel 9.

- Trip

That's a very respectable power for CBET here locally. Looks like one of the top vhf-hi ERP signals in Canada from Stampeder's current DTV stations list.
I had been thinking that they would of ended up being approved for under 20kw. This will probably put a good signal into SE Michigan.

Does anyone know if stations are allowed to run less than the IC approved ERP levels this August if they choose to do so?

Add CBC Charlottetown to the list of IC approved stations. It's following the IC table and remaining on channel 13 at 13kW max.

My buddy has a cottage in the hills of Wentworth NS and the analog version is the only thing he gets there, and it's snowy. I'll be interested to see if he can still get HNIC next season.

By my reckoning the only English CBC station not yet on the list is Regina. English and French Regina are both in the IC plan as staying on the same VHF-hi channels, as is CBAFT SRC Moncton.

CBC will be retiring the Channel 4 transmitter on Mount Champlain in favour of UHF broadcasting for Fredericton only. This is consistent with their planning across the rest of Canada, and likely can't be changed in the short term. However, if you're disappointed to be losing Channel 4 service, now is the the time to file an intervention with the CRTC. Interventions will show that people use this service and care about it. Because of CRTC process, residents in Moncton, Saskatoon, Lethbridge, London, and Kitchener-Waterloo, who are also losing CBC TV service, don't have a process to be heard. But Saint John residents can be heard through the usual process. The deadline is February 17.

The link is here:
https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/instances-proceedings/Default.aspx?Status=Open&PubArea=All&PubType=All&PubSubType=All&Lang=eng

It's application 2010-1687-4.

There is an article in today's Telegraph Journal. They could probably use a polite letter to the editor with some clarifications and corrections:
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/actualites/article/1372456