I think CBC will be in DTV here in London. As it is 'to big' to not be on.

I am fairly sure the wrong verb is being used here. I think "hope" is the more accurate verb than "think" to describe the situation.

Just wondering if anyone remembers what happened when CFPL de-affiliated from the CBC? Did CBLN launch simultaneously? Or has there already been a period of time where London was without CBC OTA? I lived in London when CFPL de-affiliated but can't remember the specifics.

Just wondering if anyone remembers what happened when CFPL de-affiliated from the CBC? Did CBLN launch simultaneously? Or has there already been a period of time where London was without CBC OTA? I lived in London when CFPL de-affiliated but can't remember the specifics.

CFPL continued broadcasting as a CBC affiliate until sign-off the night of Saturday September 3, 1988. The morning of Sunday September 4, CFPL signed back on as an independent station, and CBLN signed on the air that same morning. I am only going by what I have read in old newspapers; the earliest videotape evidence I have seen of CBLN is from early 1989 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfS-Ey0ey7Y)

There was, however, a period when Pembroke had no local OTA CBC service when CHRO switched from CBC to CTV in 1991 - although with a large enough antenna one could probably get a slightly fuzzy CBOT from Ottawa. It was 1992 before CBC installed a transmitter in Pembroke. That's the only such gap I have read about with respect to CBC - all the other ones were well-coordinated to occur simultaneously.

Not the best written article.... (no mention that they actually want digital in Saint John, just that they are unhappy with losing analog)

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/02/01/nb-cbc-saint-john-digital-service-1123.html

http://thewirereport.ca/reports/content/12074-cbc_not_asking_for_funding_to_fill_holes_in_controversial_di gital_transition_plan

I personally tried my best to contact just about everyone I could think of who might be able to influence this decision but it wasn't enough. :(

The CBC has said this from the outset.

The CBC has said this from the outset.

The folks who work at the CBC station here in Calgary are not sure that French DTV service here won't eventually be implemented! There may be a failure of the CBC top brass to properly understand public acceptance/non-acceptance of free OTA DTV services and it's effects in different parts of the country?

http://thewirereport.ca/reports/content/12074-cbc_not_asking_for_funding_to_fill_holes_in_controversial_di gital_transition_plan

I personally tried my best to contact just about everyone I could think of who might be able to influence this decision but it wasn't enough. :(
Full article asked been posted here (with permission):

http://dudewhereismytv.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/cbc-not-asking-for-funding-to-fill-holes-in-controversial-digital-transition-plan-the-wire-report/

El Gran Chico - Thank you for the link to the article! Very good!

Ugh. I cannot believe that we're now six months out and they're still cutting off so many mandatory markets. Its enraging :mad:

The quote I find interesting is “We’re definitely not asking for government funding, and if new funding were to come along … I’m not sure we’d be using it for over-the-air.” Is the federal government not able to earmark funding for specific projects withing the CBC, or is this quote based on the assumption that the CBC was permitted to choose where the funding would go? I guess this depends on what was said in the "...".

While I disagree with the CBC's policy regarding the DTV transition, I do have some sympathy towards them. They have more transmitters in mandatory markets than any other broadcaster and they are stuck with hundreds of transmitters in small to tiny markets that cost real money each year to support while the government keeps cutting the CBC's budget.

In the end I think this is a case of a one size fits all solution that ends up throwing the baby out with the bath water. The markets in question were determined by the CRTC to be large enough to support DTV transmitters. When dealing with French stations in English markets and vice versa, the CBC may have an argument since the CRTC's policy doesn't take that into account but that is another story.

I suspect that even if money came tomorrow, it would be too late to meet the August 31 deadline for many of these markets, but it should be possible to get them on air within a year of the deadline. The good news is no originating stations will be shut down as those would be harder to rebuild. A transmitter can easily be added later, but will it be too late?

While I disagree with the CBC's policy regarding the DTV transition, I do have some sympathy towards them. They have more transmitters in mandatory markets than any other broadcaster and they are stuck with hundreds of transmitters in small to tiny markets that cost real money each year to support while the government keeps cutting the CBC's budget.

The CBC has had a long time to organize and regroup for DTV conversion and as the country's leading broadcaster, why wasn't forward planning, financing and forethought put into the task much sooner as was the case in many other countries? It is now appears like a plan conceived to go to the rest room when the problem was earlier diagnosed as diarrhea! :(
It seems to me that there was a lack of commitment from the early days of DTV switchover conception for the country!

Roger, have you listened to the webcast at:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/CommitteeBusiness/CommitteeMeetings.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&Cmte=CHPC&Stac=3699843

If I understand it correctly, the presenter states the CBC/SRC national transmission facility will be upgraded in 2013, leaving analog transmitters useless. If I have that correct, that means CBC's OTA presence will be reduced to the 27 digital transmitters already announced. :eek: It sounds like Mr. Guiton has no appetite to increase that number by his comments. :mad:

CBC needs a name change to CCC.Canadian Cable Channel.

Ugh. I cannot believe that we're now six months out and they're still cutting off so many mandatory markets. Its enraging :mad:
That's very disappointing, CBC!! For both the mandatory markets (such as London, Ontario), and for all Canadians.
CBC is no longer Canada's National Broadcaster.

Micah, you mentioned last summer (posting on page 11 on this thread), that a reporter at the London Free Press newspaper contacted you for information on the CBC's OTA digital conversion plan. Has the London Free Press followed up at all with you? I never saw an OTA digital conversion article published in the London Free Press. The article should have been published in the paper by now, stating that the CBC is dropping their OTA transmitter in London, Ontario, and will not convert to digital. About 500,000 people in the London & area will lose reception of CBC over-the-air broadcasting.

The CBC has had a long time to organize and regroup for DTV conversion and as the country's leading broadcaster, why wasn't forward planning, financing and forethought put into the task much sooner as was the case in many other countries?

While I agree the CBC could have done more work and planning in advance, the reality is they are starved for money and the end results likely wouldn't be much different, especially since the top brass don't seem to care about OTA.

roger1818 - I think the key is that the top brass don't care about OTA since even if more funds had been forthcoming, they wouldn't have necessarily been directed towards new OTA equipment. It seems that the only remaining option is to embarrass the CBC with complaints and protests to the CRTC and the government and hope that the necessary equipment is installed after the event!

Roger, have you listened to the webcast at:

No I haven't and to be honest I probably won't get time to do so. Maybe someone else more in the know can comment.

Politically the CBC wouldn't be allowed to shut down all of their small market analog transmitters unless an equivalent replacement is available (such as free DTH). NB will be an interesting test for larger markets.

I agree also - this is all about survival, and when things are this tight in the face of a hostile government it's better to cut their losses (or at least invest less) in a diminishing/marginal OTA market and invest in areas with growth potential and a clearer connection between content and revenue (such as online streaming). No matter the outcry, and even if there were a hard-nosed CRTC mandate, the lack of funding decides their course and helps preserve their viability if not existence in this climate.

IF CBC has no plans to use their OTA allocated frequency in many cities then the CRTC should put out a call for other applicates to apply to use their allocations.

Except that there will already be 4-5 unused DTV allocations in London already. London and K-W are probably the most underserved major TV markets in North America. London is particularly bad since reception of distant stations. including CTV and Global, is particularly difficult in many sections of the city. At least K-W has nearby CTV and Global transmitters plus reliable reception is possible from Toronto and Buffalo stations. All London will have after August 2011 is CTV's second rate /A\ network and a bunch of ethnic, religious or educational channel repeaters.