Funny you should post this. I just posted in the Edmonton thread wondering about CBC.

@billsmith: Thanks for sharing that tidbit. Awesome news indeed! Especially if the "before Christmas" aspect comes to fruition.
I've previously written to both CBC and Radio-Canada with my suggestions re: their DTV coverage in Calgary. One idea I mentioned to them was for CBRT and CBRFT to swap allocations after transition — which would mean CBRT on 16 and CBRFT on 9 — allowing for CBC to transmit at higher power than the 7 kW maximum on Channel 9. Another suggestion was to, somehow, increase the HAAT of the Channel 16 antenna, which is currently some 90 metres below the antenna for Channel 9.
Calgary is a mandatory conversion market and there are a lot of Francophones and bilingual people here (including myself). I've even heard that there are more kids in French immersion here, per capita, than anywhere else in English Canada. I can't see Radio-Canada *not* converting.

Although I can't recall seeing a CRTC application or decision about CJCO (OMNI Calgary) there is currently an "AP" entry in the Industry Canada database for CJCO-DT on UHF 38, 25 kW, 371 metres HAAT from the Harvard tower site.
P.S. Thanks, Stampeder, for keeping a copy of the database available online for viewing!
http://www.user.dccnet.com/jonleblanc/Canada_TV_Stations/AB.html

Why would it be on channel 52 if we're eliminating channels 52-69 in August 2011?

25Kw ERP seems as though it is only meant to cover the city and not the outlying areas. I would have thought that Rogers would have wanted more coverage.

Does anybody have an idea about the power that CICT-DT and CFCN-DT operate with right now? Is it less than their post-transition numbers?

@23skidoo: There was a bit of musical chairs happening in Calgary recently.
A few months ago, CKAL (Citytv) applied to immediately use their post-transition allotment, UHF 49, for DTV. As it happens, Channel 49 was the transitional allotment for CBRT (CBC), but CBC agreed to let Citytv use it right away.
UHF 52 *was* the transitional allotment for Citytv, so it would seem natural for CBC to use that channel if it were to start DTV transmissions during the transitional period. Of course, it would have to move by August 2011 to its permanent post-transition channel, whichever one they end up choosing.

@billsmith: Would the superior HAAT of the Harvard transmission site make up for the relatively low power of CJCO?

@Arthur Dent: CICT is currently operating with post-transition parameters (50 kW, 378 metres HAAT). CFCN is still at low power (2 kW directional, 206 metres HAAT). They are to switch eventually to UHF 29 (220 kW maximum, 206 metres HAAT).

If CJCO-DT is to be broadcasting from the same UHF array as CICT-DT, why is its HAAT database entry seven metres lower?

Why would it be on channel 52 if we're eliminating channels 52-69 in August 2011?

Because it is available and allocated for the transitional period up to 31 Aug 2011

Does anybody have an idea about the power that CICT-DT and CFCN-DT operate with right now? Is it less than their post-transition numbers?

CICT-DT Channel 41 50Kw ERP 378 Meters EHAAT - Post-transition

CFCN-DT Channel 36 1Kw (According to the station Engineer) ERP 206 Meters EHAAT - Transitional
Channel 29 220 Kw ERP 206 Meters EHAAT - Post-Transition

Would the superior HAAT of the Harvard transmission site make up for the relatively low power of CJCO?

@downbeat - The noise limiting boundry will be reduced which will result in a slightly reduced service area overall. CICT is using 50 KW and CKAL 100 Kw (subject to CRTC approval) at the same EHAAT.

If CJCO-DT is to be broadcasting from the same UHF array as CICT-DT, why is its HAAT database entry seven metres lower?

It depends on how the UHF array is connected to the feeder(s).

If anyone in the Calgary region has a chance to look at the top of the CBC transmitting tower … is that the antenna for CBRT 9? Or is that an unused UHF antenna? I'm only asking because from a distance, it looks very much like the UHF antennas atop the CFCN and Harvard towers.

At the top of the CBC transmission tower is the Hi Band Channel 9 antenna and below it a host of FM antenna arrays. I imagine that this will change with the switchover to DTV and the hi band arrangement will be replaced with a UHF panel array stack the same as the Harvard mast and CFCN tower.

@billsmith: Thanks for all the info!

At the top of the CBC transmission tower is the Hi Band Channel 9 antenna and below it a host of FM antenna arrays. I imagine that this will change with the switchover to DTV and the hi band arrangement will be replaced with a UHF panel array stack the same as the Harvard mast and CFCN tower.
I assume CBC will still want to use channel 9, so where will they move the VHF-HI antenna? Lower down on the mast? Doesn't make sense to me. If it was VHF-LO, that would be a totally different story.

roger1818 - From what I understood from the Stations engineer/technician Channel 52 is proposed as the temporary English channel, Channel 16 as the post-transition English CBRT-DT channel and the French service is as yet undecided. However the permanent French CBRFT-DT IC channel allocation is Channel 21 and potentially can share the Channel 16 CBRT-DT antenna. So what use will channel 9 be to CBC/SRC in the future???? These ideas are those being considered at the present time for CBC Calgary. Additionally - any replacement CIAN-DT transmitter will likely be relocated to the CFCN tower site.

Oh. I thought I read someone say that channel 9 might be used by CBRFT-PT. I guess that was just a suggestion and not from CBC.

If they wanted to, I guess they could put a UHF antenna at the top as you suggest and then move things around so that the VHF-HI antenna could go down where the UHF antenna for CBRFT currently is. Are there any FM antennas between the two? If not, it should be a simple swap.

If CBC officially abandons 9, CTV may change their application to grab it. They seem to be wanting to stay on VHF-HI nation wide (likely to save power).

Oh. I thought I read someone say that channel 9 might be used by CBRFT-PT. I guess that was just a suggestion and not from CBC.

Yes - correct - it was a suggestion made by a few including myself.

Are there any FM antennas between the two?

Yes - there are many FM stacks below the High Band antenna and the
UHF cahnnel 16 antenna is well below these (some 90 meters below the top of the mast).

and then move things around so that the VHF-HI antenna could go down where the UHF antenna for CBRFT currently is..

The Channel 9 antenna is very large and so I don't see it fitting lower down.

If CBC officially abandons 9, CTV may change their application to grab it.

I don't think so as they have been granted a licence for an ERP of 220 Kw on Channel 29 and have purchased a UHF transmitter. It will use their new multi-panel Kathrein array at the top of their tower built in 2001, EHAAT 206 Meters.

I was just thinking … it's possible for CBC to become an all-UHF DTV operation in Calgary.
They could use a channel other than 52 to get it done, seeing how a lower UHF channel theoretically gives better coverage with the equivalent ERP of an upper UHF channel.
• CBRT-DT could squat on CBRFT's allocations (UHF 21 in transition; UHF 16 post-transition).
• CBRFT-DT could apply to use UHF 21 post-transition, as it is in the IC database as a valid post-transition allocation.
That way, CBRT and CBRFT could, theoretically, share an antenna instead of CBC having to worry about maintaining two TV antennas.
BTW, does anyone know if the antenna currently used by CBRFT is capable of transmitting more than one station? (Is it a wide-band antenna capable of multiple RF inputs?)
Now, if you'll allow, some speculation on timeline: CBC is currently doing work on their Montreal radio/TV transmitting facility. If all goes well, by September, CBC will have two spare transitional, low-power UHF ATSC transmitters. Maybe that's what they'll be shipping out to Calgary …

I would speculate that the present Channel 16 antenna for CBRFT is of a low power handling type, possibly directional and limited to a narrow band of frequencies. The present CBRFT signal ERP is only 4.4 Kw and I doubt if the antenna of feeder would be capable of handling the 5-10 Kw feed needed for DTV operation let alone two or more channels. CBRFT is at best a token coverage of SRC in Calgary and I was fortunate enough to be able to receive it well here in the North West via an 8 bay 4228 Winegard antenna since 2002.

I imagine than a new installation will be needed to a new UHF panel array at the top of the mast as everyone else has done. It was the CBC tech that mentionned Channel 52 to me but certainly they could use Channel 21 and then switch over later to Channel 16.

The French service wasn't even on the table at the time of my communication (two days ago).

I actually think that what we will see is a Channel 52 service for xmas from a small temporary antenna while a lot of other installation work takes place in the mean time. We should keep our eyes open for Channel 9 service interruptions!

CBRFT is at best a token coverage of SRC in Calgary

I agree. I said just about as much (although more politely) in a letter e-mailed to Radio-Canada back in February. There are plenty of francophones and bilingual folks in the Calgary region and we shouldn't be forced to subscribe to a BDU to watch our public broadcaster. (And depending where you are, CBRT's OTA signal on VHF 9 causes severe interference with CBRFT on Cable 9.)
In the letter, I asked Radio-Canada to at least maintain the current ERP for their future DTV station (assuming it stayed in the UHF band). All else being equal, 4 kW ERP on ATSC is theoretically superior to 4 kW ERP on NTSC.
I also said I hoped they would consider higher power or enhancements to other technical parameters to improve their coverage in our region.
About a month later, I received a response from the French service's chief of operations for Western Canada (Chef de l'exploitation des services français, Ouest canadien). He said he shared my concerns and appreciated my suggestions, which he promised to forward to the appropriate people in the corporation. He cautioned, however, that he could not make any promises since money decisions and strategic planning were beyond his control.

According to a news release today:
http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/newsreleases/20100806.shtml
• CBC plans to implement a DTV station in Calgary on or before Aug. 31, 2011.
• Radio-Canada does NOT plan a DTV station in Calgary at all. (Time for a letter-writing campaign.)