CTV & CTV2 DTV Transition Status (closed)

[stampeder]

This thread is for discussing the status of the CTV and /A\ Channel networks during their transition to DTV broadcasting.

[ota_canuck]

Question: I've never seen /A\ channel in my viewing area in the past. Are those /A\ Channels just rebroadcast/repeaters of CTV or is it something else?

[danbcman]

I emailed A on the island the following...

When do you plan to begin testing your OTA DTV broadcasting on 23.1 remapping to 53?

I will post any reply I may get on this question.

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by ota_canuck

I've never seen /A\ channel in my viewing area in the past. Are those /A\ Channels just rebroadcast/repeaters of CTV or is it something else?

It is called the /A\ Channel but it is actually like a "B Team" for programs that the main CTV Channel isn't presently carrying. It might as well be called CTV2.

For example, Fringe was on CTV in HD, then it got bumped off the main network due to the popularity of reality shows, so it was shunted over to /A\ in SD!!

/A\ has a few analogue OTA stations in Canada.

[ota_canuck]

That's what I thought. Then it would make more sense for CTV to simply broadcast /A\ as a subchannel rather than use up an extra frequency allotment. We'll have to keep an ear open on Canadian broadcaster's usage of subchannels as this transition unfolds.

[ScaryBob]

The /A\ channels are a collection of stations that form a separate network. Most started out as independently owned stations that were purchased by CHUM and made into an independent network. They were sold to CTV a few years ago and are now owned and operated by CTV but carry different programming. There are /A\ stations in London (10) and Barrie (3) as well as several other cities across Canada. CFPL started broadcasting about 1955 as a CBC affiliate and did well during that time. It dropped all affiliations in 1989 and started to lose money after that. The station was rebranded several times. Among those were PL, The NewPL (part of The New Network) and then /A\ London (part of the /A\ network.) CTV has used these stations as leverage to get extra revenue through fees levied on BDU customers. They even went as far as closing down at least one station and giving all employees at CFPL 2 year termination notices. There have also been massive programming cutbacks and layoffs since they were owned by CHUM and CTV. CTV claims that all of the /A\ stations are losing money and it is likely that CTV will close some of them down instead of converting them to digital.

The threatened closing of CFPL was timed to coincide with the digital transition, a likely attempt to gain some sort of extra funding or extension for the transition, in addition to other funds. I have seen no announcement by CTV on their plans for CFPL after the transition.

CTV has threatened to shut down their CTV repeater near Sarnia rather than convert it to digital. It is currently slated to continue broadcasting in analog since it is not considered to be in a mandatory market.

[Emerald_Boar]

CTV is stalling with the /A\ upgrade. Apparently, A is being reorganized.

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-580.htm

Oh this also includes CTV. Hmmm

CTV Has announced DTV also for
Ottawa (aug 12): rf 13 HAAT 373.4 m ERP 10kW
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-568.htm

Edmonton (aug 12): rf 12 HAAT 228.1 metres 16kW
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-569.htm

@Bob
Sarnia is not mandatory? I thought everything within 200 miles of the US was mandatory. (May be 100 miles)

read ya l8r,
Al

[thenewdc]

What's up with CKVR?? Aren't they supposed to go onto ch-10? CKVR is likely their most profitable station.

[ScaryBob]

I thought everything within 200 miles of the US was mandatory.

I don't think digital is mandatory. Canada and the US have agreements on channel allocations and ERP. Stations that do not switch may need to reduce power and/or switch channels, particularly those above channel 51 or those using VHF.

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by Emerald_Boar

Sarnia is not mandatory? I thought everything within 200 miles of the US was mandatory. (May be 100 miles)

Sarnia is not mandatory, and distance from the U.S. border is not part of the criteria. The complete list of mandatory market locations is in this post:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/show...11&postcount=1

[Jase88]

thenewdc: CKVR's interim digital allocation and post-transition digital allocation is on channel 10. I too am anxiously awaiting this deployment, as my location is approximately equal distance between Barrie and London. CFPL in London is also on channel 10.

[thenewdc]

Your location may put you in a situation where both digital channels mutually exclude one another and you get nothing. That sounds worrisome. Where I am, CKVR booms in on channel 3, even on my UHF antenna, and I'm not pointing in their direction.

[stampeder]

With ATSC the co-channel behaviour becomes a matter of either/or. If the signal from CKVR and CFPL on 10.1 is lockable it would be a matter of other conditions as to which one would be locked and which one would be rejected.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by thenewdc

CKVR is likely their most profitable station.

I am not sure if CKVR is profitable. The best way of saying this is CKVR is likely the station that loses the least amount of money.

[iblackford]

I'm looking at the PT channel allotments for a CJOH repeater in Deseronto, Ontario, and it is only showing channel 49 as the allotted channel after the conversion. Deseronto is not in a mandatory market, and would likely not be transitioned by CTV. My question is, would CTV still be allowed to transmit on CH6? I know that the higher channels must be vacated after August 2011, but I wasn't sure about channels <7.