CHCA-TV
Encyclopedia
CHCA-TV was a television station in Red Deer
, Alberta
, Canada
. It was owned by Canwest, and was part of the E! television system. The station was seen on VHF channel 6 and cable channel 11 in Red Deer. The station was previously Red Deer's CBC
affiliate.
Canwest announced in February 2009 that it was reviewing several options, including closure, for its E! stations due to financial pressures. The station closed on August 31, 2009.
In the period between 1969 and 1976, CKRD was owned by Henry Flock and Gordon Spackman who also owned two radio stations with the same moniker in Red Deer (CKRD-AM and CKRD-FM). Past employees of that era included Danny Teed, Ron MacLean and Al Coates. In 1976, Monarch Broadcasting purchased the station, and in 1989, was purchased by Allarcom (not to be confused with Allarco). Allarcom merged with WIC
in 1991, before being purchased by Canwest in 2000.
In the days as CKRD, the station was known on air as RDTV. Its general slogan was "The Heart of the West", and its news slogan was "Our focus is YOU". CKRD broadcast a minimum of 40 hours of programming from the CBC, with the rest of the programming coming from Canwest's CH system. Some of those who wanted a full CBC schedule could view Edmonton's CBXT
in the area, other areas lacked a real CBC station. From the mid-1980s onward, it was carried on cable in Edmonton
and Calgary
.
News bulletins were broadcast at 12 noon and 5 p.m., with a Saturday bulletin produced by CITV
Edmonton aired at either 11pm, or after Hockey Night in Canada
. The weekend newscast was moved to Sundays near the end of its association with CBC.
On September 5, 2005, the station disaffiliated from the CBC and became the fourth station in the CH television system. On that date, the station changed its call letters back to the original CHCA.
Sportscaster Ron MacLean
began his career at CKRD.
Plans to build rebroadcasters in Edmonton and Calgary were initially denied in 2005 by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). A new application to the same effect was approved on June 8, 2007. The Edmonton transmitter broadcasted on Channel 17; the Calgary transmitter was on Channel 44. Rogers initially received approval in principle for the Calgary transmitter, but was required to submit a new application for an alternate channel number because of a conflict with Rogers Communications
' contemporaneous application for new Omni Television
outlets in both cities. The station was not allowed to solicit local advertising in Calgary or Edmonton (although it could theoretically accept if specifically approached by advertisers in those markets).
CHCA was relaunched on September 7, 2007 as E!, as part of Canwest's rebranding of CH stations. Local programming was renamed CHCA News as a result of the rebranding.
On July 22, 2009, Canwest announced it would be closing CHCA as of August 31, 2009 at 6:00am MT
, issuing layoff notices to staff. Its final entertainment program was a rerun of Wild On!
at 12:30 a.m., followed by a three-hour block of informercials until 4:00 a.m., and then a "goodbye" slide that ran all day long until the transmitters were finally shut off.
The station was the first major TV station in Canada to have gone dark since 1977, when CFVO-TV
in Hull, Quebec
left the air (that station would soon become Radio-Québec
outlet CIVO-TV on the same licence); all other defunct stations in Canada became repeaters of other stations almost seamlessly. CKX-TV
, a CBC affiliate in Brandon, Manitoba
would follow, closing approximately one month later on October 2, 2009. Sportscaster Ron MacLean commented that the station's closure was "a sign of the times," but "it wouldn’t surprise me somewhere down the road if it starts up again." The neighbouring TV stations CIAN-TV 13 Calgary
& CJAL-TV 9 Edmonton
were closed down on August 31, 2011
(going to cable-only status as CTV Two Alberta), and two months later on CKXT-DT Toronto
.
The CHCA-TV licence was revoked on December 16, 2009
, making this the first revocation of a licence for a major terrestrial television station in Canada.
, formerly CKRD-TV-1 on channel 10 is now on channel 13, broadcasting the Edmonton CBXT
signal since the 2005 disaffiliation from CBC. The station also had a translator on channel 10 in Banff
, which has since gone dark (Banff is now served by a local repeater of Calgary
's CBRT on channel 5).
CHCA-DT was allocated channel 28 for Red Deer, while its Edmonton and Calgary repeaters converted to digital as a flash-cut
. Following the station's closedown and licence revocation, the allocations for its analog and digital frequencies became open for future stations. Should a new television station open up in Red Deer in the future, it would not be required to operate as a digital station, as Red Deer is not a mandatory market for digital conversion
, which takes place in most other markets on August 31, 2011.
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was owned by Canwest, and was part of the E! television system. The station was seen on VHF channel 6 and cable channel 11 in Red Deer. The station was previously Red Deer's CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
affiliate.
Canwest announced in February 2009 that it was reviewing several options, including closure, for its E! stations due to financial pressures. The station closed on August 31, 2009.
History
The station began broadcasting on December 11, 1957 as CHCA-TV, the "CA" standing for Central Alberta. The station's founder was Fred Bartley. In September 1965, the call letters were changed to CKRD-TV, the RD standing for Red Deer.In the period between 1969 and 1976, CKRD was owned by Henry Flock and Gordon Spackman who also owned two radio stations with the same moniker in Red Deer (CKRD-AM and CKRD-FM). Past employees of that era included Danny Teed, Ron MacLean and Al Coates. In 1976, Monarch Broadcasting purchased the station, and in 1989, was purchased by Allarcom (not to be confused with Allarco). Allarcom merged with WIC
Western International Communications
WIC Western International Communications Ltd.The apparent occurrence of "RAS syndrome" here was in fact part of the company's legal name. was a Canadian media company that operated from 1982 to 2000, with operations including broadcast and specialty television, radio, and satellite distribution via...
in 1991, before being purchased by Canwest in 2000.
In the days as CKRD, the station was known on air as RDTV. Its general slogan was "The Heart of the West", and its news slogan was "Our focus is YOU". CKRD broadcast a minimum of 40 hours of programming from the CBC, with the rest of the programming coming from Canwest's CH system. Some of those who wanted a full CBC schedule could view Edmonton's CBXT
CBXT
CBXT-DT is the television call sign for the CBC's television station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.- History :The station first went on-air on October 1, 1961 as Edmonton's second television station; the previous CBC affiliate, CFRN, switched to the newly-established CTV on the same day. Initially,...
in the area, other areas lacked a real CBC station. From the mid-1980s onward, it was carried on cable in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
and Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
.
News bulletins were broadcast at 12 noon and 5 p.m., with a Saturday bulletin produced by CITV
CITV-TV
CITV-DT is a television station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Known on air as Global Edmonton, the station is owned by Shaw Media, and is an owned-and-operated station of the Global Television Network. It transmits on channel 13 and cable 8 in Edmonton, and is carried on the Bell TV and Shaw...
Edmonton aired at either 11pm, or after Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
. The weekend newscast was moved to Sundays near the end of its association with CBC.
On September 5, 2005, the station disaffiliated from the CBC and became the fourth station in the CH television system. On that date, the station changed its call letters back to the original CHCA.
Sportscaster Ron MacLean
Ron MacLean
Ronald Harold "Ron" MacLean is a Canadian sportscaster for the CBC who is best known as the host of Hockey Night in Canada.-Early life and career:...
began his career at CKRD.
Plans to build rebroadcasters in Edmonton and Calgary were initially denied in 2005 by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). A new application to the same effect was approved on June 8, 2007. The Edmonton transmitter broadcasted on Channel 17; the Calgary transmitter was on Channel 44. Rogers initially received approval in principle for the Calgary transmitter, but was required to submit a new application for an alternate channel number because of a conflict with Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications Inc. is one of Canada's largest communications companies, particularly in the field of wireless communications, cable television, home phone and internet with additional telecommunications and mass media assets...
' contemporaneous application for new Omni Television
OMNI Television
Omni Television, corporately styled as OMNI Television, is a Canadian television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications. It consists of the company's conventional television stations in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta which are licensed as multicultural stations...
outlets in both cities. The station was not allowed to solicit local advertising in Calgary or Edmonton (although it could theoretically accept if specifically approached by advertisers in those markets).
CHCA was relaunched on September 7, 2007 as E!, as part of Canwest's rebranding of CH stations. Local programming was renamed CHCA News as a result of the rebranding.
Closure
On February 5, 2009, Canwest announced it would explore "strategic options", including possible sale, for CHCA and its other E! stations, saying "a second conventional TV network is no longer key to the long-term success" of the company.On July 22, 2009, Canwest announced it would be closing CHCA as of August 31, 2009 at 6:00am MT
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
, issuing layoff notices to staff. Its final entertainment program was a rerun of Wild On!
Wild On!
Wild On! is a travel show that was produced from 1997 until 2003 by E!.The series transported its viewers to the scariest "fun" destinations in the world, from Miami to Milan. It had three primary hosts over the years: Jules Asner , Brooke Burke , and Cindy Taylor...
at 12:30 a.m., followed by a three-hour block of informercials until 4:00 a.m., and then a "goodbye" slide that ran all day long until the transmitters were finally shut off.
The station was the first major TV station in Canada to have gone dark since 1977, when CFVO-TV
CFVO-TV
CFVO-TV is a defunct television station that broadcast from Hull, Quebec. It was the immediate predecessor to today's CHOT-TV, and launched on September 1, 1974 under the ownership of a company known as La Coopérative de Télévision de l'Outaouais...
in Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
left the air (that station would soon become Radio-Québec
Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec is a French language public educational television network in the Canadian province of Quebec. Known legally as Société de télédiffusion du Québec , it is a provincial crown corporation owned by the Government of Quebec...
outlet CIVO-TV on the same licence); all other defunct stations in Canada became repeaters of other stations almost seamlessly. CKX-TV
CKX-TV
CKX-TV was a television station in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, formerly affiliated with CBC Television. Owned and operated by CTVglobemedia, it was the first privately owned television station in Manitoba...
, a CBC affiliate in Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
would follow, closing approximately one month later on October 2, 2009. Sportscaster Ron MacLean commented that the station's closure was "a sign of the times," but "it wouldn’t surprise me somewhere down the road if it starts up again." The neighbouring TV stations CIAN-TV 13 Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
& CJAL-TV 9 Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
were closed down on August 31, 2011
2011 in Canadian television
- January :- February :- March :- April :- May :- June :- August :- Seoptember :- October :- November :- Debuts :Series currently listed here have been announced by their respective networks as scheduled to premiere in 2011...
(going to cable-only status as CTV Two Alberta), and two months later on CKXT-DT Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
The CHCA-TV licence was revoked on December 16, 2009
2009 in Canadian television
- Events :- Debuts :- Ending this year :- Television shows :-1950s:*Hockey Night in Canada *The National -1960s:...
, making this the first revocation of a licence for a major terrestrial television station in Canada.
News
The station aired local newscasts at 5 and 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Monday to Friday, and until September 2008 aired newscasts on the weekends. This change coincided with Global Edmonton remotely taking control of the station's production. The news set surrounding the on-air talent was digitally created, similar to a weather anchor's green screen set up.- CHCA News at 5:00, 5:30 and 11:00
- Jennifer Ivanov
- Suzy Burge (Weather)
- Slav Kornik (Sports)
- Reporters
- Tanara McLean
- Tino Makris
- Nicole Weisberg
- Courtney Ketchen
CBC era
The translator in CoronationCoronation, Alberta
Coronation is a small town in east-central Alberta, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Highway 12 and Highway 872, approximately west of the Saskatchewan border. The economy is supported primarily by farming, ranching, and the oil patch...
, formerly CKRD-TV-1 on channel 10 is now on channel 13, broadcasting the Edmonton CBXT
CBXT
CBXT-DT is the television call sign for the CBC's television station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.- History :The station first went on-air on October 1, 1961 as Edmonton's second television station; the previous CBC affiliate, CFRN, switched to the newly-established CTV on the same day. Initially,...
signal since the 2005 disaffiliation from CBC. The station also had a translator on channel 10 in Banff
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
, which has since gone dark (Banff is now served by a local repeater of Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
's CBRT on channel 5).
E! era
| Station | City of licence City of license A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator.... |
Channel Channel (broadcasting) In broadcasting, a channel is a range of frequencies assigned by a government for the operation of a particular radio station, television station or television channel. In common usage, the term also may be used to refer to the station operating on a particular frequency.-See also:*Broadcast... |
ERP Effective radiated power In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains... |
HAAT Height above average terrain Height above average terrain is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is actually much more important than effective radiated power in determining the range of broadcasts... |
Transmitter Coordinates |
| CHCA-TV-1 | Calgary Calgary Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies... |
44 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... ) |
79 kW | 206 m | 51°3′34"N 114°10′13"W |
| CHCA-TV-2 | Edmonton Edmonton Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census... |
17 (UHF Ultra high frequency Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres... ) |
92 kW | 232 m | 53°27′49"N 113°20′11"W |
Alumni
- Heath Brown (at CTV CalgaryCFCN-TVCFCN-DT is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Calgary, Alberta. Owned and operated by Bell Media, it is a part of the CTV Television Network. The station also operates a semi-satellite in Lethbridge....
) - Nancy Carlson (at CTV Winnipeg)
- Barry Delay (at Global BCCHAN-TVCHAN-DT is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, broadcasting over-the-air on digital channel 22, and available via cable providers in the area on channel 11. Owned by Shaw Communications as a part of its Shaw Media division, it is the West Coast flagship station of the...
) - Mike Dennis
- Reid Fiest (at Global CalgaryCICT-TVCICT-DT is a Canadian television station, licensed to and serving Calgary, Alberta. It is owned by Shaw Media, and is an owned-and-operated station of the Global Television Network...
) - Dianne Finstad (at CKGY-FMCKGY-FMCKGY-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting a country music format at 95.5 FM in Red Deer, Alberta. The station uses the brand name "KG Country". The station is owned by Newcap Radio, which operates over 60 other radio and TV stations across Canada, including CKGY's sister station, Zed 99...
Red Deer) - Todd Gallant (at CTV CalgaryCFCN-TVCFCN-DT is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Calgary, Alberta. Owned and operated by Bell Media, it is a part of the CTV Television Network. The station also operates a semi-satellite in Lethbridge....
) - Rob Gibson (at Shaw Calgary)
- Erin Harrison (at Global EdmontonCITV-TVCITV-DT is a television station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Known on air as Global Edmonton, the station is owned by Shaw Media, and is an owned-and-operated station of the Global Television Network. It transmits on channel 13 and cable 8 in Edmonton, and is carried on the Bell TV and Shaw...
) - Barb HigginsBarb HigginsBarbara Joan Higgins is a former newscaster and journalist for Calgary CTV outlet CFCN-TV. A news journalist for 21 years, she stepped down from her job as a CFCN news anchor to enter the Calgary mayoral race on July 23, 2010. Higgins has stated she can no longer stay neutral as a journalist and...
- Nancy Hixt (at Global CalgaryCICT-TVCICT-DT is a Canadian television station, licensed to and serving Calgary, Alberta. It is owned by Shaw Media, and is an owned-and-operated station of the Global Television Network...
) - Carolyn JarvisCarolyn JarvisCarolyn Jarvis is currently a Vancouver-based correspondent for 16x9 - The Bigger Picture and a substitute anchor for Global BC. She is also the Saturday anchor for Global National. Prior to her current position, she worked at Global Edmonton from spring 2005 to January 2009...
(Global NationalGlobal NationalGlobal National is the national newscast of Canada's Global Television Network. Dawna Friesen anchors the program's weekday edition from the Global BC studios; Robin Gill currently anchors the weekend edition...
) - Tino Markis (at Global MaritimesCIHF-TVCIHF-DT, channel 8, is a television station in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Owned by Shaw Media, it serves the Maritime provinces as an owned-and-operated station of the Global Television Network...
) - Daniel Moore (at Citytv CalgaryCKAL-TVCKAL-DT is a television station based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Citytv system as of August 2, 2005, and was previously branded as A-Channel. The station is owned by Rogers Media through its Rogers Broadcasting, Ltd. division...
) - Tara NelsonTara NelsonTara Nelson is a Canadian television journalist and news anchor, and most recently was the European bureau chief for Global Television Network's news division...
(at CTV Calgary) - Leslie Horton (at Global CalgaryCICT-TVCICT-DT is a Canadian television station, licensed to and serving Calgary, Alberta. It is owned by Shaw Media, and is an owned-and-operated station of the Global Television Network...
) - Jennifer Ivanov (at Global Edmonton)
- Slav Kornik (at Global Edmonton)
- Darren Kuz (at Citytv TorontoCITY-TVCITY-DT, Channel 57 , is a television station based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada owned and operated by Rogers Media...
) - Ron MacLeanRon MacLeanRonald Harold "Ron" MacLean is a Canadian sportscaster for the CBC who is best known as the host of Hockey Night in Canada.-Early life and career:...
(CBC SportsCBC SportsCBC Sports is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for English-language sports broadcasting. The CBC's sports programming primarily airs on CBC Television, with some additional broadcasts on bold, CBC.ca, and occasionally CBC Radio One...
, Hockey Night in CanadaHockey Night in CanadaHockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
) - Jill Morgan (at Global Regina)
- Michelle Murphy (last at CTV CalgaryCFCN-TVCFCN-DT is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Calgary, Alberta. Owned and operated by Bell Media, it is a part of the CTV Television Network. The station also operates a semi-satellite in Lethbridge....
. Left in 1994 after developing a brain tumor, died in 2005) - Kevin O'Connel (at Global Edmonton)
- Andrew Schultz (at Citytv Calgary)
- Lorne Starko (deceased)
- Bindu Suri (at Global CalgaryCICT-TVCICT-DT is a Canadian television station, licensed to and serving Calgary, Alberta. It is owned by Shaw Media, and is an owned-and-operated station of the Global Television Network...
) - Ron Thornton (at Speedwaymedia.com)
- Gill Tucker (at Global CalgaryCICT-TVCICT-DT is a Canadian television station, licensed to and serving Calgary, Alberta. It is owned by Shaw Media, and is an owned-and-operated station of the Global Television Network...
) - Nicole Weisberg (at Global Maritimes)
- Brienne Glass (at Global CalgaryCICT-TVCICT-DT is a Canadian television station, licensed to and serving Calgary, Alberta. It is owned by Shaw Media, and is an owned-and-operated station of the Global Television Network...
) - Dean Molberg (at Fan 960 Calgary)
- Robert Howes (eventually became Vice President, Operations and Engineering at WTN London)
Digital television and high definition
As of its closure on August 31, 2009, CHCA-DT never signed on the air.CHCA-DT was allocated channel 28 for Red Deer, while its Edmonton and Calgary repeaters converted to digital as a flash-cut
Flash-cut
A flash-cut, also called flash-cutover, is an immediate change in a complex system, with no phase-in period.Some telephone area codes were split immediately, rather than being phased in with a permissive dialing period. An example is telephone area code 213, which was split into 213 and 714 all at...
. Following the station's closedown and licence revocation, the allocations for its analog and digital frequencies became open for future stations. Should a new television station open up in Red Deer in the future, it would not be required to operate as a digital station, as Red Deer is not a mandatory market for digital conversion
Digital television in Canada
Digital television in Canada is transmitted using the ATSC standards developed for and in use in the United States. Because Canada and the U.S...
, which takes place in most other markets on August 31, 2011.