CHFD-TV
Encyclopedia
CHFD-DT, channel 4 is a television station
in Thunder Bay
, Ontario
, Canada
owned by Dougall Media. It also has a repeater in Armstrong
(CKAR-TV, channel 8) and is available on the Bell TV (channel 222) and Shaw Direct (channel 314) satellite
services. As of February 12, 2010, CHFD carries the vast majority of the Global Television Network
lineup and is branded as Global Thunder Bay.
CHFD went on the air for the first time on October 14, 1972, as a CTV
affiliate. The station is part of the Thunder Bay Television twinstick
with the CBC
affiliate CKPR
. It was, from 2002 to 2009, among three CTV-affiliated stations in Canada not owned and operated directly by CTV.
As a CTV affiliate, CHFD also aired selected programming purchased from Global, such as Saturday Night Live
and Brothers & Sisters, as well as religious programming commonly aired on Global stations, including 100 Huntley Street
and the Hour of Power. It has also aired programmes which do not air on other broadcast channels in Canada, such as Channel 4
's A Place in the Sun
. Currently the station clears the majority of Global programming, with some preemptions in the daytime schedule for infomercial
s.
Locally-produced programmes include Officially Rugged, TB Classifieds, and the nightly Headline News (no relation to the CNN-owned channel). CHFD also airs a Saturday evening newscast (as CKPR is committed to CBC Sports
programming on Saturdays), and repeats CKPR's 11:00pm TB News Late Edition at 11:30 on weeknights.
In January 2010, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) published an application filed by CHFD to disaffiliate from CTV as of February 28, after not being able to negotiate an acceptable new programming agreement with the network, indicating it had instead reached an expanded program supply agreement with Global. However, on February 12, just before CTV's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics
began, and before the CRTC was able to rule on the application, CHFD began carrying Global programming full-time. It had attempted to get broadcast rights for the Olympics – which the station said was a separate matter from the network affiliation – but was again unable to reach an acceptable agreement. After affiliating with Global, CHFD rebranded from Thunder Bay Television
to Global Thunder Bay, and adopted a new logo and website similar to Global's owned and operated stations.
Local cable company Shaw Communications
has advised customers who wish to continue to watch CTV programming to subscribe to their digital cable
timeshifting package; the company did, however, add CTV Toronto
to its basic lineup on channel 23 for the duration of the Olympics.
Through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers will display CHFD-DT's virtual channel
as 4.1.
In January 2011, Dougall Media applied with the CRTC to broadcast its digital signal instead on channel 4.
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
in Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, 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...
owned by Dougall Media. It also has a repeater in Armstrong
Armstrong, Thunder Bay District, Ontario
Armstrong is a community and divisional point on the Canadian National Railway in the unorganized portion of Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The Whitesand First Nation's Armstrong Settlement is coterminous to this community....
(CKAR-TV, channel 8) and is available on the Bell TV (channel 222) and Shaw Direct (channel 314) satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
services. As of February 12, 2010, CHFD carries the vast majority of the Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
lineup and is branded as Global Thunder Bay.
CHFD went on the air for the first time on October 14, 1972, as a CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
affiliate. The station is part of the Thunder Bay Television twinstick
Twinstick
A twinstick, in Canadian broadcasting, is a term for two television stations, broadcasting in the same market, which are owned by the same company...
with the 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 CKPR
CKPR-TV
CKPR-DT is a Canadian English language television station. It is a private affiliate of CBC Television licensed to the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario...
. It was, from 2002 to 2009, among three CTV-affiliated stations in Canada not owned and operated directly by CTV.
As a CTV affiliate, CHFD also aired selected programming purchased from Global, such as Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
and Brothers & Sisters, as well as religious programming commonly aired on Global stations, including 100 Huntley Street
100 Huntley Street
100 Huntley Street is a Christian daily talk show and the flagship program of Crossroads Christian Communications based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Created in 1976 by Rev. David Mainse, it first aired on June 15, 1977 from its first studios located at 100 Huntley Street in the St...
and the Hour of Power. It has also aired programmes which do not air on other broadcast channels in Canada, such as Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's A Place in the Sun
A Place in the Sun (TV series)
A Place in the Sun is a British FreeForm/Channel 4 lifestyle programme about buying property abroad. It most often focuses on places in southern Europe, but in recent years has also featured a number of places in other areas of the world...
. Currently the station clears the majority of Global programming, with some preemptions in the daytime schedule for infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
s.
Locally-produced programmes include Officially Rugged, TB Classifieds, and the nightly Headline News (no relation to the CNN-owned channel). CHFD also airs a Saturday evening newscast (as CKPR is committed to CBC Sports
CBC Sports
CBC 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...
programming on Saturdays), and repeats CKPR's 11:00pm TB News Late Edition at 11:30 on weeknights.
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
began, and before the CRTC was able to rule on the application, CHFD began carrying Global programming full-time. It had attempted to get broadcast rights for the Olympics – which the station said was a separate matter from the network affiliation – but was again unable to reach an acceptable agreement. After affiliating with Global, CHFD rebranded from Thunder Bay Television
Thunder Bay Television
Dougall Media is a Canadian media company, which has several television, radio and publishing holdings in Northwestern Ontario.-Television:Thunder Bay Television is the name under which CKPR, a CBC affiliate in Thunder Bay, Ontario operates. It is co-owned with CHFD, a Global affiliate in the same...
to Global Thunder Bay, and adopted a new logo and website similar to Global's owned and operated stations.
Local cable company Shaw Communications
Shaw Communications
Shaw Communications is Canada's largest telecommunications company that provides telephone, Canada's fastest Internet and television services as well as broadcasting and soon Wifi. Shaw is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta...
has advised customers who wish to continue to watch CTV programming to subscribe to their digital cable
Digital cable
Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
timeshifting package; the company did, however, add CTV Toronto
CFTO-TV
CFTO-DT, broadcast on channel 9 and cable 8, is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Currently branded as CTV Toronto, it is the flagship station of the CTV Television Network, and was one of the charter members of the network when it was launched in 1961. It...
to its basic lineup on channel 23 for the duration of the Olympics.
Digital television and high definition
CHFD-DT flash cut to digital in early August 2011 alongside sister station CKPR.Through the use of PSIP
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers will display CHFD-DT's virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
as 4.1.
In January 2011, Dougall Media applied with the CRTC to broadcast its digital signal instead on channel 4.