CITY-TV
Encyclopedia
CITY-DT, Channel 57 is a television station
based in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
owned and operated by Rogers Media
. CITY was best known for its unconventional approach to news and local programming, creating the basis upon which the Citytv
television system
(of which it is the flagship station) was built.
channel 79
, since all the VHF
licences in the Toronto area were taken. The founding ownership group Channel Seventy-Nine Ltd. consisted of Phyllis Switzer, Moses Znaimer
, Jerry Grafstein
, Edgar Cowan and others. The studio was located at 99 Queen Street East near Church Street.
The station was in debt by 1975. Multiple Access Ltd. (the owners of CFCF
in Montreal
) purchased 45% of the station, and sold its stake to CHUM Limited
three years later. CITY was purchased outright by CHUM in 1981 with the sale of Moses Znaimer's interest in the station. Znaimer remained with the station as an executive until 2003, when he retired from his management role but continued to work with the station on some production projects.
In 1976, the station began broadcasting at 208 kW from the CN Tower
. The station moved from channel 79 to channel 57 on July 1, 1983, because of complaints that it was interfering
with mobile radio in the Toronto area, and so that the frequencies used by channels 70 to 83 could be reclaimed for use by new AMPS
mobile phone
s as a result of a CCIR international convention in 1982.
On September 1, 1986, a transmitter was put into operation in Woodstock
(CITY-TV-2 on channel 31, also serving nearby London
), and another was set up in Ottawa
in 1996 (CITY-TV-3 on channel 65
).
In 1987, CITY and the other CHUM-owned television stations moved to the headquarters at 299 Queen Street West, which became one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city.
CITY launched a test broadcast of its digital signal using the ATSC DTV standard on January 16, 2003, and began regular digital transmission on March 3 of the same year, becoming the first digital television
station in Canada.
Despite efforts to extend the brand to other major markets, for 30 years CITY was the only Canadian station to identify on-air as "Citytv", making "Citytv" and "CITY" interchangeable names for the station. In 2001, however, CHUM purchased Vancouver
's CKVU
from Canwest Global
. CKVU was re-branded as Citytv in 2002, making Citytv a two-station system. (See 2001 Vancouver TV realignment.)
In 2005, three more Citytv stations were added in Calgary
, Edmonton
and Winnipeg
after CHUM purchased the A-Channel
television stations and the other assets owned by Craig Media, the existing A-Channel brand was revamped and was transferred to CHUM's former NewNet stations. On the day when the three A-Channel stations were rebranded as Citytv, the flagship CityPulse newscast was rebranded CityNews
.
On July 12, 2006, CTVglobemedia
announced its offer to acquire CHUM Limited and its assets, including the Citytv stations, and related cable properties. Since CTV already owned local stations in all Citytv markets (including Toronto, where CTV owns and operates
CFTO), the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) stipulated the sale of the Citytv stations as a condition for the approval of the CHUM purchase. The Citytv stations (including CITY) were subsequently sold to Rogers Communications
, with the sale approved by the CRTC on September 28, 2007, and Rogers officially taking ownership on October 31 of the same year. (See 2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment
.)
CTV kept ownership of 299 Queen Street West, where CHUM's specialty television channels now owned by CTV (such as CP24, MuchMusic
, Star!, Bravo! and Space) would remain. As such, Rogers had to find a new home for CITY-TV. Rogers subsequently purchased 33 Dundas Street East, the former Olympic Spirit
building located at the edge of Dundas Square
, for the use of its Toronto television stations, and CITY-TV moved into the new facility on September 8, 2009.
series, such as the Stargate
and Star Trek
franchises, with significant cult followings. The system has also sometimes aired more adult-oriented fare than most television stations, including Baby Blue Movies
and the television edition of Naked News
, both very late at night. Citytv also aired The Oprah Winfrey Show
from its debut in 1986 until the start of the 1992-1993 season when the show's broadcasting rights were bought by CTV and its local affiliate CFTO-TV
, which aired the show until the end of its run in 2011.
The station has also historically produced much more local programming than most other Canadian television stations, including the daily talk show CityLine
(hosted first by Dini Petty
, then Marilyn Denis
, and now Tracy Moore); magazine series such as The New Music
, Toronto Rocks
, FashionTelevision
, Life on Venus Ave.
and MovieTelevision; and interactive series such as Speakers' Corner
. As well, the station often pursued synergies with its sister cable networks, sharing programming with MuchMusic
, Bravo!, Space and CP24.
Shortly after its takeover by Rogers, Citytv's Great Movies block was cancelled in favour of more series. Late night reruns of the Great Movies block were replaced by infomercials.
On March 2, 2008, CITY aired its first Toronto Blue Jays
baseball game, a spring training
game against the Cincinnati Reds
. Citytv and the Blue Jays share common ownership by Rogers Media
. This is not the first time that a live sport event has aired on a Citytv network station, it also was the Canadian broadcaster for ABC's Monday Night Football
until its move to ESPN
in 2006. Beginning in the 2007 NFL season
as part of Rogers Media's broadcast rights with the NFL; two late regular season games are shown by CITY and Vancouver sister station CKVU-TV
weekly, the opposite games air regionally on their respective Rogers Sportsnet
feed. As a part of a series of games played at the Rogers Centre
, CITY also became a part of the television network of the Buffalo Bills
, adding their pre-season games to its lineup in the 2008 season
.
On January 19, 2010, Rogers Media
announced the cancellation of CityNews at Noon, CityOnline, CityNews at Five, Citytv's national and international newscast CityNews International, and the weekend newscasts, effective immediately as part of massive restructuring and layoffs at the Citytv stations. Among those laid off were long-time 6 p.m. co-anchor Anne Mroczkowski
and reporters Farah Nasser, Jee Yun Lee, Laura Di Battista, Marianne Dimain, Merella Fernandez and Michael Serapio; Pam Seatle was also let go but returned one month later.
The weekend newscasts returned in March 2011, followed by the return of the weekday CityNews at Five and the half-hour expansion of Breakfast Television (with its start time moved up to 5:30 a.m., and expanding to 3½ hours as a result) on September 5, 2011.
Weekends
Weather team
Sports team
Reporters
when the incident occurred. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, was listed in stable condition, and recuperated from his injuries.
, which took place on August 31, 2011, CITY-TV moved from its pre-transition channel number, 53, to its post-transition channel number, 44. However, through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers display CITY-DT's virtual channel
as 57.1.
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...
based in 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...
, 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 and operated by Rogers Media
Rogers Media
Rogers Media Inc is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., which owns Canada's largest publishing company, Rogers Publishing Limited, which has more than 70 consumer and business publications. Rogers Media Inc...
. CITY was best known for its unconventional approach to news and local programming, creating the basis upon which the Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
television system
Television system
A television system is a Canadian term for a group of television stations which share common ownership, branding, and programming, but are not considered a full television network....
(of which it is the flagship station) was built.
History
CITY signed on air for the first time on September 28, 1972, as an independent station. It originally transmitted a 31 kW signal on UHFUltra 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...
channel 79
Channel 79
Channel 79 has been removed from television use in 1983, but was formerly used by several television stations in North America which broadcast on UHF frequencies covering 860-866 MHz:...
, since all the VHF
Very high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
licences in the Toronto area were taken. The founding ownership group Channel Seventy-Nine Ltd. consisted of Phyllis Switzer, Moses Znaimer
Moses Znaimer
Moses Znaimer, M.A., O.Ont is a co-founder and former head of Citytv, the first independent television station in Toronto, Canada, and the current head of ZoomerMedia.-Early life and career:...
, Jerry Grafstein
Jerry Grafstein
Jerahmiel S. "Jerry" Grafstein is a former Canadian Senator and lawyer.He is married to Carole and has two children, Laurence Stephen and Michael Kevin....
, Edgar Cowan and others. The studio was located at 99 Queen Street East near Church Street.
The station was in debt by 1975. Multiple Access Ltd. (the owners of CFCF
CFCF-TV
CFCF-DT is a CTV-owned and operated station located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
) purchased 45% of the station, and sold its stake to CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited was a media company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 1945 to 2007. Immediately prior to its acquisition, it held full or joint control of two Canadian television systems — Citytv and A-Channel — comprising 11 local stations, and one CBC Television affiliate, one...
three years later. CITY was purchased outright by CHUM in 1981 with the sale of Moses Znaimer's interest in the station. Znaimer remained with the station as an executive until 2003, when he retired from his management role but continued to work with the station on some production projects.
In 1976, the station began broadcasting at 208 kW from the CN Tower
CN Tower
The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
. The station moved from channel 79 to channel 57 on July 1, 1983, because of complaints that it was interfering
Interference (communication)
In communications and electronics, especially in telecommunications, interference is anything which alters, modifies, or disrupts a signal as it travels along a channel between a source and a receiver. The term typically refers to the addition of unwanted signals to a useful signal...
with mobile radio in the Toronto area, and so that the frequencies used by channels 70 to 83 could be reclaimed for use by new AMPS
Advanced Mobile Phone System
Advanced Mobile Phone System was an analog mobile phone system standard developed by Bell Labs, and officially introduced in the Americas in 1983, Israel in 1986, and Australia in 1987. It was the primary analog mobile phone system in North America through the 1980s and into the 2000s...
mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s as a result of a CCIR international convention in 1982.
On September 1, 1986, a transmitter was put into operation in Woodstock
Woodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
(CITY-TV-2 on channel 31, also serving nearby London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
), and another was set up in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in 1996 (CITY-TV-3 on channel 65
Channel 65
Channel 65 refers to several television stations:...
).
CITY launched a test broadcast of its digital signal using the ATSC DTV standard on January 16, 2003, and began regular digital transmission on March 3 of the same year, becoming the first digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
station in Canada.
Despite efforts to extend the brand to other major markets, for 30 years CITY was the only Canadian station to identify on-air as "Citytv", making "Citytv" and "CITY" interchangeable names for the station. In 2001, however, CHUM purchased Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
's CKVU
CKVU-TV
CKVU-DT is a television station based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Rogers Media , it was the second station to become part of the Citytv system in Canada.-History:CKVU's history dates back to 1975, when Western Approaches Ltd...
from Canwest Global
CanWest Global Communications
Canwest Global Communications Corporation, which operated under the corporate brand Canwest, was a major Canadian media company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with its head offices at Canwest Place...
. CKVU was re-branded as Citytv in 2002, making Citytv a two-station system. (See 2001 Vancouver TV realignment.)
In 2005, three more Citytv stations were added in 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...
, 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 Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
after CHUM purchased the A-Channel
A-Channel (Craig Media)
A-Channel was a Canadian television system owned by Craig Media from 1997 to 2004 and CHUM Limited from 2004 to 2005. It consisted of Craig's television stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton, and was the company's unsuccessful attempt to build a national network.CHUM Limited, which acquired...
television stations and the other assets owned by Craig Media, the existing A-Channel brand was revamped and was transferred to CHUM's former NewNet stations. On the day when the three A-Channel stations were rebranded as Citytv, the flagship CityPulse newscast was rebranded CityNews
CityNews
CityNews is the title of local television newscasts currently seen on CITY-TV Toronto, Canada. It premiered on September 12, 1977 under the name CityPulse, then spread to Citytv stations in other cities across Canada. Due to severe financial issues, as of January 19, 2010, the only station that...
.
On July 12, 2006, CTVglobemedia
CTVglobemedia
CTVglobemedia , was one of Canada's largest private media companies. Its operations include newspaper publishing , television broadcasting and production , radio broadcasting , and their respective Internet properties.Originally established by BCE and the Thomson family in 2001 combining CTV Inc.,...
announced its offer to acquire CHUM Limited and its assets, including the Citytv stations, and related cable properties. Since CTV already owned local stations in all Citytv markets (including Toronto, where CTV owns and operates
Owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
CFTO), the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) stipulated the sale of the Citytv stations as a condition for the approval of the CHUM purchase. The Citytv stations (including CITY) were subsequently sold to 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...
, with the sale approved by the CRTC on September 28, 2007, and Rogers officially taking ownership on October 31 of the same year. (See 2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment
2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment
In 2007, significant ownership changes occurred in Canada's broadcast television industry, involving nearly every network and television system. In addition to the shuffling of television network affiliations and network mergers, several new broadcast translators and new television stations also...
.)
CTV kept ownership of 299 Queen Street West, where CHUM's specialty television channels now owned by CTV (such as CP24, MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
, Star!, Bravo! and Space) would remain. As such, Rogers had to find a new home for CITY-TV. Rogers subsequently purchased 33 Dundas Street East, the former Olympic Spirit
Olympic Spirit Toronto
33 Dundas Street East is a studio complex located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was acquired by Rogers Media in 2007 as the new home of its four Toronto television stations: CITY-TV , CFMT-TV , CJMT-TV and CityNews Channel...
building located at the edge of Dundas Square
Dundas Square
Yonge-Dundas Square is a commercial junction and public square, situated at the southeast corner of the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street East in Downtown Toronto...
, for the use of its Toronto television stations, and CITY-TV moved into the new facility on September 8, 2009.
Programming
Citytv has traditionally pursued a programming strategy targeting hip, young and urban audiences, as well as science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series, such as the Stargate
Stargate
Stargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...
and Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
franchises, with significant cult followings. The system has also sometimes aired more adult-oriented fare than most television stations, including Baby Blue Movies
Baby Blue Movies
Baby Blue Movies was a Canadian television series, which aired on Citytv in the 1970s. First launched as a publicity stunt at a time when Citytv was a little-known upstart independent station broadcasting on Channel 79, the series aired softcore pornography in a late-night weekend slot....
and the television edition of Naked News
Naked News
Naked News, billing itself as "the program with nothing to hide", is a subscription website featuring a real television newscast. The show is prepared in Toronto and runs daily, with 25-minute episodes 6 days per week. The female anchors read the news fully nude or strip as they present their news...
, both very late at night. Citytv also aired The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
from its debut in 1986 until the start of the 1992-1993 season when the show's broadcasting rights were bought by CTV and its local affiliate CFTO-TV
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...
, which aired the show until the end of its run in 2011.
The station has also historically produced much more local programming than most other Canadian television stations, including the daily talk show CityLine
CityLine
CityLine is a television program produced by Citytv and Citytv Toronto that offers advice and information from experts. Each show has a theme that changes daily. These include "Around the House," "Talk Tuesday," "Health and Parenting," "Home Day," and "Fashion Friday."Originally hosted by Dini...
(hosted first by Dini Petty
Dini Petty
Dini Petty is a Canadian television and radio host.At 22, wearing a trademark pink jumpsuit and working for Toronto radio station CKEY, she became the first female traffic reporter to pilot her own helicopter...
, then Marilyn Denis
Marilyn Denis
Marilyn Denis is a Canadian television and radio personality. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, she grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and received a bachelors degree in radio, television and advertising from the University of Idaho. Denis frequently refers on air to her parents who reside in...
, and now Tracy Moore); magazine series such as The New Music
The New Music
The NewMusic was a weekly music and culture television newsmagazine that aired on the Canadian television stations MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic, Citytv and CP24....
, Toronto Rocks
Toronto Rocks
Toronto Rocks was an hour-long television program presenting music videos on CITY-TV in Toronto, Canada in the 1980s, starting in 1984. It aired live at 4PM weekdays and was initially hosted by John Majhor. Majhor was a longtime DJ at 1050 CHUM AM in Toronto and eventually became one of Canada's...
, FashionTelevision
FashionTelevision
FashionTelevision, also known as FT, is a Canadian-produced special interest show focusing on fashion. The show,created by Jay Levine in 1985 is hosted by Jeanne Beker...
, Life on Venus Ave.
Life on Venus Ave.
Life on Venus Ave. was a Canadian television series, which aired on MuchMusic and Citytv in the late 1980s and early 1990s. One of its writers, Rod Gonsalves-Quesnel, went on to write a fashion column for The Globe and Mail....
and MovieTelevision; and interactive series such as Speakers' Corner
Speakers' Corner (TV series)
Speakers' Corner was a television series which aired weekly on Citytv and A stations in Canada, featuring numerous unscripted short segments on a variety of topics as recorded by members of the general public such as rants, big-ups, shoutouts, jokes, music performance, etc. After the video was...
. As well, the station often pursued synergies with its sister cable networks, sharing programming with MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
, Bravo!, Space and CP24.
Shortly after its takeover by Rogers, Citytv's Great Movies block was cancelled in favour of more series. Late night reruns of the Great Movies block were replaced by infomercials.
On March 2, 2008, CITY aired its first Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
baseball game, a spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
game against the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. Citytv and the Blue Jays share common ownership by Rogers Media
Rogers Media
Rogers Media Inc is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., which owns Canada's largest publishing company, Rogers Publishing Limited, which has more than 70 consumer and business publications. Rogers Media Inc...
. This is not the first time that a live sport event has aired on a Citytv network station, it also was the Canadian broadcaster for ABC's Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
until its move to ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in 2006. Beginning in the 2007 NFL season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
as part of Rogers Media's broadcast rights with the NFL; two late regular season games are shown by CITY and Vancouver sister station CKVU-TV
CKVU-TV
CKVU-DT is a television station based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Rogers Media , it was the second station to become part of the Citytv system in Canada.-History:CKVU's history dates back to 1975, when Western Approaches Ltd...
weekly, the opposite games air regionally on their respective Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
feed. As a part of a series of games played at the Rogers Centre
Bills Toronto Series
The Bills Toronto Series is a five-year deal consisting of a series of National Football League games featuring the Buffalo Bills played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The series began in the 2008 NFL season and will end during the 2012 NFL season...
, CITY also became a part of the television network of the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, adding their pre-season games to its lineup in the 2008 season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
.
News operation
CITY-DT currently produces a total of 32 hours of local newscasts each week (with six hours on weekdays and one hour on weekends).On January 19, 2010, Rogers Media
Rogers Media
Rogers Media Inc is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., which owns Canada's largest publishing company, Rogers Publishing Limited, which has more than 70 consumer and business publications. Rogers Media Inc...
announced the cancellation of CityNews at Noon, CityOnline, CityNews at Five, Citytv's national and international newscast CityNews International, and the weekend newscasts, effective immediately as part of massive restructuring and layoffs at the Citytv stations. Among those laid off were long-time 6 p.m. co-anchor Anne Mroczkowski
Anne Mroczkowski
Anne Mroczkowski is a Canadian TV reporter and news anchor. She is currently co-anchor of Global News Hour, along with Leslie Roberts, a job she started on June 1, 2010....
and reporters Farah Nasser, Jee Yun Lee, Laura Di Battista, Marianne Dimain, Merella Fernandez and Michael Serapio; Pam Seatle was also let go but returned one month later.
The weekend newscasts returned in March 2011, followed by the return of the weekday CityNews at Five and the half-hour expansion of Breakfast Television (with its start time moved up to 5:30 a.m., and expanding to 3½ hours as a result) on September 5, 2011.
Newscasts
Weekdays- Breakfast TelevisionBreakfast Television (Citytv Toronto)Breakfast Television, also known as BT, is a Canadian morning news and entertainment program produced by Citytv Toronto.Four other Citytv stations use the name and the format , creating content relevant to their own local audiences...
– 5:30-9 a.m. - CityNews at Five – 5-6 p.m.
- CityNews at Six – 6-7 p.m.
- CityNews Tonight – 11-11:30 p.m.
Weekends
- CityNews at Six – 6-6:30 p.m.
- CityNews Tonight – 11-11:30 p.m.
Newscast titles
- CityPulse (1972–2005)
- CityPulse Tonight (1972–2005; 11 p.m. newscast)
- Breakfast Television (1989–present; morning newscast)
- CityNewsCityNewsCityNews is the title of local television newscasts currently seen on CITY-TV Toronto, Canada. It premiered on September 12, 1977 under the name CityPulse, then spread to Citytv stations in other cities across Canada. Due to severe financial issues, as of January 19, 2010, the only station that...
(2005–present) - CityNews Tonight (2005–present; 11 p.m. newscast)
News music packages
- Masterpiece by The TemptationsThe TemptationsThe Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
(1972–early 1980s) - Gotta Fly Now by Maynard FergusonMaynard FergusonMaynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
(1979–early 1990s) - Pentatus by Graham Shaw (mid-1980s – 1994)
News team
Anchors- Francis D'SouzaFrancis D'SouzaFrancis D'Souza is a Canadian news anchor for Citytv in Toronto, Canada. D'Souza was the co-anchor of the station's noon newscast, which was cancelled in January 2010...
- weeknights at 5 p.m. - Kevin FrankishKevin FrankishKevin Frankish is a Toronto-area media personality. He co-hosts Breakfast Television on Citytv.After getting a diploma in radio and television broadcasting at Canadore College, he started his career at CKNY in North Bay. He also had a nine year stint at The New VR in Barrie, Ontario...
- Breakfast Television (weekday mornings, 5:30-9 a.m.) - Gord MartineauGord MartineauGord Martineau is a Canadian television journalist.Martineau is the senior anchor of Citytv's CityNews newscast in Toronto. He has been with the station since its inception, except for a few weeks in 1980 when he moved to Global Television Network as a news co-anchor for CIII...
- weeknights at 6 p.m. - Melanie Ng - weekends at 11 p.m.; also weeknight reporter
- Roger PetersenRoger PetersenRoger Petersen is a Canadian television news reporter. He served as anchor on CityNews and Breakfast Television on Citytv Toronto) from 1999 until 2004, when he moved to Vancouver's CKVU and became that station's lead male anchor with co-anchor Julie Nolin...
- CityNews Tonight (weeknights at 11 p.m.); also reporter - Dina PuglieseDina PuglieseDina Pugliese is an Canadian television personality, currently the co-host of Citytv Toronto's Breakfast Television. She joined the show in 2006, replacing Liza Fromer....
- Breakfast Television (weekday mornings, 7-9 a.m.) - Pam SeatlePam SeatlePam Seatle is a TV newscaster on Citytv in Toronto, Canada, on CityNews at 6 and CityNews Tonight . Her aunt is actor Dixie Seatle, who portrayed as Mona in the 1980s series Adderly. On January 19, 2010, Pam Seatle was released by Rogers Media Television. Pam Seatle was brought back to Citytv's...
- weekends at 6 p.m.; also weeknight reporter
Weather team
- Adam Stiles - lead meteorologist; CityNews Tonight (weeknights at 11 p.m.)
- Frank FerragineFrank FerragineFrank Ferragine is currently the morning weatherman on Citytv's morning show Breakfast Television, and is the station's flower expert using the nickname Frankie Flowers....
- weather anchor; Breakfast Television (weekday mornings, 5:30-9 a.m.), also gardening specialist - Sangita Patel - weather specialist; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
- Natasha RamsahaiNatasha RamsahaiNatasha Ramasahai is a Canadian meteorologist who currently works as the 6pm News meteorologist at CityNews in Toronto. Previously, she worked at CBLT's CBC News at Six from 2002 to 2007 and as the weekend meteorologist at CBC News Network until February 2011...
(CMOS-endorsed weathercaster) - meteorologist; weeknights at 5 and 6 p.m.
Sports team
- Kathryn HumphreysKathryn HumphreysKathryn Humphreys is a Canadian sports anchor for CityNews at Six and CityNews Tonight. She was previously with CityNews Weekend which she joined in March 1997....
- lead sports anchor; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m. - Hugh BurrillHugh BurrillHugh Burrill is a Canadian television sports anchor and reporter.Hugh was born and raised in Chalk River, Ontario. His birthday is September 9...
- sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
Reporters
- Audra Brown - general assignment reporter
- Avery HainesAvery HainesAvery Haines is a Canadian television journalist.-Career:Haines began her career as a reporter for CFRB in Toronto. In late 1999, she began to work as a fill-in anchor for CTV Newsnet....
- general assignment reporter - Peter Kim - general assignment reporter
- Saphia Khambalia - general assignment reporter
- Cynthia MulliganCynthia MulliganCynthia Mulligan is a Canadian television presenter on Citytv's CityNews. Mulligan studied English at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario....
- general assignment reporter - Andrea Piunno - general assignment reporter
- Jennifer ValentyneJennifer ValentyneJennifer Elizabeth Valentyne is a Canadian television personality. She hosts the "Live Eye" segment and also fills in for Dina Pugliese as co-host on Breakfast Television, as well as filling in for Tracy Moore as host on CityLine which both air on Citytv Toronto.Jennifer has been with CITY-TV...
- "Live Eye" reporter for Breakfast Television - Anna Vlachos - general assignment reporter
Notable alumni
- Comedian Dan AykroydDan AykroydDaniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
moonlighted as Citytv's announcer from 1972 until 1975 while working at Toronto's Second CityThe Second CityThe Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
before he moved to New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to join Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday 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...
. - Former CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
anchor and current co-host of CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's American MorningAmerican MorningAmerican Morning is the morning television show on CNN. It premiered in 2001.-About the show:American Morning is hosted by Ashleigh Banfield, Zoraida Sambolin & Soledad O'Brien. Others who appear regularly are Rob Marciano with the weather, Sunny Hostin on legal news, and CNN senior medical...
John Roberts first got his start at CITY, where he was known on-air as "J.D. Roberts". Roberts also was an entertainment reporter on CityPulse at 6 in the early 1980s and a host of The New MusicThe New MusicThe NewMusic was a weekly music and culture television newsmagazine that aired on the Canadian television stations MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic, Citytv and CP24....
, before becoming the anchor of CityPulse Tonight in 1987. - Afternoon CTV host Dini PettyDini PettyDini Petty is a Canadian television and radio host.At 22, wearing a trademark pink jumpsuit and working for Toronto radio station CKEY, she became the first female traffic reporter to pilot her own helicopter...
got her start on Citytv as the co-host of CityPulse and later as host of CityLineCityLineCityLine is a television program produced by Citytv and Citytv Toronto that offers advice and information from experts. Each show has a theme that changes daily. These include "Around the House," "Talk Tuesday," "Health and Parenting," "Home Day," and "Fashion Friday."Originally hosted by Dini...
. - Long-time continuity announcer and CityNews Tonight anchor Mark DaileyMark DaileyMark Edward Dailey was an American-born Canadian television journalist and announcer. He was the host of 11 p.m...
passed away on December 6, 2010, after a long battle with cancer.
Incidents
On November 9, 2010, Citytv cameraman, Bill Atanasoff, was struck by a car while crossing Kipling Avenue, near Albion Road. Atanasoff was heading to the scene of a police investigation in RexdaleRexdale
Rexdale is a neighbourhood located in the north-west corner of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It covers the northern section of Etobicoke, which was an independent city until it merged with five other municipalities and a regional government to form the new City of Toronto in 1998. Rexdale was named...
when the incident occurred. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, was listed in stable condition, and recuperated from his injuries.
Transmitters
| 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 |
| CITY-DT-2 | Woodstock Woodstock, Ontario Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River... |
31 (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... ) Virtual 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.... : 31.1 (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... ) |
20 kW | 293.0 m | 43°2′46"N 80°46′4"W |
| CITY-DT-3 | Ottawa Ottawa Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario... |
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... ) Virtual 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.... : 65.1 (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... ) |
5.1 kW | 215.4 m | 45°13′2"N 75°33′49"W |
Digital television and high definition
After the analog television shutdown and digital conversionDigital 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 took place on August 31, 2011, CITY-TV moved from its pre-transition channel number, 53, to its post-transition channel number, 44. However, 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 display CITY-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 57.1.