Tqs
Encyclopedia
V is a Canadian
privately-owned French-language
television network
. The network has owned-and-operated and affiliated stations existing throughout Quebec
, although it can also be seen over-the-air in some bordering markets in the provinces of Ontario
and New Brunswick
. It can also be received in some other parts of Canada
by satellite
, cable
and IPTV
.
The network launched in 1986 as TQS, and was known by that name until current owner Remstar
rebranded it as V on August 31, 2009.
along with the existing Télévision de Radio-Canada
and the loose association of independent stations that eventually became TVA
. However, at that time, the CRTC did not call on applications for licences.
In 1972, the CRTC said it was prepared to receive licence applications in order to authorize a third commercial television service in Quebec, although it was not until 1974 when the CRTC granted licences to Télé Inter-Cité Québec Ltée. to operate TV stations in Montreal
and in Quebec City
. However nothing came of this project.
On November 15, 1984, the CRTC launched another call for applications, and in 1985 it held public hearings in Montreal to examine competing applications from partners Cogeco Inc. (60.3%) and Moffat Communications
(39.7%), and another application by the Pouliot family, owners of Montreal's CTV
affiliate, CFCF-TV
and radio stations CFCF-AM (later CINW, now defunct) and CFQR-FM (now CKBE-FM). Both applications applied to launch television stations in both Montreal and Quebec City. On September 6 of that year, the CRTC approved the application of the Pouliot family and its company, Réseau de Télévision Quatre-Saisons Inc. TQS was authorized to operate a French-language TV station in Montreal with an effective radiated power of 566,000 watts on channel 35. While it was denied an application for a station in Quebec City, it was allowed to set up a repeater there.
The network was launched in 1986 as Télévision Quatre-Saisons ("Four Seasons Television"). The network spent most of its earlier years in severe financial trouble; at one point, the revenues from CFCF-TV were all that were keeping the network afloat. It was, however, able to upgrade its Quebec City repeater to a full-fledged station in 1989. In its early years, it was known for advertising in English on its then-sister radio stations.
In 1995, the Pouliots sold TQS to Quebec cable company Vidéotron
, who already owned TVA
, Quebec's other private commercial network. Due to monopoly ownership concerns, Vidéotron immediately turned around and sold TQS to Quebecor
, a newspaper publisher.
Quebecor acquired Vidéotron itself in 2001, and put TQS back on the market. Later in 2001, TQS was bought by a joint venture of CTVglobemedia
(then known as Bell Globemedia) and Cogeco
, another cable company. Cogeco owned 60% of the venture and handled most of the operations, while CTVglobemedia owned 40%. The acquisition, in a sense, reunited it with CFCF, which had been bought by CTV a year earlier.
Montreal's newspaper La Presse reported on January 15 that Rogers Communications
and RNC Media were each interested in acquiring some individual stations within the network, although RNC Media later denied the report and Rogers declined to comment. On February 25, 2008, the network confirmed that it had received four purchase bids, although it did not disclose the identities of the bidders.
Remstar announced on April 23, 2008 that 270 jobs would be cut at TQS, while the information services division would be abolished entirely — thus eliminating all newscasts from the network starting in September 2008. While the CRTC ultimately ordered Remstar to retain local news programming on the network, it did take the network's precarious financial situation into account by allowing a reduced amount of local news programming until the network's license renewal hearing in 2011.
At the network's fall upfronts presentation for 2009, the network announced a repositioning plan, including a shedding of the TQS moniker and its black sheep logo in favour of the name "V", complete with a black-and-gold circle logo with a stylized letter V. The V name reflects the channel's new mission of "vedettes" (stars), "vitesse" (speed), "voyages" (trips), and "vice ou vérité" (vices or truths).
The new program lineup includes the daily news and discussion programs Le show du matin, hosted by Gildor Roy
, and Dumont 360
, hosted by Mario Dumont
. V's rebranding took effect on August 31, 2009 at 6am ET
after the infomercial block.
and Société Radio-Canada. Most of its affiliates are on UHF, and operate at moderate-to-low power compared to their TVA and Radio-Canada counterparts. However, it has produced a number of major hit series in Quebec.
formed the core of V's news programming. Jean-Luc Mongrain
anchored the program from 1999 until its final edition aired on August 29, 2008. Benoît Dutrizac also anchored a 10 p.m. news talk show, Dutrizac
, in the later half of the 2000s.
News programming continues in a reduced form on V, now produced by independent producer ADN5. News summaries of approximately three minutes are inserted into the network's morning and noontime programming, along with a 30-minute newscast weekend evenings.
Its carriage of live sporting events began with Super Bowl XXI
in 1987. It has carried games of the National Hockey League
, including the Quebec Nordiques
from 1988 to 1994 and the Montreal Canadiens
from 1994 to 2002. It also aired games of the Montreal Expos
from 1994 to 1998.
Today, V carries live events of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
and boxing events organized by Groupe Yvon Michel.
In February 2005, V (and then sister-broadcaster RDS
) was part of the consortium that won the Canadian broadcast rights to the Vancouver
2010 Winter Olympics
and the 2012 Summer Olympics
. V will share morning coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics with RDS, followed by its own unique afternoon and evening programming. Due to V not being carried on many cable systems outside of the province, unlike previous rights holder Télévision de Radio-Canada
, the non-profit public affairs network CPAC gained special authorization from the CRTC to allow its French coverage of the 2010 games to be simulcast on the network, which enjoys mandatory cable coverage across Canada.
which formerly broadcast late Saturday nights, similar to the old Baby Blue Movies
that once aired on Toronto
's Citytv
. In fact, V was once considered the French counterpart of Citytv
.
and Quebec City
dropped all non-network programming and become a de facto repeater of Montreal's V O&O, CFJP-DT. Unlike O&O stations, non-owned affiliates of the V network, such as CFGS-DT in Gatineau
, CJPC-TV
in Rimouski, CFTF-DT in Rivière-du-Loup and CFVS-DT in Val-d'Or, continue to broadcast local programming.
, New Brunswick
and Nova Scotia
receive V affiliates on cable.
The network's affiliate in Gatineau
is part of the Ottawa
television market, and is carried in both analog and digital on cable systems in nearly all of Eastern Ontario
. Rogers Cable
systems in Central Ontario, Southwestern Ontario
and the Greater Toronto Area
offer the channel on their digital cable
tier, but not in analog, while those in New Brunswick carry V in both analog and digital. EastLink
systems in Northeastern Ontario
also carry V in both analog and digital.
The network affiliate in Rivière-du-Loup also has a rebroadcaster in Edmundston, New Brunswick
, the network's only over-the-air transmitter outside of Quebec.
To ensure that the network's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics
reached the vast majority of Canada's francophones, the network was simulcast on CPAC, which has mandatory carriage on the basic service of all Canadian cable and satellite providers, from February 12 to 28, 2010.
simulcast of its Montreal station CFJP
for cable subscribers. In December 2007, TQS officially launched a transmitter in Montreal making the HD simulcast of CFJP available over-the-air.
V HD is available nationally via satellite and on digital cable as well as for free via DTT
using a regular TV antenna and a digital tuner (included in most new TVs) on the following channels:
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...
privately-owned French-language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
. The network has owned-and-operated and affiliated stations existing throughout Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, although it can also be seen over-the-air in some bordering markets in the provinces of 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....
and New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
. It can also be received in some other parts of 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...
by satellite
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
, cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
and IPTV
IPTV
Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
.
The network launched in 1986 as TQS, and was known by that name until current owner Remstar
Remstar Corporation
Remstar Corporation is a Canadian media corporation with operations in broadcasting, production and distribution. The company is based in Montreal, Quebec and was founded in 1998 by brothers Julien and Maxime Rémillard.-Assets:...
rebranded it as V on August 31, 2009.
History
The history of V goes back to 1968, when the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) first expressed interest in the establishment of a third French-language commercial television service in the province of QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
along with the existing Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
and the loose association of independent stations that eventually became TVA
TVA (TV network)
TVA is a privately owned French language television network in Canada. The network is currently owned by Groupe TVA Inc. , a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
. However, at that time, the CRTC did not call on applications for licences.
In 1972, the CRTC said it was prepared to receive licence applications in order to authorize a third commercial television service in Quebec, although it was not until 1974 when the CRTC granted licences to Télé Inter-Cité Québec Ltée. to operate TV stations 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...
and in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. However nothing came of this project.
On November 15, 1984, the CRTC launched another call for applications, and in 1985 it held public hearings in Montreal to examine competing applications from partners Cogeco Inc. (60.3%) and Moffat Communications
Moffat Communications
Moffat Communications was a Canadian cable and broadcasting company. Privately owned by the Moffat family, the company was based in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
(39.7%), and another application by the Pouliot family, owners of Montreal's 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, CFCF-TV
CFCF-TV
CFCF-DT is a CTV-owned and operated station located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
and radio stations CFCF-AM (later CINW, now defunct) and CFQR-FM (now CKBE-FM). Both applications applied to launch television stations in both Montreal and Quebec City. On September 6 of that year, the CRTC approved the application of the Pouliot family and its company, Réseau de Télévision Quatre-Saisons Inc. TQS was authorized to operate a French-language TV station in Montreal with an effective radiated power of 566,000 watts on channel 35. While it was denied an application for a station in Quebec City, it was allowed to set up a repeater there.
The network was launched in 1986 as Télévision Quatre-Saisons ("Four Seasons Television"). The network spent most of its earlier years in severe financial trouble; at one point, the revenues from CFCF-TV were all that were keeping the network afloat. It was, however, able to upgrade its Quebec City repeater to a full-fledged station in 1989. In its early years, it was known for advertising in English on its then-sister radio stations.
In 1995, the Pouliots sold TQS to Quebec cable company Vidéotron
Vidéotron
Vidéotron GP is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Currently, the company primarily serves Quebec, as well as the francophone...
, who already owned TVA
TVA (TV network)
TVA is a privately owned French language television network in Canada. The network is currently owned by Groupe TVA Inc. , a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
, Quebec's other private commercial network. Due to monopoly ownership concerns, Vidéotron immediately turned around and sold TQS to Quebecor
Quebecor
Quebecor Inc. is a communications company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Pierre Péladeau, and remains run by his family. Quebecor Inc. owns 55% of Quebecor Media Inc...
, a newspaper publisher.
Quebecor acquired Vidéotron itself in 2001, and put TQS back on the market. Later in 2001, TQS was bought by a joint venture of 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.,...
(then known as Bell Globemedia) and Cogeco
Cogeco
Cogeco Inc. is a Canadian media and communications company. The name is an acronym for Compagnie Générale de Communication .-History:...
, another cable company. Cogeco owned 60% of the venture and handled most of the operations, while CTVglobemedia owned 40%. The acquisition, in a sense, reunited it with CFCF, which had been bought by CTV a year earlier.
Bankruptcy protection
On December 18, 2007, TQS filed for protection from its creditors in a bankruptcy-court filing. At this point the network was given 30 days in which to reorganize and revamp itself, with the goal of finding a viable solution to pay off its creditors. On January 16, 2008, a judge extended the grace period for an additional 45 days.Montreal's newspaper La Presse reported on January 15 that 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...
and RNC Media were each interested in acquiring some individual stations within the network, although RNC Media later denied the report and Rogers declined to comment. On February 25, 2008, the network confirmed that it had received four purchase bids, although it did not disclose the identities of the bidders.
Remstar's takeover and rebranding of the network
On March 10, 2008, the Quebec Supreme Court approved the sale of TQS to Remstar Corporation, a Montreal-based television and film producer and distributor. Creditors, who were owed more than $33 million, voted to accept the Remstar proposal in May. The CRTC approved the application on June 26, 2008.At the network's fall upfronts presentation for 2009, the network announced a repositioning plan, including a shedding of the TQS moniker and its black sheep logo in favour of the name "V", complete with a black-and-gold circle logo with a stylized letter V. The V name reflects the channel's new mission of "vedettes" (stars), "vitesse" (speed), "voyages" (trips), and "vice ou vérité" (vices or truths).
The new program lineup includes the daily news and discussion programs Le show du matin, hosted by Gildor Roy
Gildor Roy
Gildor Roy is a Québécois actor. Gildor is the brother of Québécois actors Luc Roy, Yvon Roy and Maxim Roy.- Biography :...
, and Dumont 360
Dumont 360
Dumont is a Canadian television series, launched in fall 2009 on V. Airing weekdays at 5 p.m. with the title Dumont 360 in its first season, the program moved to 10:30 p.m. and adopted its current title in fall 2010, after the network cancelled its sports talk series L'Attaque à 5.Hosted by Mario...
, hosted by Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont is a television personality and former politician in the province of Quebec. He was a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec , and the leader of the Action démocratique du Québec , from 1994 to 2009...
. V's rebranding took effect on August 31, 2009 at 6am ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
after the infomercial block.
Programming
V has long been a distant third in the ratings to TVATVA (TV network)
TVA is a privately owned French language television network in Canada. The network is currently owned by Groupe TVA Inc. , a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
and Société Radio-Canada. Most of its affiliates are on UHF, and operate at moderate-to-low power compared to their TVA and Radio-Canada counterparts. However, it has produced a number of major hit series in Quebec.
News
From the network's launch to its 2008 restructing, the nightly Le Grand JournalLe Grand Journal (TQS)
Le Grand Journal was a Canadian news television series, which aired on the TQS network in Quebec from 1989 to 2008. The program was anchored by Jean-Luc Mongrain.The program was cancelled in 2008, prior to the network's rebranding as V in 2009....
formed the core of V's news programming. Jean-Luc Mongrain
Jean-Luc Mongrain
Jean-Luc Mongrain is a Canadian journalist and news anchor. He is currently the news anchor of his own talk show called Mongrain on LCN .-Background:...
anchored the program from 1999 until its final edition aired on August 29, 2008. Benoît Dutrizac also anchored a 10 p.m. news talk show, Dutrizac
Dutrizac
Dutrizac was the 10:00 pm newscast on TQS, a Quebec-based French-language television station. Its host, Benoît Dutrizac, goes against the typical stereotype of a news presenter. Described by TQS as "kind of scruffy-looking", Dutrizac wears jeans and smokes a cigar on air...
, in the later half of the 2000s.
News programming continues in a reduced form on V, now produced by independent producer ADN5. News summaries of approximately three minutes are inserted into the network's morning and noontime programming, along with a 30-minute newscast weekend evenings.
Sports
V has long aired a nighttime sports show, beginning with Sports Plus (1986–1998), then 110% (1998–2009), followed by L'attaque à 5 (2009–2010).Its carriage of live sporting events began with Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI was an American football game played on January 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1986 regular season. The National Football Conference champion New York Giants won their first Super Bowl by defeating...
in 1987. It has carried games of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, including the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
from 1988 to 1994 and the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
from 1994 to 2002. It also aired games of the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
from 1994 to 1998.
Today, V carries live events of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
and boxing events organized by Groupe Yvon Michel.
In February 2005, V (and then sister-broadcaster RDS
Réseau des sports
Réseau des sports , is a Canadian French language Category C specialty channel showing sports and sport-related shows. It is available in 2.5 million homes, and is owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc....
) was part of the consortium that won the Canadian broadcast rights to the 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,...
2010 Winter Olympics
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...
and the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. V will share morning coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics with RDS, followed by its own unique afternoon and evening programming. Due to V not being carried on many cable systems outside of the province, unlike previous rights holder Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
, the non-profit public affairs network CPAC gained special authorization from the CRTC to allow its French coverage of the 2010 games to be simulcast on the network, which enjoys mandatory cable coverage across Canada.
Movies
The network is known to many English Canadian viewers for Bleu Nuit, a showcase of softcore pornographyPornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
which formerly broadcast late Saturday nights, similar to the old 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....
that once aired on 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...
's Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
. In fact, V was once considered the French counterpart of Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
.
Programming on V's O&O stations outside Montreal and Quebec City
Since the rebranding of the TQS network to V, on August 31, 2009, all V's owned and operated stations (O&O) outside MontrealMontreal
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...
and Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
dropped all non-network programming and become a de facto repeater of Montreal's V O&O, CFJP-DT. Unlike O&O stations, non-owned affiliates of the V network, such as CFGS-DT in Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
, CJPC-TV
CJPC-TV
CJPC-TV is a broadcast translator that serves the Rimouski, Quebec area on UHF channel 18.The station originally rebroadcast the signal from CFJP-TV in Montreal...
in Rimouski, CFTF-DT in Rivière-du-Loup and CFVS-DT in Val-d'Or, continue to broadcast local programming.
Coverage
Unlike TVA, V does not have mandatory cable carriage rights outside of Quebec, but may be offered at a cable company's discretion if there is a sufficient local market for French language television programming. Consequently the network is not widely available outside of Quebec, although some communities in OntarioOntario
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....
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
receive V affiliates on cable.
The network's affiliate in Gatineau
Gatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
is part of the 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...
television market, and is carried in both analog and digital on cable systems in nearly all of Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies in a wedge-shaped area between the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River...
. Rogers Cable
Rogers Cable
Rogers Cable Inc., a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., is Canada's largest cable television service provider with about 2.25 million television customers, and over 930,000 Internet subscribers, in Manitoba, Southern & Eastern Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.The...
systems in Central Ontario, Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
and the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
offer the channel on 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:...
tier, but not in analog, while those in New Brunswick carry V in both analog and digital. EastLink
EastLink (company)
EastLink is a Canadian cable television and telecommunications company. In 1970, EastLink was established in Amherst, Nova Scotia, when it was issued one of the first cable licences granted by the CRTC...
systems in Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing and Manitoulin; and the single-tier municipality of Greater...
also carry V in both analog and digital.
The network affiliate in Rivière-du-Loup also has a rebroadcaster in Edmundston, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, the network's only over-the-air transmitter outside of Quebec.
To ensure that the network's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics
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...
reached the vast majority of Canada's francophones, the network was simulcast on CPAC, which has mandatory carriage on the basic service of all Canadian cable and satellite providers, from February 12 to 28, 2010.
Owned-and-operated stations
These stations are owned and operated by V:- MontrealMontrealMontreal 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...
- CFJP-DT - Quebec CityQuebec CityQuebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
- CFAP-DT - SaguenaySaguenay, QuebecSaguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
- CFRS-DT - Sherbrooke - CFKS-DT
- Trois-RivièresTrois-RivièresTrois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
- CFKM-DT
Affiliated stations
- GatineauGatineauGatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
- CFGS-DT (owned by RNC Media) - Rimouski - CJPC-TVCJPC-TVCJPC-TV is a broadcast translator that serves the Rimouski, Quebec area on UHF channel 18.The station originally rebroadcast the signal from CFJP-TV in Montreal...
(owned by Télé Inter-RivesTélé Inter-RivesTélé Inter-Rives is a broadcasting company based in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec. The company operates three stations in Rivière-du-Loup in a rare "triple-stick" :* CKRT 7/5/13...
) - Rivière-du-Loup - CFTF-DT (owned by Télé Inter-RivesTélé Inter-RivesTélé Inter-Rives is a broadcasting company based in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec. The company operates three stations in Rivière-du-Loup in a rare "triple-stick" :* CKRT 7/5/13...
) - Val-d'Or - CFVS-DT (owned by RNC Media)
V HD
On June 4, 2007, TQS launched an HDHigh-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
simulcast of its Montreal station CFJP
CFJP-TV
CFJP-DT is the callsign for V's flagship television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.The station was originally owned by the family of Jean Pouliot, then-owner of CFCF. It was acquired by Cogeco in 2001 concurrently with Cogeco's acquisition of the network...
for cable subscribers. In December 2007, TQS officially launched a transmitter in Montreal making the HD simulcast of CFJP available over-the-air.
V HD is available nationally via satellite and on digital cable as well as for free via DTT
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...
using a regular TV antenna and a digital tuner (included in most new TVs) on the following channels:
- Montreal: CFJP-DT 42 (PSIP virtual channel 35.1)
- Trois-Rivières: CFKM-DT 34 (PSIP virtual channel 16.1)
Identity and slogans
Beginning in 1997, TQS branded itself as le mouton noir de la télé (the black sheep of television), a slogan that could have served as the network's acknowledgment (or perhaps a badge of pride) that its history of financial difficulties, edgy programming, and limited availability outside Quebec had not always given it a prestigious place in the TV industry or in the eyes of the viewing public. The black sheep slogan was discontinued with the network's rebranding from TQS to V at the end of August 2009.- 1987-1989: On grandit ensemble! (We grow together!)
- 1989-1995: TQS Au coeur de l'action! (TQS in the middle of action!)
- 1995-1997: Allumée! (Turned on!) (Literally, "Lit up!")
- 1997-2007, 2008-2009: Le mouton noir de la télé (The black sheep of television)
- 2007: Parce que vous êtes... différent! (Because you are... different!)
- 2009-2010: Laissez-vous divertir (Let yourself be entertained), to coincide with the rebranding to V on August 31, 2009.
- 2010: Le divertissement à la puissance V (Entertainment with power, V)
See also
- List of French-language Canadian television series
- Television in Quebec
- Culture of QuebecCulture of QuebecThe Culture of Quebec emerged over the last few hundred years, resulting from the shared history of the French-speaking majority in Quebec. It is unique to the Western World; Quebec is the only region in North America with a French-speaking majority, as well as one of only two provinces in Canada...