Télévision de Radio-Canada
Encyclopedia
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. It is the only francophone
network in Canada
to broadcast over-the-air in all Canadian provinces.
. It has arguably been the more successful of the two as it does not face such immense competition from American
networks. Despite this, it has trailed TVA
in the ratings for most of the last 30 years, roughly as long as its English counterpart has trailed CTV
. It has recently pulled closer with a resurgent schedule, including offbeat sitcoms, and talk show
Tout le monde en parle
.
With this success, however, have come accusations of dumbing down
. For instance, the aforementioned Tout le monde en parle replaced the long-running Sunday night arts series Les Beaux Dimanches.
News programming is anchored by Le Téléjournal
, which airs nightly at 10:00 p.m. Local newscasts, which air during the lunch and supper hours, now also carry the Téléjournal name, i.e., Le Téléjournal Montréal. Originally, the regional newscasts had the name Ce Soir (This Evening).
. The main evening broadcast airs most nights at 10:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. in the Maritimes
). Le Téléjournal is also seen live and as a repeat broadcast on sister cable news channel RDI
and on time-delay worldwide via international francophone
channel TV5
. At present there are no morning newscasts. Local and regional news also takes the Téléjournal name followed by the name of a city, region or province, or by the time of day (for example Le Téléjournal Montréal
, Le Téléjournal Midi, etc.). CBVT-DT Quebec City
, CBLFT-DT Toronto
and CBOFT-DT Ottawa
, and CBAFT-DT in the Atlantic provinces
run local midday bulletins whilst all affiliates run supper-hour bulletins which run from Monday to Fridays, with the exception of CBVT-DT, CBOFT-DT and CBAFT-DT, which run seven days a week.
. Recent shows tested the safety levels of Tasers in the wake of concerns raised after a Polish immigrant died after RCMP police officers fired a Taser in Vancouver International Airport
. Other shows such as Découverte
raised concerns about the safety of overhead bridges in Montreal after the collapse
of a bridge in 2007.
There is also weekly programming on political affairs concerning the National Assembly of Quebec
and the House of Commons with Les coulisses du pouvoir (The Corridors of Power). Science and technology issues are covered in Découverte and agricultural and rural topics in La semaine verte. Consumer affairs are covered in L'épicerie and Facture
matches involving the Montreal Canadiens
, called La Soirée du hockey
. The show was discontinued when broadcast rights reverted to RDS
. Viewers outside of Quebec were able to continue watching games via Radio-Canada stations up until 2006 when RDS became exclusive broadcasters. Radio-Canada were also the home of the Montreal Alouettes
before moving also to RDS.
Occasionally live sports are carried by Radio-Canada including the Montreal Impact soccer club.
Currently, there is only one general sports show for 2011-2012 season: Droit au but on Saturday night.
There was La zone which was broadcasted from Monday to Friday at 11:00 p.m. and was discontinued at the end of 2009-2010 season. The show Tellement sport is on Saturday. Please check the website for more information.
and M pour musique, sketch shows like Les invincibles and Et Dieu créa Laflaque
and dramas such as Les Hauts et les bas de Sophie Paquin
, Virginie
and Tout sur moi.
Tout le monde en parle in particular is a long running talk show imported from the same show of the same name in France and has featured high-profile guests, such as Julie Couillard and former Action démocratique du Québec
leader Mario Dumont
. A weekly music show called Studio 12 makes an appearance on Sundays.
Although the bulk of the prime-time schedule is Quebec-produced, a few dubbed shows from the US also feature in prime-time, such as Perdus
, Beautées désepérées
, and Chère Betty
.
On New Year's Eve, Radio-Canada presents a live comedy special, Bye Bye
, which features musical and comedy guests, performing live.
, Les Schtroumps
, Lizzie McGuire
and La cour de récre amongst Quebec-produced shows such as La vie selon Annie.
Historically the most popular children's show on Radio-Canada was called Passe-Partout
, which was in production for 10 years and broadcast until 1987. It was for some time a co-production with Radio-Québec
and also aired on those networks and TVOntario
.
, where a single station serves all four provinces through an extensive network of rebroadcasters, the network has at least one originating station in every province. These stations serve every major market in French and English Canada, with privately owned affiliate
s serving smaller markets in Quebec.
Unlike CBC Television affiliates, which often have several alternative programming sources, Radio-Canada affiliates are effectively constrained to carry network programming throughout the day in pattern with no preemptions. The only exceptions are for local and regional programming and commercials.
In 2007, Radio-Canada announced its intention to terminate its long-time affiliation with three regional affiliates in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières
, and Saguenay
. These stations were owned by Cogeco
, majority owner of commercial rival TQS (now V). By the end of the year, TQS had filed for bankruptcy; as part of exiting bankruptcy, a deal was announced the following spring for Radio-Canada to directly acquire the stations. The transaction was approved by the CRTC on June 26, 2008. Only the stations in Rouyn-Noranda and Rivière-du-Loup remain as private affiliates, rather than O&Os
.
On February 27, 2009 CBC/Radio-Canada President Hubert Lacroix admitted at the Empire Club of Canada
that the corporation is facing a budget shortfall and as a result some services may be forced to close down and/or stations merged or sold off, saying:
It is not yet clear how the announcement will affect stations owned by either CBC Television or Télévision de Radio-Canada, however it is envisaged that regional news programming may be merged in the regions outside of Quebec.
or TV Hebdo, where space limitations usually require television networks to be referred to by a three-letter abbreviation, the network is normally coded as SRC (for Société Radio-Canada, the French language corporate name of the CBC as a whole.) This has no official standing as a name for the network — although the network did once experiment with using SRC as its on-air brand in the 1990s, it reverted to "Radio-Canada" within a few months. In 2009 Radio-Canada refreshed its branding featuring simply the word "Télévision" underneath the corporate logo; in promos, it merely features the logo, without any wording or slogans.
This particular method of branding can cause slight confusion amongst Canadians as a whole. An exclusive interview with freed murderer Karla Homolka
by Radio-Canada journalist Joyce Napier was hailed as a scoop for "Radio-Canada" in the English-language media. Whilst correct, technically the name "Radio-Canada" refers to the television, radio and internet operations in the French-language, not just "la télévision de Radio-Canada". This same confusion however can extend to CBC Television
, where on-air it is branded simply "CBC".
of Radio-Canada is Julie Miville-Dechêne
, since April 1, 2007. She was preceded by Renaud Gilbert (2000–2007), Marcel Pépin (1997–1999), Mario Cardinal (1993–1997) and Bruno Gauron (1992).
On March 5, 2005, Télévision de Radio-Canada launched an HD
simulcast of its Montreal
station CBFT-DT. Since that time they have also launched HD simulcasts in Quebec City
(CBVT-DT), Ottawa
(CBOFT-DT), Toronto
(CBLFT-DT) and Vancouver
(CBUFT-DT). Radio-Canada 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:
On September 10, 2007, the network (as well as sister cable news network RDI
) began broadcasting all programming solely in the 16:9
aspect ratio
with few exceptions, and began letterbox
ing its widescreen feed for standard definition feeds.
.
Just like its English language
counterpart CBC Television
, Télévision de Radio-Canada stations can be viewed over-the-air in the northern United States
including the border areas of eastern Maine
via CBAFT-DT Moncton; central New England via CKSH-DT Sherbrooke; the border areas of New York State and Vermont
via CBFT-DT Montreal, CBOFT-DT Ottawa-Gatineau or CBLFT-DT Toronto; in Southeastern Michigan
and the Ohio
lakeshore
from CBEFT
Windsor; or in northwest Washington via CBUFT-DT Vancouver.
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...
. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada
Maison Radio-Canada
Maison Radio-Canada is a skyscraper in Montreal, constructed in 1973 as a home for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's operations in Montreal....
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...
, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT. It is the only francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
network in 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...
to broadcast over-the-air in all Canadian provinces.
Programming
This network is considered more populist than its English counterpart CBC TelevisionCBC 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...
. It has arguably been the more successful of the two as it does not face such immense competition from American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
networks. Despite this, it has trailed 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...
in the ratings for most of the last 30 years, roughly as long as its English counterpart has trailed 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...
. It has recently pulled closer with a resurgent schedule, including offbeat sitcoms, and talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
Tout le monde en parle
Tout le monde en parle (Quebec)
Tout le monde en parle is a Quebec talk show hosted and co-produced by Guy A. Lepage, broadcast on Radio-Canada since 2004. It has been adapted from the French show of the same name, created and hosted by Thierry Ardisson.- Concept :...
.
With this success, however, have come accusations of dumbing down
Dumbing down
Dumbing down is a pejorative term for a perceived trend to lower the intellectual content of literature, education, news, and other aspects of culture...
. For instance, the aforementioned Tout le monde en parle replaced the long-running Sunday night arts series Les Beaux Dimanches.
News programming is anchored by Le Téléjournal
Le Téléjournal
Le Téléjournal is the umbrella title used for the television newscasts aired on the Radio-Canada broadcast network. Le Téléjournal has been used since 1970 as the title of the network's flagship newscast, originating from Montreal, Quebec, and considered the French language equivalent of the...
, which airs nightly at 10:00 p.m. Local newscasts, which air during the lunch and supper hours, now also carry the Téléjournal name, i.e., Le Téléjournal Montréal. Originally, the regional newscasts had the name Ce Soir (This Evening).
Le Téléjournal
All Radio-Canada newscasts are broadcast under the name Le TéléjournalLe Téléjournal
Le Téléjournal is the umbrella title used for the television newscasts aired on the Radio-Canada broadcast network. Le Téléjournal has been used since 1970 as the title of the network's flagship newscast, originating from Montreal, Quebec, and considered the French language equivalent of the...
. The main evening broadcast airs most nights at 10:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. in the Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
). Le Téléjournal is also seen live and as a repeat broadcast on sister cable news channel RDI
Réseau de l'information
Réseau de l'information is a Canadian French language Category C news channel operated by CBC/Radio-Canada. RDI began broadcasting on January 1, 1995, and is considered the French-language equivalent of the CBC News Network, also owned by the CBC....
and on time-delay worldwide via international francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
channel TV5
TV5MONDE
TV5MONDE is a global television network, broadcasting several channels of French language programming. It is an approved participant member of the European Broadcasting Union.-History:...
. At present there are no morning newscasts. Local and regional news also takes the Téléjournal name followed by the name of a city, region or province, or by the time of day (for example Le Téléjournal Montréal
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...
, Le Téléjournal Midi, etc.). CBVT-DT 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...
, CBLFT-DT Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and CBOFT-DT 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...
, and CBAFT-DT in the Atlantic provinces
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
run local midday bulletins whilst all affiliates run supper-hour bulletins which run from Monday to Fridays, with the exception of CBVT-DT, CBOFT-DT and CBAFT-DT, which run seven days a week.
Current affairs
Investigative reporting is broadcast weekly as EnquêteEnquête
Enquête is a Canadian television newsmagazine series, which airs weekly on Radio-Canada and RDI. The show is anchored by Alain Gravel, and includes contributions from journalists Hélène Courchesne, Josée Dupuis, Sylvie Fournier, Guy Gendron, Normand Grondin, Solveig Miller, Madeleine Roy,...
. Recent shows tested the safety levels of Tasers in the wake of concerns raised after a Polish immigrant died after RCMP police officers fired a Taser in Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
. Other shows such as Découverte
Découverte
Découverte is a French language Canadian television series which airs on SRC and is hosted by Charles Tisseyre. The series airs news and documentary features relating to science and technology.-External links:*...
raised concerns about the safety of overhead bridges in Montreal after the collapse
De la Concorde overpass collapse
On September 30, 2006, part of an overpass collapsed in Laval, a suburb of Montreal, on Boulevard de la Concorde running over Autoroute 19. The collapse crushed two vehicles under it, killing five people and seriously injuring six others who went over the edge while travelling on the overpass...
of a bridge in 2007.
There is also weekly programming on political affairs concerning the National Assembly of Quebec
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
and the House of Commons with Les coulisses du pouvoir (The Corridors of Power). Science and technology issues are covered in Découverte and agricultural and rural topics in La semaine verte. Consumer affairs are covered in L'épicerie and Facture
Sports
From 1952 up until 2004 the network was home to weekly French-language broadcasts of ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
matches involving 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 ...
, called La Soirée du hockey
La Soirée du hockey
La Soirée du hockey was a popular ice hockey show in Quebec. It was the French language SRC equivalent of the English Canadian CBC show Hockey Night in Canada...
. The show was discontinued when broadcast rights reverted to 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....
. Viewers outside of Quebec were able to continue watching games via Radio-Canada stations up until 2006 when RDS became exclusive broadcasters. Radio-Canada were also the home of the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
before moving also to RDS.
Occasionally live sports are carried by Radio-Canada including the Montreal Impact soccer club.
Currently, there is only one general sports show for 2011-2012 season: Droit au but on Saturday night.
There was La zone which was broadcasted from Monday to Friday at 11:00 p.m. and was discontinued at the end of 2009-2010 season. The show Tellement sport is on Saturday. Please check the website for more information.
Entertainment
The most popular entertainment shows on the network are variety shows such as Tout le monde en parleTout le monde en parle (Quebec)
Tout le monde en parle is a Quebec talk show hosted and co-produced by Guy A. Lepage, broadcast on Radio-Canada since 2004. It has been adapted from the French show of the same name, created and hosted by Thierry Ardisson.- Concept :...
and M pour musique, sketch shows like Les invincibles and Et Dieu créa Laflaque
Et Dieu créa Laflaque
Et Dieu créa... Laflaque is a satirical show on Quebec television that comments on current events by the favour of the show's main character, Gérard D. Laflaque, a stereotypical, family father and an announcer. Created by the cartoonist Serge Chapleau, he is broadcast on a weekly basis since 2004...
and dramas such as Les Hauts et les bas de Sophie Paquin
Les Hauts et les bas de Sophie Paquin
Les Hauts et les bas de Sophie Paquin is a Canadian television comedy-drama series, which premiered on Radio-Canada in 2006...
, Virginie
Virginie
Virginie was a French-language Canadian television series that aired Monday through Thursday on Radio-Canada . It debuted in 1996. The show examined the public and private lives of teachers, students, and families at the fictional Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc high school...
and Tout sur moi.
Tout le monde en parle in particular is a long running talk show imported from the same show of the same name in France and has featured high-profile guests, such as Julie Couillard and former Action démocratique du Québec
Action démocratique du Québec
The Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....
leader 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...
. A weekly music show called Studio 12 makes an appearance on Sundays.
Although the bulk of the prime-time schedule is Quebec-produced, a few dubbed shows from the US also feature in prime-time, such as Perdus
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, Beautées désepérées
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
, and Chère Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
.
On New Year's Eve, Radio-Canada presents a live comedy special, Bye Bye
Bye Bye (TV series)
Bye Bye is a Quebecois New Year's Eve sketch comedy special broadcast by Radio-Canada. The yearly program features sketches satirizing the past year's events, followed by a countdown to the next year itself...
, which features musical and comedy guests, performing live.
Children
Children's programming airs in the morning and feature animated series such as Kim PossibleKim Possible
Kim Possible is an American animated television series about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day. The show is action-oriented, but also has a light-hearted atmosphere and often lampoons the conventions and clichés of the...
, Les Schtroumps
The Smurfs
The Smurfs is a comic and television franchise centred on a group of small blue fictional creatures called Smurfs, created and first introduced as a series of comic strips by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo on October 23, 1958...
, Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire is an American teen sitcom which premiered on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001 and ended February 14, 2004. A total of 65 episodes were produced and aired. Its target demographic was preteens and adolescents...
and La cour de récre amongst Quebec-produced shows such as La vie selon Annie.
Historically the most popular children's show on Radio-Canada was called Passe-Partout
Passe-Partout
Passe-Partout was a Quebec French language children's television program produced by Radio-Québec that was in production from 1977 to 1987. It aired on Radio-Québec, Radio-Canada and TVOntario, lasting on some networks until 1998...
, which was in production for 10 years and broadcast until 1987. It was for some time a co-production with Radio-Québec
Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec is a French language public educational television network in the Canadian province of Quebec. Known legally as Société de télédiffusion du Québec , it is a provincial crown corporation owned by the Government of Quebec...
and also aired on those networks and TVOntario
TVOntario
TVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
.
Regional programming
Non-news regional programming exists, and is usually programmed for broadcast on weekends, however it is limited to arts and culture and typically airs outside of Quebec, especially in Acadia and the Western provinces. For example Zeste broadcasts on stations in the Western provinces on Saturday early evenings, while Luc et Luc airs Sunday evenings in the Maritimes.Stations and affiliates
Of Canada's three major French-language television networks, Radio-Canada is the only one that broadcasts terrestrially in all Canadian provinces. With the exception of Atlantic CanadaAtlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
, where a single station serves all four provinces through an extensive network of rebroadcasters, the network has at least one originating station in every province. These stations serve every major market in French and English Canada, with privately owned affiliate
Affiliate
An affiliate is a commercial entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity.- Corporate structure :A corporation may be referred to as an affiliate of another when it is related to it but not strictly controlled by it, as with a subsidiary relationship, or when it is desired to avoid...
s serving smaller markets in Quebec.
Unlike CBC Television affiliates, which often have several alternative programming sources, Radio-Canada affiliates are effectively constrained to carry network programming throughout the day in pattern with no preemptions. The only exceptions are for local and regional programming and commercials.
In 2007, Radio-Canada announced its intention to terminate its long-time affiliation with three regional affiliates in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-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...
, and Saguenay
Saguenay, Quebec
Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
. These stations were owned by Cogeco
Cogeco
Cogeco Inc. is a Canadian media and communications company. The name is an acronym for Compagnie Générale de Communication .-History:...
, majority owner of commercial rival TQS (now V). By the end of the year, TQS had filed for bankruptcy; as part of exiting bankruptcy, a deal was announced the following spring for Radio-Canada to directly acquire the stations. The transaction was approved by the CRTC on June 26, 2008. Only the stations in Rouyn-Noranda and Rivière-du-Loup remain as private affiliates, rather than O&Os
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...
.
On February 27, 2009 CBC/Radio-Canada President Hubert Lacroix admitted at the Empire Club of Canada
Empire Club of Canada
The Empire Club of Canada is a Canadian speakers' forum. Established in 1903, the Empire Club has provided a forum for over 3,500 speakers.Through a variety of presentation formats, the Empire Club invites local, national and international leaders and other change-agents to address the topical...
that the corporation is facing a budget shortfall and as a result some services may be forced to close down and/or stations merged or sold off, saying:
"La crise économique nous force à revoir toutes les facettes de nos activités."
("The economic crisis forced us to review all facets of our activities.")
It is not yet clear how the announcement will affect stations owned by either CBC Television or Télévision de Radio-Canada, however it is envisaged that regional news programming may be merged in the regions outside of Quebec.
Slogans and branding
In television listings such as TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
or TV Hebdo, where space limitations usually require television networks to be referred to by a three-letter abbreviation, the network is normally coded as SRC (for Société Radio-Canada, the French language corporate name of the CBC as a whole.) This has no official standing as a name for the network — although the network did once experiment with using SRC as its on-air brand in the 1990s, it reverted to "Radio-Canada" within a few months. In 2009 Radio-Canada refreshed its branding featuring simply the word "Télévision" underneath the corporate logo; in promos, it merely features the logo, without any wording or slogans.
This particular method of branding can cause slight confusion amongst Canadians as a whole. An exclusive interview with freed murderer Karla Homolka
Karla Homolka
Karla Leanne Homolka, also known as Karla Leanne Teale , is a Canadian serial killer. She attracted worldwide media attention when she was convicted of manslaughter following a plea bargain in the 1991 and 1992 rape-murders of two Ontario teenage girls, Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, as well as...
by Radio-Canada journalist Joyce Napier was hailed as a scoop for "Radio-Canada" in the English-language media. Whilst correct, technically the name "Radio-Canada" refers to the television, radio and internet operations in the French-language, not just "la télévision de Radio-Canada". This same confusion however can extend to CBC Television
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...
, where on-air it is branded simply "CBC".
Slogans
- 1983-1985(?): "Vous méritez ce qu'il y'a de mieux"
- 1989-1990: "Pour Vous Avant Tout"
- 1994-2006 (System cue/closedown): "Le réseau national" (The national network)
- 1992-Fall 2004: Ici Radio-Canada (This is Radio-Canada): This is what the announcer said during the system cueStation identificationStation identification is the practice of radio or television stations or networks identifying themselves on air, typically by means of a call sign or brand name...
, when the network logo is displayed on-screen, but in the early-2000s, it became a promotional slogan in its own right. - 2005: Vous allez voir (You are going to see/You will see).
- 2006: Ici comme dans la vie (Here as in life) and Radio-Canada, source d'information (Radio-Canada, source of information) for news promos.
- 2007: On l'aime déjà (We already love it)
- 2008: Bienvenue à Radio-Canada
- 2009: Mon monde est à Radio-Canada (My world is on Radio-Canada)
Ombudsmen
The current ombudsmanOmbudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
of Radio-Canada is Julie Miville-Dechêne
Julie Miville-Dechêne
Julie Miville-Dechêne is a Canadian civil servant. She is the current ombudsman of Radio-Canada, from April 1, 2007, to July 31th, 2011.-External links:*...
, since April 1, 2007. She was preceded by Renaud Gilbert (2000–2007), Marcel Pépin (1997–1999), Mario Cardinal (1993–1997) and Bruno Gauron (1992).
High-definition television
High-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
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...
station CBFT-DT. Since that time they have also launched HD simulcasts 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...
(CBVT-DT), 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...
(CBOFT-DT), Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(CBLFT-DT) and 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,...
(CBUFT-DT). Radio-Canada 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:
- Quebec City: 12 (11.1)
- Montreal: 19 (2.1)
- Ottawa: 22 (9.1)
- Toronto: 24 (25.1)
- Vancouver: 26 (26.1)
On September 10, 2007, the network (as well as sister cable news network RDI
Réseau de l'information
Réseau de l'information is a Canadian French language Category C news channel operated by CBC/Radio-Canada. RDI began broadcasting on January 1, 1995, and is considered the French-language equivalent of the CBC News Network, also owned by the CBC....
) began broadcasting all programming solely in the 16:9
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
aspect ratio
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
with few exceptions, and began letterbox
Letterbox
Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it; these mattes are part of the image...
ing its widescreen feed for standard definition feeds.
International coverage
Certain shows such as Virginie and Le Téléjournal are carried on international francophone channel TV5MONDETV5MONDE
TV5MONDE is a global television network, broadcasting several channels of French language programming. It is an approved participant member of the European Broadcasting Union.-History:...
.
Just like its English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
counterpart CBC Television
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...
, Télévision de Radio-Canada stations can be viewed over-the-air in the northern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
including the border areas of eastern Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
via CBAFT-DT Moncton; central New England via CKSH-DT Sherbrooke; the border areas of New York State and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
via CBFT-DT Montreal, CBOFT-DT Ottawa-Gatineau or CBLFT-DT Toronto; in Southeastern Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and the Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
lakeshore
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
from CBEFT
CBEFT
CBEFT is Radio-Canada's transmitter serving Franco-Ontarians in Windsor. Previously licensed as a standalone television station, it is currently a semi-satellite of CBLFT-DT in Toronto.-History:...
Windsor; or in northwest Washington via CBUFT-DT Vancouver.