CFRN-TV

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CFRN-TV
Edmonton, Alberta
Branding	CTV Edmonton
Slogan	"Edmonton's News"
Channels	3 (VHF) analog, 2 digital
Affiliations	CTV Television Network (1961-Present)
Owner	Bell Globemedia
Founded	October 25, 1954
Call letters meaning	C F Rice & Nielsen
Former affiliations	CBC (1954-1961)
Transmitter Power	609kW
Website	CTV Edmonton

CFRN-TV (also known as CTV Edmonton) is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Edmonton, Alberta. It is an owned and operated station (O&O) of the CTV Television Network.

Contents 1 History 2 Personalities 3 Images 4 Trivia 5 External link

[edit] History

Signing on at 3:00 pm on October 25th, 1954 on channel 3 with 27,400 watts of power, with one live camera presentation from the transmitter room, CFRN-TV became Alberta's second TV station. The station was owned by Dr. G. R. A."Dick" Rice’s Sunwapta Broadcasting Ltd. (Sunwapta is the Stony Indian word meaning “radiating waves”.) Rice was a pioneer Edmonton broadcaster who put the city's first radio station on the air in 1922. Long time Edmontonians still reminisce about such programs as the Noon Show of the 1950s-60s with Don Brinton, Ed Kay, Norris MacLean and George Kidd. Morning Magazine started when the station went on the air in 1954 with Laura Lindsay who was followed by Virginia Macklin. It became Day by Day with Terry Lynne Meyer who was replaced in 1994 by Seanna Collins. This show halted production June 30, 1996 CFRN-TV is proud of its news heritage and the fact they were the first TV station to do editorials. They were started by news manager, Bill Hogle and continued by Bruce Hogle.

In December, 1956, two years after its inaugural telecast, CFRN-TV increased power to 180,300 watts video and 90,400 watts video.

In 1958, CFRN-TV fed live the opening of the Alberta Legislature, by microwave to a five station Alberta Network.

June 1961, re-broadcasting stations were established at Edson and Carrot Creek.

September 30th, 1961 was the last telecast as a CBC affiliate, with that network establishing its own station in Edmonton.

October 1st of that year, CFRN-TV became an affiliate of the CTV Network via microwave network in hours when the CBC was not using it, and time-delaying programs via videotape.

Two more rebroadcasting stations were added at Whitecourt and Asmont in 1966.

In 1966 network colour transmission started September with local colour facilities for program and commercial production being installed in 1970, and mobile colour television unit became operational in 1975.

More rebroadcasting stations were added at Lac La Biche (1968), Grande Prairie and Peace River (1970), Rocky Mountain House and Crimson Lake (1971), Red Deer (1973) and Slave Lake, Grouard and Lougheed (1979), Jasper (1992) and Athabasca (1993).

In 1974 CFRN-TV moved its transmitter to a new site with a 915 foot tower, with 250,000 watts video.

CFRN TV was sold in 1988 to another pioneering Canadian Company, Electrohome Limited of Kitchener, Ontario founded by a contemporary, Carl A. Pollock.

Starting in 1990, CFRN-TV established regional newscasts with reporters/photographers located in Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray and Red Deer. Twice each weeknight, regional newscasts within the body of Eyewitness News were simultaneously directed to the three aforementioned areas of Alberta.

On February 25, 1992, G. R. A. "Dick" Rice died in his 92nd year.

In 1995, Electrohome and Baton Broadcasting entered into a Strategic Alliance which saw both groups receiving CRTC approval to share ownership of the CFCN-TV operations in Calgary and Lethbridge: the six Saskatchewan TV stations previously owned by Baton alone; and Southern Ontario stations in Kitchener, London and Windsor, all previously solely-owned by Electrohome or Baton.

Ownership change in 1997, when Baton and Electrohome merged, with Baton assuming Electrohomes stations in exchange for Baton Shares.

In February 2000, BCE (Canada telephone giant) through its subsidiary BCE Media, proposed to purchase CTV Inc. for $ 2.3 billion, the largest transaction in Canadian broadcasting.

Later in March the CTV board approved the deal, which required CRTC approval.

The CRTC hearing was held in September and was approved on December 7th.

2001 By this time, CFRN-TV operated CFRN-TV-7 Lougheed; CFRN-TV-3 Whitecourt and its transmitters CFRN-TV-1 Grande Prairie, CFRN-TV-2 Peace River, CFRN-TV-8 Grouard Mission, CFRN-TV-9 Slave Lake and CFRN-TV-11 Jasper; CFRN-TV-4 Ashmont and its transmitters CFRN-TV-5 Lac La Biche and CFRN-TV-12 Athabasca; and CFRN-TV-6 Red Deer and its transmitter CFRN-TV-10 Rocky Mountain House.

2006 On July 21, the CRTC approved an application for ownership restructuring by Bell Globemedia (BGM), parent company of CTV, stemming from a deal in December 2005 that saw two new investors added to the company. Thomson family's Woodbridge Co. Ltd. increased its stake in BGM to 40 per cent from 31.5 per cent, while BCE Inc. reduced its holding to 20 per cent from 68.5 per cent. Two other investors were added to the deal, including Torstar Corp. and Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, each with 20 per cent.

[edit] Personalities

• Courtney Mosentine: weekday morning during Canada AM
• Daryl McIntyre: weekday noon/6pm co-anchor
• Carrie Doll: weekday noon/6pm co-anchor
• Josh Classen: weekday noon/6pm/11:30pm weather presenter
• Marni Kuhlmann: weekday 6pm health news presenter (on maternity leave, replaced by Carmen Leibel)
• Kim Taylor: weekday 11:30pm anchor
• Adam Cook: weekday 6pm/11:30pm sports anchor
• Joel Gotlib: weekend 6pm co-anchor, weekday general assignment reporter
• Erin Isfeld: weekend 6pm co-anchor, weekend 11:30pm anchor, weekday general assignment reporter
• Richard Ozero: weekend 6pm, 11:30pm weather presenter (also fills in for weekday personalities)

[edit] Images

CFRN's old logo, 1998

CFRN's old logo, 1998-2005

CFRN's news open, 2005

[edit] Trivia

• Stemming from an 1990's era station commercial featuring Ellen DeGeneres, the station acquired the nickname 'C-FERN' (pronounced SEE-FERN). The nickname originated from an improv session with the actress lightheartedly taking liberty with the call letters, joking that the station was "television for ferns".

[edit] External link

• CFRN