CHAT-TV

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CHAT-TV

Medicine Hat, Alberta
Branding	CHAT TV 6 & 3
Slogan	Television For You
Channels	6 (VHF), cable 3 analog
Affiliations	CBC (primary) Global (secondary)
Owner	Jim Pattison Group
Founded	September 14, 1957
Call letters meaning	C Medicine HAT
Former affiliations	none
Website	CHAT TV

CHAT-TV is a television station in Medicine Hat, Alberta. It is owned by Jim Pattison Group, and operates on VHF channel 6 and cable channel 3.

It is a private affiliate of CBC Television.

It also operates translators in Pivot (CHAT-TV-1, channel 4) and Maple Creek Saskatchewan (CHAT-TV-2, channel 6). Its signal is also transmitted via a CBC-owned repeater in Etzikom (CBCA-TV-1, on channel 12). The station is now carried regionally on Bell ExpressVu Channel 248.

Its programs are sourced mainly from the CBC, but programs from Global, including its soap operas, can be seen on the station. Its news program is called News Watch, and is seen live at 5.30pm and 11.00pm, and repeated at 6.30am weekdays.

[edit] History

CHAT-TV commenced operations in September 14, 1957, with a power output of 5,700 watts visual power and 3,000 watts aural power, on channel 6. The station was owned by J.H. "Hop" Yuill's Monarch Broadcasting Company Ltd, and was co-owned with local station CHAT-AM. The station's launch was presided over by then-premier E.C. Manning, and was the fourth television station in Alberta to open.

CHAT-TV's first general manager was R.J. "Bob" Buss, operating from a modern studio and office building, and a 403-foot tower located ar Redcliff, six miles northwest of Medicine Hat. Along with Bob, Sid Gaffney was the first Chief Engineer and Merv Stone was the Production Manager.

In the beginning, the station began its daily operations at 5.30pm, with the only live programming being the 6pm news bulletin, with the rest of the programming either on film or kinescope from the CBC. Around 10% of the local commercials were done live, with the announcers having to ad-lib enough to last the full 60 seconds.

Other early CHAT-TV staff members that have gone on to bigger and better things include Bernie Pascal, Gary Buss, George Lund, Mike Darow and Duff Roman.

Early local productions of note include Sock-Hop, a teenage dance show, quiz shows such as Teen Challenge and Cartoon Quiz, cooking shows, farming programs, and two music programs, Country Roundup (concentrating on western music), and Music For the Moderns, featuring local musicians.

Later that year, the station joined the CBC's microwave network on December 15, increasing the station's operating hours to 10:00am through to 12:00 midnight.

In 1961, a high powered re-broadcaster was located near Pivot, near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, which improved the station's signal reach.

In 1967, colour programming from the CBC arrived on CHAT, and local colour programs started in February 1971.

In September 1979, the main transmitter was re-located to Bowell, Alberta, and the power output was increased to 36,000 watts video and 3,000 watts audio.

Other re-broadcasters were added in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, and at Oyen, Alberta (owned by the community).

In 1992, W.H. "Bill" Yuill, son of "Hop" Yuill, became the owner and president of CHAT's parent company Monarch Communications Group, which had expanded into other broadcasting and cable properties in Alberta and British Columbia.

Over the years, Bob Buss was followed as General Manager by Orv Kope, Dwaine Dietrich, Brian Ellis, and again by Dwaine Dietrich in 1996.

In 2000, the CRTC approved the purchase of Monarch's radio and television holdings (including CHAT-TV) to the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, a division of the Jim Pattison Group.