CHAT-TV
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| CHAT-TV | |
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| Medicine Hat, Alberta | |
| Branding | CHAT TV 6 & 3 |
| Slogan | Television For You |
| Channels | Analog: 6 (VHF), cable 3 |
| Translators | CHAT-TV-1 4 Pivot CHAT-TV-2 6 Maple Creek Saskatchewan CBCA-TV-1 12 Etzikom CHAT-TV-6 4 Richmond, SK |
| Affiliations | CBC |
| 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 privately-owned 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). There is also a tower near Richmound, Sask. (CHAT-TV-6, channel 4) 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 5:30-6:30pm and 11-11:30pm weekdays (with repeat broadcasts at 8am Tuesday-Friday). A 30 minute review of the week's news airs Sunday afternoons and evenings.
[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. CHAT-TV was the fourth television station in Alberta to open, and its launch was presided over by then-premier E.C. Manning.
CHAT-TV's first general manager was R.J. "Bob" Buss. The station operated from a modern studio and office building, and transmitted from a 403-foot tower located at Redcliff, six miles northwest of Medicine Hat. 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, and 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 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 power re-broadcaster was installed 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 1973, 1974, 1983 and 1996 CHAT won the award for "Nice Try at a TV Station" at the annual Canadian Independent Broadcasters convention. In addition to these wins, the station had been finalists for this award on 12 other occasions.
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. David Sherwood took over in 2007 following the retirement of Dwaine Dietrich.
In 2000, the CRTC approved the sale of Monarch's radio and television holdings (including CHAT-TV) to the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, a division of the Jim Pattison Group.
On February 28, 2008, the CRTC announced the approval of disaffilition of CHAT from the CBC effective on August 31, 2008. Documents filed with the CRTC indicate the station will henceforth receive programming from CanWest Global.[1] Global's Calgary station CICT-TV is available on cable in Medicine Hat. However, it does not reach the market over-the-air, while CHAT presently airs selected Global programs simultaneously with CICT. In September CHAT will act as E! affiliate after disaffiliation from the CBC with mainly E! Programing. The CBC also has announced that it has no intentions at this time of establishing a transmitter to continue CBC English service there, although they do have a French transmitter for CBXFT. A similar inaction was taken in Kamloops, British Columbia, after CFJC-TV disaffiliated from the CBC and joined E!. It is unknown at present if CBC-owned CBCA-TV-1 in Etzikom will continue relaying CHAT-TV, or if it will switch to CBRT, the nearest CBC station in Calgary.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2007/pb2007-117.htm Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2007-117, October 18, 2007
[edit] External links
- CHAT TV 6-3
- CHAT-TV history at CCF website
- The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group
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