CHCO-TV

CHCO-TV
St. Andrews, New Brunswick
Branding CHCO-TV
Slogan CHCO-TV lives in Charlotte County
Channels Analog: 26 (UHF) / cable 9
Affiliations independent
Owner St. Andrews Community Channel, Inc.
Founded March 13, 1993 (on cable)
November 1, 2006 (broadcast)
Call letters' meaning CHarlotte COunty Television
Former callsigns CHCT-TV (2006-2012)
Transmitter power 480 W
Website CHCO-TV

CHCO-TV is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in St. Andrews, New Brunswick and serving the Charlotte County area.

History

CHCO-TV launched on March 13, 1993 on Fundy Cable in St. Andrews as the local community access channel. The station subsequently applied for a broadcast license in 2005, which was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on November 23, 2005, and began operation on UHF channel 26 on November 1, 2006 as CHCT-TV.

Charlotte County did not receive digital cable until August 2010 when community television from Saint John became available on cable 10. August 18, 2010 CHCT-TV was moved from cable channel 10 to channel 9, launching a new on-air image as "Truly Local Television".

On July 28, 2012 CHCT-TV's call sign was changed to CHCO-TV.

Today

Although distributed on cable 9, CHCO-TV is the first community LPTV station in New Brunswick to operate independently from the cable television provider. It is also the only locally owned and operated television station in the Province of New Brunswick. CHCO-TV broadcasts local events, town council meetings, local sports, and produces such programs as Fundy Tidings, Unwound, County Connections, The Etiquette Guy, Charlotte County Artisans, Sunbury Shores: This Week, and On Stage.

With the advent of digital technology came the loss for community television stations in the neighboring communities of St. Stephen and St. George. Long time volunteer-operated channels in those communities were replaced in August 2010 by the cable operator's distant community channel in Saint John some 100 kilometers away. Even though these communities receive cable service originating from St. Andrews, CHCO-TV was blocked out by the cable operator by duplicating Provincial Legislature service onto cable 9. At some point in May of 2014, CHCO-TV was re-added to the local cable provider on channel 9.

On December 20, 2012, CHCO-TV was added to the Bell-TV satellite television service on channel 539.

External links