CFCF-TV

Encyclopedia : C : CF : CFC : CFCF-TV

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"CFCF" redirects here. The call sign CFCF was also previously used by CINW (AM) and CFQR-FM.

CFCF-TV (now officially known as CTV Montreal) is a CTV-owned and operated station located in Montreal, Quebec. CFCF broadcasts on channel 12 at a maximum ERP of 316kW.

On cable, CFCF is seen on Videotron channel 11 in the Montreal area, Charter Plattsburgh channel 13 and Adelphia Burlington channel 21; it is also seen on Bell ExpressVu and Star Choice systems on channels 205 and 312 respectively.

Its news bulletins, branded as CTV News (formerly CFCF News, formerly Pulse News), are headed up by Mutsumi Takahashi and Bill Haugland.

The station now airs most of the standard CTV schedule, with some exceptions, due to provincial regulations on advertising during children's programming. Additionally, CFCF airs Access Hollywood in place of Jeopardy!; although no Montreal-area station currently carries Jeopardy!, Access was in place on CFCF before its acquisition by CTV.

As with most Canadian stations, the prime-time schedule is usually synchronized with the original American airings of the same programs because Plattsburgh/Burlington's WPTZ, WVNY, and WCAX are all available on cable in Montreal. CFCF's ratings do generally top all of those stations, as well as the regional CBC affiliate.

Despite having only one transmitter, the station's signal covers from the Laurentian and Lanaudière regions all the way to Plattsburgh, New York. Most cable distributors in Quebec also carry CFCF, as it is the only CTV station in the province. Before 1997, when CHCH and CITY launched rebroadcast transmitters in the Ottawa region, local cable companies there carried CFCF as well. Because CHCH and CFCF were sharing some programs, CFCF was removed from these systems, except for Rogers Cable.

History

CFCF TV was founded by the Canadian Marconi Company, after several failed attempts to gain a license, beginning in 1938, and then each year after World War II. In 1960, they finally gained a license, and began broadcasting on January 20, 1961 at 5.45pm. At the time, the station was co-owned with CFCF-AM and FM, the call letters standing for Canada's First, Canada's Finest, referring to CFCF-AM (now CINW), the first radio station in Canada.

The first night on-air was fraught with problems, a power failure interrupting the opening ceremony, and later on, police raided the downstairs ballroom, with sirens blazing and a number of arrests made. The original studios were located above the Avon Theatre, which caused problems for the news program, Pulse News, because of all the noise from the ballroom downstairs. They moved into their own facilities at 405 Ogilvy Avenue on May 19, and became an affiliate of CTV on October 1.

In 1972, due to new foreign ownership guidelines implemented by the CRTC, CFCF-TV (owned by British Electric through Canadian Marconi) and its sister stations CFCF-AM, CFQR-FM and CFCX-SW were sold to Multiple Access Ltd. Multiple Access didn't really know how to run a radio and television station operation, as they were a computers and communications company, and in 1979, they sold the stations to CFCF Inc, owned by Jean Pouliot.

In 1986, CFCF became a sister station to CFJP, the flagship station of Pouliot's new French language network, Television Quatre-Saisons (TQS). CFCF's profits were used to fund the ailing TQS. Two years later, the radio stations were sold to Mount-Royal Broadcasting, and moved out of the CFCF building a year later. Prior to this period, Pouliot began CF Cable TV, which was the forerunner (of sorts) to Vidéotron.

Financial relief came to the company in the 1990's, thanks to CanWest Global. CanWest Global invested money into the station, in exchange for applying to the CRTC to operate a Global repeater station. However, CanWest Global changed its mind, citing tax problems. This would not be the end of Global's influence at the station.

In the mid-1990's, CanWest Global joined forces with TQS's rival TVA to apply to the CRTC to set up a regional Global network in Quebec. Pouliot was scared by the prospect of new competition and decided to sell his assets. This move caused a shakeup in the local media, because CFCF TV, TQS and CF Cable TV were all up for sale. Vidéotron's bid to buy CFCF Inc was made difficult because they also owned TVA, and had an interest in CKMI-TV, who would be the main station in the regional Global network, as this would be seen as one company owning two English stations in the one large market.

As a result, Vidéotron sold CFCF to WIC, who also owned CHAN and CHEK in British Columbia, CHCH in Ontario and several stations in Alberta. TQS was then sold to Quebecor, and later to Cogeco and Bell Globemedia. But the problems wouldn't end there.

When CanWest Global bought out WIC's broadcast TV assets, it could not keep CFCF (and thus twin stick it with its existing station, CKMI) because Montreal's anglophone population was too small. The station was placed under trusteeship, and had to be sold in short order. CTV's parent company Bell Globemedia bought the station in 2000. With the opening of the Fall 2001 television season, CFCF officially adopted the CTV schedule and all non-CTV shows were dropped. With the exception of local newscasts, which all CTV stations have, and Access Hollywood (which airs weekdays at 7:00 PM), CTV Montréal's program schedule is virtually identical to every other CTV station. On October 3, 2005, the unique "CFCF" name branding used for the station ID and its local news, CFCF-News (formely known as Pulse News), was abolished and simply rebranded "CTV Montreal" and "CTV News". The station has since moved to 1205 Papineau Avenue.

Previous slogans

• More to See
• Taking you to the Stars (1981/82)
• It's All Happening Right Here (1983/84)
• Twelve's the One (1984/85)
• Just Look! Look What's Here on 12. (1985/86)
• More On 12.
• Great Things Going On. (1989-1993)
• The 1 2 Watch. (1993-1997)
• Montreal's 1 2 Watch, CFCF 12. (1997-2001)
• Montreal's 1 2 Watch, CTV. (2001-present; used as a slogan only, no jingle)

External links

• [CTV Montreal]
• [CFCF at TV Hat]