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CFTO-TV

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CFTO (now identifying as CTV Toronto) is a Canadian television station, licensed to, and serving Toronto, Ontario and surrounding areas. It is the flagship station of the CTV Television Network and one of the charter members of the CTV network when it was launched in 1961. It broadcasts from the CN Tower in Toronto on channel 9 and cable channel 8 with a power output of 316 kW, with two repeater stations:

Prior to 1995, CFTO only had one main transmitter (similar to CFCF and CIVT now), but with its two repeater stations, its signal now reaches all of Central Ontario.

It also transmits on the Bell ExpressVu (channels 212 analog and 800 HD) and Star Choice (channel 314) satellite systems. The station shares its premises with the network's headquarters, which includes studios for the network's news programming (Canada AM, CTV National News and the CTV Newsnet channel), along with CTV's specialty channels. This arrangement had existed even before CFTO's founder, Baton Broadcasting, purchased the network.

CFTO is one of four television stations in Toronto (the others being Global O&O station CIII and OMNI.1 / OMNI.2) that broadcasts descriptive video services for the blind on SAP.

Contents

Programming

Being the flagship station of the CTV network, its schedule is naturally the main CTV schedule. This schedule is also seen on the other CTV stations in Southern Ontario, as CFTO acts as the master control for these stations.

News

CTV Toronto's news programming is aired at noon (Monday to Friday), 6 p.m. and at 11:30 p.m. (all week, 11:30 p.m. bulletin repeated at 5:55 AM Monday to Friday before Canada AM begins). CTV News at 6 is the highest rated local newscast in Toronto - getting approximately 500,000 viewers each newscast. CTV News Toronto is also known for having the most live trucks in the market (multiple satellite and microwave trucks). CTV Toronto is one of three Canadian television stations to own a news helicopter which can broadcast live at 1500ft above land. CTV Toronto's twin chopper is in Vancouver at CTV Vancouver. CTV News also has the most advanced weather technology compared to other Canadian stations which incorporates WSI's TrueView technology and real time doppler radar with zoom and pan capabilities. Moreover, CTV Toronto has bureaus at City Hall, Queen's Park, and downtown Toronto (Front St.). CTV News Toronto has the support of the entire CTV National News Team, it is not uncommon to see live reports from any one of CTV National News bureaus.

Staff

The station has recently rebranded its bulletin as CTV News Toronto, in line with all of CTV's other owned and operated stations, using generic CTV News graphics.

Former Reporters

History

CFTO's, and its founder Baton Broadcasting's history is one that reflects the history of the CTV network itself.

CFTO went on the air for the first time on December 31, 1960 at 10.00 p.m.. The first official day of programming was January 1, 1961. The opening program was a telethon hosted by Joel Aldred, complete with a fireworks ceremony.

The station was originally owned by Baton-Aldred-Rogers Broadcasting, made up of:

The station's original studios and transmitter were located at 1550 McCowan Road.

In March 1961, Joel Aldred sold his interest in CFTO, and on October 1 that year, the station joined the CTV Television Network. In 1970, Ted Rogers sold his interest in CFTO and the Bassett-Eaton group sold their interest in Rogers Cable.

In 1972, Baton Broadcasting began purchasing other CTV affiliates, starting with CFQC-TV Saskatoon. On May 31 1976, CFTO began broadcasting from the CN Tower, while studios remained in Agincourt. CFTO began broadcasting in stereo in 1985.

In 1987, Baton expanded further into Saskatchewan and into CTV, purchasing CKCK-TV Regina, CKOS-TV Yorkton, and CKBI-TV Prince Albert. Through its Nation's Capital Television Inc. subsidiary, Baton applied for a high-power station in Ottawa on channel 60, but these plans were scrapped when they purchased CJOH-TV from Allan Slaight.

In 1990, Baton purchased the MCTV system of twinstick operations in Pembroke, North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, and the Huron Broadcasting twinstick in Sault Ste. Marie. Later on in 1993, Baton purchased CFPL London, CKNX Wingham and CHWI Chatham/Windsor.

In 1994, the Baton Broadcasting System was created when all the CTV-affiliated stations in Ontario were merged into one company, a subsidiary of Baton Broadcasting. The same happened to their Saskatchewan stations. This created a subsystem affiliated with CTV called BBS.

In 1995, CFTO began operating rebroadcast stations at Orillia (channel 21) and Bobcaygeon (near Peterborough, channel 54). In 1996, Baton Broadcasting and Electrohome formed an "strategic alliance", giving Baton 42.9% of CTV. By this time, shares in CTV owned by Moffat Communications in Winnipeg were also acquired.

On February 25 1997, the Baton-Electrohome alliance and CHUM Limited announced that several CTV affiliates would be swapped between them, giving Baton control of CTV. The stations involved were:

This proposal, along with one which would see Baton buy Electrohome, were both approved on August 28, 1997, taking effect a short time later. Also in 1997, Baton were granted a license for a new television station in Vancouver, CIVT-TV, which would begin life as an independent, before switching to CTV in the affiliation shake-up of 2001 (see CHAN).

On January 27, 1998, the Eaton family sold its 41% interest in Baton, and a year later, Baton Broadcasting changed its name to CTV Inc.

With rumours of a takeover impending, Bell Canada Enterprises proposed to buy CTV Inc. for $2.3 billion. This was approved by the CTV board in March 2000. The deal still required CRTC approval, but with the promise of the largest benefits package ever presented to the regulators, the deal was approved on December 7 that year.

The station began providing a digital signal on satellite on November 17, 2003, and on January 30, 2004, CFTO was granted a digital television channel signal, transmitting on channel 40VU from the CN Tower with an ERP of 17,400 watts. In mid 2005, CFTO's CN Tower transmitter began transmitting HDTV over the air. As this is presently the only HDTV feed of the CTV network eminating from eastern or central Canada, CFTO-DT is sometimes known as CTV HD East.

Logos

Image:BBS.jpg|Before the Globemedia takeover, 1994-1998 Image:CFTO Logo.jpg|CFTO's old logo, 1998-2005

Shows produced at CFTO's studios

The CTV Toronto studios are also the main headquarters for the CTV national network and the head administrative office for Bell Globemedia (the parent of CTV). The studios are located at 9 Channel Nine Court near the intersection of Highway 401 & McCowan Road in Agincourt (Scarborough), Ontario, across from the Scarborough Town Centre.

External links

Broadcast television in the Toronto / Hamilton / Niagara Falls, ON market
CKVR 3 (A-Channel) - CBLT 5 (CBC) - CFTO 9 (CTV) - CHCH 11 (CH) - Star Ray TV 15 (Pirate station) - CICA 19 (TVO) - CHEX-2 22 (CBC) - CBLFT 25 (SRC) -
CITS 36 (CTS) - CIII 41/6/55 (Global) - CFMT 47 (OMNI.1) - CKXT 52/45 (SUN TV/Ind.) - CITY 57 (Citytv) - CJMT 69 (OMNI.2)
Local cable television channels
CablePulse 24
See also broadcast television in the , , , , and markets
CTV stations in the province of Ontario
CHBX 2 () - CITO 3 () - CHFD 4 () - CICI 5 () - CFTO 9 (//) - CKNY 10 () - CJBN 13 () - CJOH 13 (/) - CKCO 13 (//)
Note: Stations in bold text are CTV Owned-and-operated stations.
See also: , , and stations in Ontario

 

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