CFCF-TV
Encyclopedia
CFCF-DT is a CTV
-owned and operated station located in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. Until August 30, 2011, CFCF broadcasted an analogue signal on channel 12 at a maximum ERP
of 325 kW.
. In 1960, it finally gained a licence, and began broadcasting on January 20, 1961
at 5.45pm. It was the second privately-owned English-language station in Quebec; CKMI-TV
in Quebec City
had signed on four years earlier.
The station was originally located above the Avon Theatre. The first night on-air was fraught with problems. A power failure interrupted the opening ceremony, and later on, police raided the downstairs ballroom, with sirens blazing and a number of arrests made. The station's newscast, Pulse News, faced a few problems because of the noise from the ballroom. CFCF-AM-FM-TV moved into their own facilities at 405 Ogilvy Avenue in Montreal's Park Extension
neighborhood on May 19.
Channel 12 joined CTV as a charter affiliate on October 1. However, its relationship with CTV was somewhat acrimonious over the years, in part because it felt CTV's flagship station, CFTO-TV
in Toronto
, had too much influence over the network. This rivalry even dated to preferred alliances with American networks, with CFCF-TV preferring NBC
(due to CFCF-AM's long-time co-affiliation with NBC Radio) and CFTO-TV preferring ABC
(as ABC was an original junior partner owner of CFTO-TV, and John Bassett, Baton's owner, had trained with ABC's Detroit and New York affiliates). Both stations had some ties with CBS
, notwithstanding CBS' relationship with CBC/Radio-Canada for news.
.
Multiple Access bought the stations after the CRTC refused to approve purchase offers by Baton Broadcasting (after other CTV partners rejected this sale, and Baton's not wanting to purchase the radio operations only—and due historical rivalries between Baton and CFCF), and by CHUM Limited
(because of indecision over which radio stations would be sold to meet radio ownership limits in Montreal). Multiple Access also was co-owner of CITY-TV
in Toronto (with CHUM) during this time. (Both Baton and CHUM-CITY became CTVglobemedia, which was later in turn became Bell Media, the current owner of CFCF).
. Later on, the station began broadcasting a 24/7 schedule full of classic TV shows and movies on late nights, because of the popularity of VHS
and Betamax
VCRs by that time. As of today, the station now airs mostly infomercials on late nights.
This came after a deal by Baton (this time a willing partner) to purchase Multiple Access Montreal operations fell through. CHUM successfully purchased Multiple Access' Toronto operations (its share of CITY-TV).
CFCF Inc., expanded to include the assets of CF Cable TV
, acquired by Pouliot in 1982,
went public in 1985.
In 1986, CFCF gained a sister station: CFJP-TV
, the flagship station of Pouliot's new French language network, Television Quatre-Saisons (TQS, now V). 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.
. This would not be the end of Global's influence at the station.
In 1997, TVA
sold an interest in CKMI to Canwest. The two companies announced plans to turn CKMI into a Global station, along with a CKMI repeater in Montreal and a large studio complex in Montreal. Pouliot was scared by the prospect of new competition and decided to sell his assets to Vidéotron. However, Vidéotron also owned TVA, which retained a half-interest in CKMI. This would have resulted in one company having a significant stake in all of the private stations in Montreal—CFCF, CKMI, CFJP and TVA flagship CFTM-TV
.
As a result, Vidéotron sold CFCF to Western International Communications
(WIC), who also owned CHAN
and CHEK
in British Columbia
, CHCH
in Ontario
and several stations in Alberta
. Over the next few years, CFCF would limit its carriage of CTV programming to little more than its contractually-required 40 hours per week, relying on WIC's library of programming to fill out the schedule, due in large part to the historical tensions between WIC and Baton Broadcasting, the new owners of the CTV network. Meanwhile, TQS was sold to Quebecor
, and later to Cogeco
and Bell Globemedia
(which later became CTVglobemedia and now known as Bell Media).
CanWest bought WIC's television assets in 2000. However, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) would not allow CFCF to be twinstick
ed with CKMI because Montreal's Anglophone population was too small (though it allowed CanWest to keep CJNT-TV
, a multicultural station WIC had bought a year earlier). The station was placed under trusteeship, and had to be sold in short order. In 2001, amid all these wranglings over ownership, Bell Globemedia, owner of CTV, bought the station. With the opening of the Fall 2001 television season, CFCF officially adopted the CTV schedule and all non-CTV shows were dropped. The station also adopted a new golden call letter logo similar to all other CTV owned stations, as well as similar promo and newscast graphics. After 40 years of being master of its own house to a large degree, CFCF lost much of that independence and maneuverability through the CTV/Bell Globemedia deal.
With the exception of local newscasts, which all CTV stations have, CFCF's program schedule is identical to every other CTV station. On October 3, 2005, the unique "CFCF" name used for the station ID and its local news, CFCF News (formerly known as Pulse News until the Bell Globemedia purchase), was abolished and simply renamed "CTV" and "CTV News". So strong was the "Pulse" brand-name that even years after it was eliminated, many viewers still refer to the newscast as "Pulse". This renaming to "CTV News" was done at all affiliates across the country — to provide a common brand for the entire network. In 2003, CTV Montreal moved to 1205 Papineau Avenue in the eastern part of downtown
, and the master control operations were moved to 9 Channel Nine Court
, the home of CTV flagship CFTO-TV in Toronto. The area has now become Montreal's (and French Canada's) main media district; CBC
, Global
, RDS
, V and TVA
are all within several blocks.
By 2005, Bell Globemedia was considered to be a non-core asset by parent company BCE (Bell Canada Enterprises) and was sold to a group of investors, which includes the Thomson family. The Bell Globemedia group (made up of the entire CTV Network, as well as the Globe and Mail newspaper and a variety of other channels and media assets) was renamed "CTVGlobemedia" in late-2006. In April 2011 BCE bought full ownership of CTVGlobemedia and changed the name to "Bell Media".
The new media giant also acquired CHUM Limited
's holdings in 2006, including the A-Channel stations, MuchMusic and a variety of other specialty channels. But the CHUM deal has also raised serious questions about the high degree of media concentration in Canada. This new conglomerate now owns more than one TV station in several Canadian markets — increasing the worry about job losses and cutbacks.
CFCF has always been the number one, top-rated television station for Anglophone Quebecers. As well, a significant number of bilingual Francophones also watch CFCF — for both programming and news — although CFTM
(TVA
), CFJP
(V
) and CBFT
(Radio-Canada
) are the obvious market leaders for Quebec's French community.
CFCF's schedule is now identical to flagship CTV station CFTO-TV
in Toronto, with the only minor difference being Dr. Phil
and The Dr. Oz Show
switching their respective time slots. The Dr. Oz Show airs weekdays at 3:00 p.m (5:00 p.m on CFTO) and Dr. Phil airs on weekdays at 5:00 p.m (3:00 p.m on CFTO).
Until March 10, 2009, CFCF aired a local 6AM morning newscast, First News, pre-empting the first half hour of Canada AM
; anchored by Herb Luft, it was cancelled in favor of an early start for Canada AM, which will now be seen in its entirety starting at 6AM. Morning news briefs have also been cancelled. Luft will continue his role as reporter for the station. These cancellations are a part of continuing cutbacks made by CTV due to the economic crisis
. Another cut was Telethon of Stars (1977–2009) that aired during the first weekend of December, consecutively, for 32 years. As of December 2010, Telethon of Stars can only be seen through the Internet (via an 8-hour webcast
), with no television equivalent aired.
On August 5, 2009, CTV camera operator, 44-year-old Hugh Haugland was killed after a helicopter crash near Mont-Laurier
about 240 kilometres from Montreal, Haugland was shooting footage of the destruction left behind by a tornado that touched down in the area on August 4, 2009. The other person killed in the crash was Roger Belanger, a veteran pilot and local businessman who was in his 60s.
Most recently, the station began airing promos for Bell Media's secondary television network, CTV Two, despite the fact that CTV Two stations are only available on satellite, with no Quebec locations.
channel 11 in the Montreal area (channel 7 in SD and channel 607 in HD on digital cable), Charter
Plattsburgh channel 13 and Comcast
Burlington
channel 21; it is also seen on Bell TV via channels 205 (SD) and 1031 (HD), Shaw Direct via channel 312, and on Bell Fibe via channels 205 (SD) and 1205 (HD). Most cable distributors in Quebec also carry CFCF, as it is the only CTV station in the province. Despite having only one transmitter, its signal reaches all the way to the Laurentides and Lanaudière
regions, and also decently covers the Champlain Valley
region in Vermont
and New York
.
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
.
s during ad breaks. As well, CFCF did not carry either Wheel of Fortune
or Jeopardy!
when these were part of the standard CTV schedule; both were picked up by CBC
nationally in fall 2008.
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
, WFFF-TV
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 Montreal
station.
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CFCF's newscasts, CTV News (formerly CFCF News, formerly Pulse News), are headed up by the main weekday Noon and 6 p.m. anchors Mutsumi Takahashi
& Todd van der Heyden
, News at 11:30 with Catherine Sherriffs, and Weekend News at 6 p.m. Tarah Schwartz & Paul Karwatsky and Weekend News 11:30 p.m. with Paul Karwatsky. CTV Montreal produces 19 newscasts each week. CFCF also houses CTV's National Montreal News Bureau.
One of its most famous anchors, Bill Haugland
, is now retired; his last show aired on November 30, 2006. Bill worked at CFCF for more than 40 years. He covered major stories in the 1960s and 1970s before becoming the lead anchor at CFCF in the late-1970s. Bill was an institution and in a special "Farewell to Bill" show broadcast on his final day, he was heralded by colleagues, viewers and former prime ministers alike. Another veteran newscaster, Brian Britt, who replaced Bill Haugland in 2006 when he retired, retired in July of 2008, and was then fully replaced by Todd van der Heyden
. Britt's last broadcast was on July 24, 2008. On May 11, 2011, it was announced that long time late night news anchor Debra Arbec
left the station to become the main anchor at CBC Montreal
. Various other anchors filled in the void for the remainder of May and then June 2011. CTV reporter/former CJAD & CJFM news announcer Catherine Sherriffs became Arbec's permenant replacement on July 4, 2011.
Weather team
Sports team
Reporters
On August 31, 2011, the deadline for the analogue television shutdown and digital conversion
, CFCF shut down its analog signal and temporary digital transmitter just after its late night newscast and began its final full power digital transmission on channel 12.
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
-owned and operated station located in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Until August 30, 2011, CFCF broadcasted an analogue signal on channel 12 at a maximum ERP
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 325 kW.
Canadian Marconi Company (1961–1972)
CFCF-TV was founded by the Canadian Marconi Company owner of CFCF radio (AM 600, later CINW on AM 940 before its closure in 2010; and FM 106.5, now CKBE-FM at 92.5) after several failed attempts to gain a licence, beginning in 1938, and then each year after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1960, it finally gained a licence, and began broadcasting on January 20, 1961
1961 in television
The year 1961 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1961.For the American TV schedule, see: 1961-62 American network television schedule.-Events:...
at 5.45pm. It was the second privately-owned English-language station in Quebec; CKMI-TV
CKMI-TV
CKMI-DT-1 is the Global Television Network owned-and-operated station in Quebec.Originally a privately owned CBC Television affiliate in Quebec City, the station moved most of its operations to Montreal in 1997 after launching a rebroadcaster there and becoming a Global affiliate as Global Quebec...
in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
had signed on four years earlier.
The station was originally located above the Avon Theatre. The first night on-air was fraught with problems. A power failure interrupted the opening ceremony, and later on, police raided the downstairs ballroom, with sirens blazing and a number of arrests made. The station's newscast, Pulse News, faced a few problems because of the noise from the ballroom. CFCF-AM-FM-TV moved into their own facilities at 405 Ogilvy Avenue in Montreal's Park Extension
Park Extension
Park Extension is a neighbourhood in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is located in the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension and has a population of 35,000 and an area of 1.6 km². The name derives from the fact that it is situated at the north end of Park Avenue and is literally an...
neighborhood on May 19.
Channel 12 joined CTV as a charter affiliate on October 1. However, its relationship with CTV was somewhat acrimonious over the years, in part because it felt CTV's flagship station, CFTO-TV
CFTO-TV
CFTO-DT, broadcast on channel 9 and cable 8, is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Currently branded as CTV Toronto, it is the flagship station of the CTV Television Network, and was one of the charter members of the network when it was launched in 1961. It...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, had too much influence over the network. This rivalry even dated to preferred alliances with American networks, with CFCF-TV preferring NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(due to CFCF-AM's long-time co-affiliation with NBC Radio) and CFTO-TV preferring ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
(as ABC was an original junior partner owner of CFTO-TV, and John Bassett, Baton's owner, had trained with ABC's Detroit and New York affiliates). Both stations had some ties with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, notwithstanding CBS' relationship with CBC/Radio-Canada for news.
Multiple Access (1972–1979)
In 1972, because of new foreign ownership guidelines implemented by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), CFCF-TV (owned by General Electric Canada through Canadian Marconi/The General Electric Company (UK), Ltd.) and its sister stations CFCF-AM, CFQR-FM and CFCX-SW were sold to computer and telecommunications company Multiple Access Ltd., owned by the Bronfman familyBronfman family
The Bronfman family is a Canadian Jewish family. It owes its initial fame to Samuel Bronfman , who made a fortune in the alcoholic distilled beverage business during the 20th century through the family's Seagram Company. The family is of Russian Jewish and Romanian Jewish ancestry...
.
Multiple Access bought the stations after the CRTC refused to approve purchase offers by Baton Broadcasting (after other CTV partners rejected this sale, and Baton's not wanting to purchase the radio operations only—and due historical rivalries between Baton and CFCF), and by CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited was a media company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 1945 to 2007. Immediately prior to its acquisition, it held full or joint control of two Canadian television systems — Citytv and A-Channel — comprising 11 local stations, and one CBC Television affiliate, one...
(because of indecision over which radio stations would be sold to meet radio ownership limits in Montreal). Multiple Access also was co-owner of CITY-TV
CITY-TV
CITY-DT, Channel 57 , is a television station based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada owned and operated by Rogers Media...
in Toronto (with CHUM) during this time. (Both Baton and CHUM-CITY became CTVglobemedia, which was later in turn became Bell Media, the current owner of CFCF).
CFCF Inc. (1979-1990s)
In 1979, Multiple Access sold the stations and its production company, Champlain Productions, to CFCF Inc., headed by Jean PouliotJean Pouliot
Jean Adélard Pouliot, OC was a Canadian broadcasting pioneer who helped establish television stations in Kitchener, Ontario, and Quebec City, Quebec...
. Later on, the station began broadcasting a 24/7 schedule full of classic TV shows and movies on late nights, because of the popularity of VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and Betamax
Betamax
Betamax was a consumer-level analog videocassette magnetic tape recording format developed by Sony, released on May 10, 1975. The cassettes contain -wide videotape in a design similar to the earlier, professional wide, U-matic format...
VCRs by that time. As of today, the station now airs mostly infomercials on late nights.
This came after a deal by Baton (this time a willing partner) to purchase Multiple Access Montreal operations fell through. CHUM successfully purchased Multiple Access' Toronto operations (its share of CITY-TV).
CFCF Inc., expanded to include the assets of CF Cable TV
CF Cable
CF Cable was a Canadian cable company, which served parts of Montreal, Laval and western suburbs on the Island of Montreal. The company was owned by CFCF, a television station in Montreal....
, acquired by Pouliot in 1982,
went public in 1985.
In 1986, CFCF gained a sister station: CFJP-TV
CFJP-TV
CFJP-DT is the callsign for V's flagship television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.The station was originally owned by the family of Jean Pouliot, then-owner of CFCF. It was acquired by Cogeco in 2001 concurrently with Cogeco's acquisition of the network...
, the flagship station of Pouliot's new French language network, Television Quatre-Saisons (TQS, now V). 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.
CanWest Global and Videotron (1990s)
Financial relief came to the company in the 1990s, thanks to CanWest Global. CanWest Global invested money into the station, in exchange for applying to the CRTC to operate a Global repeater station in Montreal. However, CanWest Global changed its mind, citing tax problems. It did, however, allow CFCF to carry some Global programs; it was already airing some programming from CitytvCitytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
. This would not be the end of Global's influence at the station.
In 1997, TVA
TVA (TV network)
TVA is a privately owned French language television network in Canada. The network is currently owned by Groupe TVA Inc. , a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
sold an interest in CKMI to Canwest. The two companies announced plans to turn CKMI into a Global station, along with a CKMI repeater in Montreal and a large studio complex in Montreal. Pouliot was scared by the prospect of new competition and decided to sell his assets to Vidéotron. However, Vidéotron also owned TVA, which retained a half-interest in CKMI. This would have resulted in one company having a significant stake in all of the private stations in Montreal—CFCF, CKMI, CFJP and TVA flagship CFTM-TV
CFTM-TV
CFTM-DT channel 10, is the flagship of the TVA television network, located in Montreal, Quebec.-History:It opened on February 19, 1961, a few weeks after CFCF-TV went on the air for the first time. It was owned by Joseph Alexandre DeSève and his company, Télé-Métropole...
.
As a result, Vidéotron sold CFCF to Western International Communications
Western International Communications
WIC Western International Communications Ltd.The apparent occurrence of "RAS syndrome" here was in fact part of the company's legal name. was a Canadian media company that operated from 1982 to 2000, with operations including broadcast and specialty television, radio, and satellite distribution via...
(WIC), who also owned CHAN
CHAN-TV
CHAN-DT is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, broadcasting over-the-air on digital channel 22, and available via cable providers in the area on channel 11. Owned by Shaw Communications as a part of its Shaw Media division, it is the West Coast flagship station of the...
and CHEK
CHEK-TV
CHEK-DT, channel 6.1, is a television station based in Victoria, British Columbia and broadcasting to all of southwestern BC...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, CHCH
CHCH-TV
CHCH-DT, channel 11, is a television station originating in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with transmitters located throughout Ontario. CHCH currently operates as an independent station, having previously served as a CBC Television affiliate, and more recently as the flagship station of the...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and several stations in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Over the next few years, CFCF would limit its carriage of CTV programming to little more than its contractually-required 40 hours per week, relying on WIC's library of programming to fill out the schedule, due in large part to the historical tensions between WIC and Baton Broadcasting, the new owners of the CTV network. Meanwhile, TQS was sold to Quebecor
Quebecor
Quebecor Inc. is a communications company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Pierre Péladeau, and remains run by his family. Quebecor Inc. owns 55% of Quebecor Media Inc...
, and later to Cogeco
Cogeco
Cogeco Inc. is a Canadian media and communications company. The name is an acronym for Compagnie Générale de Communication .-History:...
and Bell Globemedia
Bell Globemedia
Bell Media is the mass media subsidiary of BCE . Its operations include television broadcasting and production , radio broadcasting , Digital Media, and Internet properties.Bell Media is the successor-in-interest to Baton Broadcasting...
(which later became CTVglobemedia and now known as Bell Media).
CTV (2001-present)
Twinstick
A twinstick, in Canadian broadcasting, is a term for two television stations, broadcasting in the same market, which are owned by the same company...
ed with CKMI because Montreal's Anglophone population was too small (though it allowed CanWest to keep CJNT-TV
CJNT-TV
CJNT-DT is a Canadian multicultural television station in Montreal, Quebec. The station is owned and operated by Channel Zero and uses the on-air brand Metro 14.-History:...
, a multicultural station WIC had bought a year earlier). The station was placed under trusteeship, and had to be sold in short order. In 2001, amid all these wranglings over ownership, Bell Globemedia, owner of CTV, bought the station. With the opening of the Fall 2001 television season, CFCF officially adopted the CTV schedule and all non-CTV shows were dropped. The station also adopted a new golden call letter logo similar to all other CTV owned stations, as well as similar promo and newscast graphics. After 40 years of being master of its own house to a large degree, CFCF lost much of that independence and maneuverability through the CTV/Bell Globemedia deal.
With the exception of local newscasts, which all CTV stations have, CFCF's program schedule is identical to every other CTV station. On October 3, 2005, the unique "CFCF" name used for the station ID and its local news, CFCF News (formerly known as Pulse News until the Bell Globemedia purchase), was abolished and simply renamed "CTV" and "CTV News". So strong was the "Pulse" brand-name that even years after it was eliminated, many viewers still refer to the newscast as "Pulse". This renaming to "CTV News" was done at all affiliates across the country — to provide a common brand for the entire network. In 2003, CTV Montreal moved to 1205 Papineau Avenue in the eastern part of downtown
Downtown Montreal
Downtown Montreal is the central business district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is nearly enitirely located at the southern most slope of Mount Royal and is approximately bounded by Sherbrooke Street to the north, Papineau Avenue to the east, Guy Street or until Shaughnessy Village to the west,...
, and the master control operations were moved to 9 Channel Nine Court
9 Channel Nine Court
9 Channel Nine Court is the civic address of an office and studio complex of Bell Media in the Agincourt neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, alternatively known as the CTV Toronto Studios, CFTO-TV Studios or Bell Media Agincourt...
, the home of CTV flagship CFTO-TV in Toronto. The area has now become Montreal's (and French Canada's) main media district; CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
, Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
, RDS
Réseau des sports
Réseau des sports , is a Canadian French language Category C specialty channel showing sports and sport-related shows. It is available in 2.5 million homes, and is owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc....
, V and TVA
TVA (TV network)
TVA is a privately owned French language television network in Canada. The network is currently owned by Groupe TVA Inc. , a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
are all within several blocks.
By 2005, Bell Globemedia was considered to be a non-core asset by parent company BCE (Bell Canada Enterprises) and was sold to a group of investors, which includes the Thomson family. The Bell Globemedia group (made up of the entire CTV Network, as well as the Globe and Mail newspaper and a variety of other channels and media assets) was renamed "CTVGlobemedia" in late-2006. In April 2011 BCE bought full ownership of CTVGlobemedia and changed the name to "Bell Media".
The new media giant also acquired CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited was a media company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 1945 to 2007. Immediately prior to its acquisition, it held full or joint control of two Canadian television systems — Citytv and A-Channel — comprising 11 local stations, and one CBC Television affiliate, one...
's holdings in 2006, including the A-Channel stations, MuchMusic and a variety of other specialty channels. But the CHUM deal has also raised serious questions about the high degree of media concentration in Canada. This new conglomerate now owns more than one TV station in several Canadian markets — increasing the worry about job losses and cutbacks.
CFCF has always been the number one, top-rated television station for Anglophone Quebecers. As well, a significant number of bilingual Francophones also watch CFCF — for both programming and news — although CFTM
CFTM-TV
CFTM-DT channel 10, is the flagship of the TVA television network, located in Montreal, Quebec.-History:It opened on February 19, 1961, a few weeks after CFCF-TV went on the air for the first time. It was owned by Joseph Alexandre DeSève and his company, Télé-Métropole...
(TVA
TVA (TV network)
TVA is a privately owned French language television network in Canada. The network is currently owned by Groupe TVA Inc. , a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
), CFJP
CFJP-TV
CFJP-DT is the callsign for V's flagship television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.The station was originally owned by the family of Jean Pouliot, then-owner of CFCF. It was acquired by Cogeco in 2001 concurrently with Cogeco's acquisition of the network...
(V
V
V is the twenty-second letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.-Letter:The letter V comes from the Semitic letter Waw, as do the modern letters F, U, W, and Y. See F for details....
) and CBFT
CBFT
CBFT is the flagship station of Télévision de Radio-Canada, the French language television network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Its studios and master control are located at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal....
(Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
) are the obvious market leaders for Quebec's French community.
CFCF's schedule is now identical to flagship CTV station CFTO-TV
CFTO-TV
CFTO-DT, broadcast on channel 9 and cable 8, is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Currently branded as CTV Toronto, it is the flagship station of the CTV Television Network, and was one of the charter members of the network when it was launched in 1961. It...
in Toronto, with the only minor difference being Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil (TV series)
Dr. Phil is a reality/talk television show hosted by Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002...
and The Dr. Oz Show
The Dr. Oz Show
The Dr. Oz Show is an American syndicated television talk show, hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and teaching professor at Columbia University who became famous for his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2004 until 2009....
switching their respective time slots. The Dr. Oz Show airs weekdays at 3:00 p.m (5:00 p.m on CFTO) and Dr. Phil airs on weekdays at 5:00 p.m (3:00 p.m on CFTO).
Until March 10, 2009, CFCF aired a local 6AM morning newscast, First News, pre-empting the first half hour of Canada AM
Canada AM
Canada AM is a Canadian breakfast television news show, which has aired on the CTV Television Network since 1972. It is currently hosted by Beverly Thomson and Seamus O'Regan, with Marci Ien reporting from the headline news desk and Jeff Hutcheson presenting the weather forecast and sports...
; anchored by Herb Luft, it was cancelled in favor of an early start for Canada AM, which will now be seen in its entirety starting at 6AM. Morning news briefs have also been cancelled. Luft will continue his role as reporter for the station. These cancellations are a part of continuing cutbacks made by CTV due to the economic crisis
Late 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
. Another cut was Telethon of Stars (1977–2009) that aired during the first weekend of December, consecutively, for 32 years. As of December 2010, Telethon of Stars can only be seen through the Internet (via an 8-hour webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
), with no television equivalent aired.
On August 5, 2009, CTV camera operator, 44-year-old Hugh Haugland was killed after a helicopter crash near Mont-Laurier
Mont-Laurier, Quebec
Mont-Laurier is a town and incorporated municipality in northwest Quebec, Canada, located on the banks of the Rivière du Lièvre, a tributary of the Ottawa River. Known as the “Capital of the Haute-Laurentides”, the motto of the town is Laurus elationis praemium, which translates to “Lift the...
about 240 kilometres from Montreal, Haugland was shooting footage of the destruction left behind by a tornado that touched down in the area on August 4, 2009. The other person killed in the crash was Roger Belanger, a veteran pilot and local businessman who was in his 60s.
Most recently, the station began airing promos for Bell Media's secondary television network, CTV Two, despite the fact that CTV Two stations are only available on satellite, with no Quebec locations.
Availability
On cable, CFCF is seen on VidéotronVidéotron
Vidéotron GP is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Currently, the company primarily serves Quebec, as well as the francophone...
channel 11 in the Montreal area (channel 7 in SD and channel 607 in HD on digital cable), Charter
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
Plattsburgh channel 13 and Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
channel 21; it is also seen on Bell TV via channels 205 (SD) and 1031 (HD), Shaw Direct via channel 312, and on Bell Fibe via channels 205 (SD) and 1205 (HD). Most cable distributors in Quebec also carry CFCF, as it is the only CTV station in the province. Despite having only one transmitter, its signal reaches all the way to the Laurentides and Lanaudière
Lanaudière
Lanaudière is one of the seventeen administrative regions of Quebec, Canada, situated immediately to the northeast of Montreal. It has a total population of 429,053 inhabitants.-Geography:...
regions, and also decently covers the Champlain Valley
Champlain Valley
The Champlain Valley is a region of the United States around Lake Champlain in Vermont and New York extending slightly into Quebec, Canada as part of the St. Lawrence River drainage basin drained northward by the Richelieu River into the St...
region in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Before 1997, when CHCH and CITY launched rebroadcast transmitters in the Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
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
Rogers Cable
Rogers Cable Inc., a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., is Canada's largest cable television service provider with about 2.25 million television customers, and over 930,000 Internet subscribers, in Manitoba, Southern & Eastern Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.The...
.
Programming
The station now airs all of the standard CTV schedule. In the past, some children's programming was pre-empted, because of provincial regulations on advertising; the station now carries CTV's few remaining children's programs with public service announcementPublic service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
s during ad breaks. As well, CFCF did not carry either Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
or Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
when these were part of the standard CTV schedule; both were picked up by CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
nationally in fall 2008.
As with most Canadian stations, the prime-time schedule is usually synchronized with the original American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
airings of the same programs because Plattsburgh/Burlington's WPTZ
WPTZ
WPTZ, virtual channel 5, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Plattsburgh, New York, USA. WPTZ is owned by Hearst Television, and has its studios in Plattsburgh and transmitter located on Mount Mansfield in Vermont....
, WVNY
WVNY
WVNY is the ABC-affiliated television station for Vermont's Champlain Valley and Upstate New York's North Country. Licensed to Burlington, Vermont, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Vermont's highest peak Mount Mansfield. The station can also be...
, WFFF-TV
WFFF-TV
WFFF-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Vermont's Champlain Valley and Upstate New York's North Country. Licensed to Burlington, Vermont, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 from a transmitter on Vermont's highest peak, Mount Mansfield...
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 Montreal
CBMT
CBMT-DT is the CBC's television station in Montreal, Quebec. Programming on CBMT is seen on a network of more than 50 rebroadcasters throughout Quebec and in three communities in northern Manitoba: Brochet, Poplar River, and Shamattawa.-History:...
station.
News operation
Mutsumi Takahashi
Mutsumi Takahashi is a Canadian journalist. Since 1986, she is one of the lead news presenters of CFCF-TV.-Career:After emigrating to Canada from Shiroishi, Japan, Takahashi graduated from Concordia University in 1979. She joined radio as Lisa Takahashi and then CFCF in Montreal in 1982 as a news...
& Todd van der Heyden
Todd van der Heyden
Todd van der Heyden is a Canadian investigative television reporter and news anchor with CTV News in Montreal, Quebec.-Education:Van der Heyden earned a Bachelor's degree in journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa...
, News at 11:30 with Catherine Sherriffs, and Weekend News at 6 p.m. Tarah Schwartz & Paul Karwatsky and Weekend News 11:30 p.m. with Paul Karwatsky. CTV Montreal produces 19 newscasts each week. CFCF also houses CTV's National Montreal News Bureau.
One of its most famous anchors, Bill Haugland
Bill Haugland
Bill Haugland was a television news anchorman for CFCF-TV in Montreal, Quebec.A native of Montreal, Haugland studied at Ryerson University and Concordia University...
, is now retired; his last show aired on November 30, 2006. Bill worked at CFCF for more than 40 years. He covered major stories in the 1960s and 1970s before becoming the lead anchor at CFCF in the late-1970s. Bill was an institution and in a special "Farewell to Bill" show broadcast on his final day, he was heralded by colleagues, viewers and former prime ministers alike. Another veteran newscaster, Brian Britt, who replaced Bill Haugland in 2006 when he retired, retired in July of 2008, and was then fully replaced by Todd van der Heyden
Todd van der Heyden
Todd van der Heyden is a Canadian investigative television reporter and news anchor with CTV News in Montreal, Quebec.-Education:Van der Heyden earned a Bachelor's degree in journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa...
. Britt's last broadcast was on July 24, 2008. On May 11, 2011, it was announced that long time late night news anchor Debra Arbec
Debra Arbec
Debra Arbec is a Canadian journalist. For 13 years, she worked at CTV Montreal, beginning December in 1997 as weekend anchor and news reporter. In 2003, she stepped up to the Monday to Friday at 11:30 anchor position...
left the station to become the main anchor at CBC Montreal
CBC Montreal
CBC Montreal refers to:*CBME-FM, CBC Radio One on 88.5 FM*CBM-FM, CBC Radio 2 on 93.5 FM*CBMT, CBC Television on channel 6SRC Montréal refers to:*CBF-FM, Première Chaîne on 95.1 FM*CBFX-FM, Espace musique on 100.7 FM...
. Various other anchors filled in the void for the remainder of May and then June 2011. CTV reporter/former CJAD & CJFM news announcer Catherine Sherriffs became Arbec's permenant replacement on July 4, 2011.
Newscast titles
- Pulse News (1961–2001)
- CFCF News (2001–2005)
- CTV NewsCTV NewsCTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name CTV News is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations , which are closely tied to the national news division...
(2005–present)
News team
Anchors- Paul Karwatsky - weekends at 6 and 11:30 p.m.; also reporter and weekday fill-in anchor
- Catherine Sherriffs - weeknights at 11:30 p.m.; also reporter and fill-in anchor
- Tarah Schwartz - weekends at 6 p.m.; also reporter and weekday fill-in anchor
- Mutsumi TakahashiMutsumi TakahashiMutsumi Takahashi is a Canadian journalist. Since 1986, she is one of the lead news presenters of CFCF-TV.-Career:After emigrating to Canada from Shiroishi, Japan, Takahashi graduated from Concordia University in 1979. She joined radio as Lisa Takahashi and then CFCF in Montreal in 1982 as a news...
- weekdays at noon and weeknights at 6 p.m. - Todd van der HeydenTodd van der HeydenTodd van der Heyden is a Canadian investigative television reporter and news anchor with CTV News in Montreal, Quebec.-Education:Van der Heyden earned a Bachelor's degree in journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa...
- weekdays at noon and weeknights at 6 p.m.
Weather team
- Lori Graham - lead weather specialist; weekdays at noon, and weeknights at 6 and 11:30 p.m.
- Lise McAuley - weather specialist; weekends at 6 and 11:30 p.m., also weekday fill-in
- Randy Renaud - weather specialist; fill-in (also an announcer at CHOM)
Sports team
- Randy Tieman - lead sports anchor/reporter
- Brian Wilde - sports anchor/reporter
- André Corbeil - sports anchor/reporter
- Paul Graif - sports anchor/reporter
- Ted Bird - columnist
Reporters
- Annie DeMelt - general assignment reporter (currently on maternity leave until 2012)
- Derek Conlon - general assignment reporter
- Stephane Giroux - legislative affairs reporter
- Nadine Ishack - "Sunday Bite" feature reporter
- Maya Johnson - general assignment reporter
- Tania Krywiak - general assignment reporter
- Anne Lewis - general assignment reporter (currently on extended medical leave)
- Rob Lurie - general assignment reporter
- Christine Long - entertainment reporter "What's On"
- Mose Persico - feature reporter "Mose at the Movies"; host "Reel to Real" & "Entertainment Wrap" featurettes
- Camille Ross - general assignment reporter
- Aphrodite Salas - general assignment reporter
- Cindy Sherwin - general assignment reporter; also fill-in anchor
- Caroline van Vlaardingen - investigative/consumer reporter "On Your Side"; also fill-in anchor
Digital television and high definition
The station began providing a High-Definition feed to Videotron and Bell Fibe on December 1, 2009 and in September 2010 respectively. It signed-on over the air on temporary pre-transition channel 51 on January 28, 2011.On August 31, 2011, the deadline for the analogue television shutdown and digital conversion
Digital television in Canada
Digital television in Canada is transmitted using the ATSC standards developed for and in use in the United States. Because Canada and the U.S...
, CFCF shut down its analog signal and temporary digital transmitter just after its late night newscast and began its final full power digital transmission on channel 12.