CKAL-DT

CKAL-DT

City of license	Calgary, Alberta
Branding	Citytv Calgary
Slogan	Everywhere!
Channels	Digital: 49 (UHF) Virtual: 5.1 (PSIP)
Translators	46 CKAL-DT-1 Lethbridge
Affiliations	Citytv
Owner	Rogers Media (Rogers Broadcasting, Ltd.)
First air date	September 20, 1997
Call letters' meaning	C K(C)ALgary -or- CK ALberta
Sister station(s)	CJCO-TV, CFAC, CFFR, CHFM-FM, CJAQ-FM
Former callsigns	CKAL-TV (1997-2011)
Former channel number(s)	5 (Analog, VHF, 1997-2011)
Former affiliations	A-Channel (1997-2005)
Transmitter power	CKAL-DT: 100 kW CKAL-DT-1: 79 kW
Height	CKAL-DT: 378 m CKAL-DT-1: 200.0 m
Transmitter coordinates	CKAL-DT: 51°3′53″N 114°12′51″W / 51.06472°N 114.21417°W / 51.06472; -114.21417 CKAL-DT-1: 49°40′57″N 112°55′38″W / 49.6825°N 112.92722°W / 49.6825; -112.92722 (CKAL-TV-1)
Website	Citytv Calgary

CKAL-DT is a television station based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Citytv system as of August 2, 2005, and was previously branded as A-Channel. The station is owned by Rogers Media through its Rogers Broadcasting, Ltd. division.

A transmitter in Lethbridge rebroadcasts the station on channel 46 (virtual channel 2.1).

History

Logo used as A-Channel, used form 1997-2005.

As a A-Channel O&O

The station was launched by Craig Media as a VHF station on September 20, 1997, two days after its A-Channel sister station CKEM-TV in Edmonton went on the air for the first time. It billed itself as a station with a very deep connection to Calgary, with the slogan "Very independent, very Calgary!" CKAL's opening was marked with a street party and its main studio was easily visible from passersby on 7th Avenue; during the station's first year it even operated a small cafe near its main entrance.

In September 1999, CKAL aired a simulcast edition of Live@Five and News@Six on CKEM. This was due to a letter bomb that partially detonated at the Edmonton newsroom, injuring the assignment editor and one of the general assignment reporters. Edmonton newscasts resumed later on in the evening. Raymond Neal Best was charged with attempted murder and possession of explosive substances, in connection with the A-Channel letter bomb, and the attempted letter bombings aimed at both Calgary and Edmonton police chiefs.

CKEM's master control was moved to CKAL in 2003.

Nine employees working at CKAL were laid off on May 19, 2004 in addition to a 28-employee layoff at Craig Media's CKXT-TV in Toronto. Craig Media said the cuts were made to "further rationalize its operations and control costs".^[1]

As a Citytv O&O

Citytv's studios and offices, located in the heart of Downtown Calgary.

In 2004, Craig Media announced a deal to sell its conventional television assets, including the A-Channel stations, to CHUM. The sale was approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on November 19, 2004, and became official on December 1. On February 3, 2005, CHUM announced that the A-Channel stations will be relaunched as Citytv. The changes took effect August 2.

On July 12, 2006, it was announced that CTVglobemedia would acquire CHUM Limited and its assets, including the Citytv family. As a result of this merger, CKAL added CHMI-TV to its master control duties and as a result of the takeover the station's local newscasts (with the exception of CityNews at Noon) were immediately discontinued. The local newscasts were replaced by a half-hour news magazine program called Your City at 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., along with CityNews International (produced in the CityNews studios in Toronto, Ontario).^[2]The next year,, the CRTC announced its approval of CTVglobemedia's purchase of CHUM Limited, but added a condition that CTVglobemedia must sell off CHUM's Citytv stations (including CKAL) to another buyer but can keep the A-Channel stations since they have CFCN-TV in the same area. On June 12, Rogers Media announced that it would acquire five Citytv stations (including CKAL) from CTVglobemedia. As a result, effective August 29, the station will be taking over master control duties for Citytv Vancouver. The Rogers transaction was approved by the CRTC on September 28 and was officially completed October 31.

On October 30, 2008, CKAL carried a Calgary Flames hockey game produced by Rogers Sportsnet West as a result of a potential scheduling conflict on Sportsnet with the 2008 World Series, despite finishing a day earlier.

On January 19, 2010, Citytv laid off many of its news personalites as part of restructuring operations. This resulted in Your City, The City Show and Citytv's national and international newscast, CityNews International being cancelled. Since then, the only remaining local program produced by CKAL is the morning show, Breakfast Television.^[3]

Current CKAL-TV hosts

Jill Belland covering the 2007 Calgary International Film Festival for Citytv

• Ted Henley, co-host, Breakfast Television
• Tara Slone, co-host, Breakfast Television
• Andrew Schultz, co-host, Meteorologist, Breakfast Television
• Ted Henley, news anchor, Breakfast Television
• Mike Yawney, Technology Specialist, Breakfast Television
• Jill Belland, live-eye, Breakfast Television

Digital television and high definition

On August 31, 2010, CKAL-DT began testing on channel 49.

Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display CKAL-TV's virtual channel as 5.1.

On August 13, 2011, the Lethbridge retransmitter started broadcasting CKAL-DT on channel 46 (virtual channel 2.1).

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ [2]
3. ^ Citytv Restructures Television Operations To Improve Business and Better Serve Audiences Rogers Media press release via CNW Group, published January 19, 2010.

External links

• Citytv Calgary
• Canadian Communications Foundation - CKAL-TV History
• Query the REC's Canadian station database for CKAL-TV
• Query TV Fool's coverage map for CKAL