CHAT-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = CHAT-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = The Prairie's Own
station_branding = CHAT News
analog = 6 (VHF)
digital = "allocated 40 (UHF)"
other_chs = see below
affiliations = E!
network =
airdate = September 14, 1957
location = Medicine Hat, Alberta
callsign_meaning = Medicine HAT
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Jim Pattison Broadcast Group
licensee =
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = CBC (1957-2008)
effective_radiated_power = 58 kW
HAAT = 202.7 m
coordinates = coord|50|9|45|N|110|57|23|W|type:landmark
homepage = [http://www.chattelevision.ca/ CHAT News]

CHAT-TV is a television station in Medicine Hat, Alberta. It is owned by Jim Pattison Group, and operates on VHF channel 6 and cable channel 3. It is a privately-owned affiliate of Canwest's E! television system.

It also operates translators in Pivot (CHAT-TV-1, channel 4), Maple Creek, Saskatchewan (CHAT-TV-2, channel 6) and Richmound, Saskatchewan (CHAT-TV-6, channel 4). The station is also carried regionally on Bell TV Channel 248.

Its news program is called "CHAT News", and is seen 12-12:30 p.m., 5-7pm and 11-11:30pm weekdays (with repeat broadcasts at 6:30am Tuesday-Friday). A 30 minute review of the week's news airs Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings, as well as Monday mornings at 6:30am.

History

CHAT-TV commenced operations in September 14, 1957, with a power output of 5,700 watts visual power and 3,000 watts aural power, on channel 6. The station was owned by J.H. "Hop" Yuill's Monarch Broadcasting Company Ltd, and was co-owned with local station CHAT AM. CHAT-TV was the fourth television station in Alberta to open, and its launch was presided over by then-premier E.C. Manning.

CHAT-TV's first general manager was R.J. "Bob" Buss. The station operated from a modern studio and office building, and transmitted from a 403-foot tower located at Redcliff, six miles northwest of Medicine Hat. Sid Gaffney was the first chief engineer, and Merv Stone was the production manager.

In the beginning, the station began its daily operations at 5.30pm, with the only live programming being the 6pm news bulletin, and the rest of the programming either on film or kinescope from the CBC. Around 10% of the local commercials were done live, with the announcers having to ad-lib enough to last the full 60 seconds.

Other early CHAT-TV staff members include Bernie Pascal, Gary Buss, George Lund, Mike Darow and Duff Roman.

Early local productions of note include "Sock-Hop", a teenage dance show, quiz shows such as "Teen Challenge" and "Cartoon Quiz", cooking shows, farming programs, and two music programs, "Country Roundup" (concentrating on western music), and "Music For the Moderns", featuring local musicians.

Later that year, the station joined the CBC's microwave network on December 15, increasing the station's operating hours to 10:00am through to 12:00 midnight.

In 1961, a high power re-broadcaster was installed near Pivot, near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, which improved the station's signal reach.

In 1967, colour programming from the CBC arrived on CHAT, and local colour programs started in February 1971.

In September 1979, the main transmitter was re-located to Bowell, Alberta, and the power output was increased to 36,000 watts video and 3,000 watts audio.

Other re-broadcasters were added in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, and at Oyen, Alberta (owned by the community).

In 1973, 1974, 1983 and 1996 CHAT won the award for "Nice Try at a TV Station" at the annual Canadian Independent Broadcasters convention. In addition to these wins, the station had been finalists for this award on 12 other occasions.

In 1992, W.H. "Bill" Yuill, son of "Hop" Yuill, became the owner and president of CHAT's parent company Monarch Communications Group, which had expanded into other broadcasting and cable properties in Alberta and British Columbia.

Over the years, Bob Buss was followed as general manager by Orv Kope, Dwaine Dietrich, Brian Ellis, and again by Dwaine Dietrich in 1996. David Sherwood took over in 2007 following the retirement of Dwaine Dietrich.

In 2000, the CRTC approved the sale of Monarch's radio and television holdings (including CHAT-TV) to the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, a division of the Jim Pattison Group.

On February 28, 2008, the CRTC announced the approval of disaffilition of CHAT from the CBC effective on August 31, 2008. Documents filed with the CRTC indicate the station would henceforth receive programming from CanWest Global. [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2007/pb2007-117.htm Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2007-117, October 18, 2007] Global's Calgary station CICT-TV is available on cable in Medicine Hat. However, it does not reach the market over-the-air, while CHAT presently airs selected Global programs simultaneously with CICT. In September of that year, CHAT acted as an E! affiliate after the disaffiliation. Medicine Hat is the only over-the-air market served by E! but no Global affiliate . It was announced that the transmitters of CHAT will not be replaced by the CBC, and no transmitters are scheduled to be installed for the future. CBRT is now available on cable and satellite in Medicine Hat, as well as on CBCA-TV-1 12 in Etzikom, which previously rebroadcasted CHAT-TV before the affiliation switch. CHAT officially joined E! on September 1, 2008.

It was announced that the transmitters of Jim Pattison Group-owned future E! affiliate CKPG-TV Prince George will not be replaced by the CBC, and no transmitters are scheduled to be installed for the future in this area. This has already been the case with Jim Pattison Group owned CFJC-TV Kamloops. All three areas are to be served by Jim Pattison Group and one other television network. However, despite the light Francophone population in the absence of an Anglophone network, Radio-Canada stations CBXFT Edmonton is still available over-the-air in Medicine Hat, and CBUFT Vancouver is still available in Prince George and Kamloops.

Transmitters

References

External links

* [http://www.chattelevision.ca/ CHAT TV]
* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/television/histories.php?id=49&historyID=52 Canadian Communications Foundation - CHAT-TV History]
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