CFMT-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = CFMT-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Diversity Television
station_branding = OMNI.1
analog = 47 (UHF)
digital = 64 (UHF)
other_chs = see below
affiliations = OMNI Television
network =
airdate = September 3, 1979
location = Toronto, Ontario
callsign_meaning = Canada's
First
Multicultural
Television
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Rogers Communications, Inc.
licensee = Rogers Broadcasting, Ltd.
sister_stations = CITY-TV, CJMT-TV, CFTR (AM), CJCL (AM), CJAQ-FM
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 1138 kW (analog)
15 kW (digital)
HAAT = 501.4 m (analog)
314.3 m (digital)
coordinates = coord|43|38|33|N|79|23|14|W|type:landmark (analog)
coord|43|38|56|N|79|22|54|W|type:landmark (digital)
homepage = [http://www.omnitv.ca/ontario/ OMNI.1]

CFMT-TV, channel 47, is a television station based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with rebroadcasters in Ottawa and London. The station broadcasts multicultural programming targeting European and Latin American communities throughout southern Ontario. Part of the Omni Television group of stations, it uses the on-air brand OMNI.1.

Among non-ethnic residents of southern Ontario, CFMT is likely best known as home to various English-language syndicated talk shows and sitcom repeats, including "The Simpsons", "Friends", and "Family Guy", airing nightly as counterprogramming to local newscasts and first-run primetime series on the major networks.

History

The station began broadcasting in 1979, under the brand name "MTV" (for Multicultural Television). The station was founded by Dan Iannuzzi, publisher of the Italian daily newspaper Corriere Canadese and recipient of the Order of Canada. It dropped that name to avoid confusion due to the 1981 launch of the American MTV cable network. In 1985, CFMT became Canada's first TV station to broadcast in stereo. The following year, it was sold to Rogers Communications. In 1993, CFMT installed rebroadcasters in London and Ottawa, on channels 69 and 60, respectively.

Under Rogers ownership, the station refined its business model by targeting English-speaking viewers at times that other stations did not aggressively go after viewers. For example, commercial stations usually fulfill much of their required "primetime" Canadian content hours in the form of local and national newscasts between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m., and again between 11:00 and midnight. CFMT, which has a slightly lower Canadian-content requirement as a multicultural station, instead airs ethnic programming, including Canadian-produced newscasts, between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m., allowing fringe time periods (6:00 to 8:00, and 10:00 to midnight) to be devoted to off-network repeats and late-night talk shows that other networks are unable to fit into their schedules.

In 1980, CFMT made a bold move by being one of the first stations in Canada to go to 24-hour a day 7 day a week broadcasting with the introduction of "The All-Night Show", starring Toronto comedian Chas Lawther, broadcast generally between midnight and 6 AM. The premise was that Lawther's character Chuck the Security Guard had, with the help of his never seen technically minded friend Ryerson (named after Toronto's Ryerson Polytechnic, now Ryerson University), took over the facilities of CFMT and accidentally broadcast their favorite shows over the air while fooling around with the equipment. Dan Iannuzzi, the station's owner at the time, was suitably impressed and gave Chuck and Ryerson their own show. "The All-Night Show" generally showed re-runs of classic series such as "The Twilight Zone", "The Outer Limits" and "The Prisoner", and filled the space in between with music videos (including old Scopitones), old movie shorts and comedic banter. Lawther became a minor celebrity in Toronto and is still frequently seen on Canadian television. Although the show only lasted one year and ended in a contract dispute (despite surprisingly high ratings even in the days before widespread VCR use), 24 hour a day broadcasting became the standard for almost every television station in the years after the show.

In 2002, Rogers launched CJMT, or "OMNI.2", in order to increase multicultural programming, and shortly after rebranded CFMT as "OMNI.1". CFMT's programming for Asian and African communities moved to CJMT, while CFMT kept programming targeted to European and Latin American groups.

In October 2007, Rogers announced that the Omni stations would move from the CFMT Building, their current home, to 35 Dundas Street East around March 2009 [cite web | url=http://www.downtownyonge.com/Development_fact_sheet | title=Development Fact Sheet | publisher=Downtown Yonge BIA | accessdate=2008-05-31] , the former Olympic Spirit building on Dundas Square. CFMT and CJMT will share the facility with its radio station CJCL and Rogers' newly-acquired television station Citytv.

Newscasts

OMNI.1 currently carries two local newscasts aimed at specific ethnic demographics:

* Omni News: Portuguese Edition - weeknights at 9:30pm
** Anchors/Reporters: Clara Abreu, Joao Vicente, Luis Medeiros

* Omni News: Italian Edition - weeknights at 8:00pm
** Anchors: Laura Albanese, Vincenzo Somma
** Sports Anchor: Dino Cavalluzzo

A Cantonese newscast was previously aired on CFMT; it was moved to CJMT after that station's launch in 2002.

Transmitters

References

External links

* [http://www.omnitv.ca/ontario/ Omni.1]
* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/television/histories.php?id=5&historyID=9 Canadian Communications Foundation - CFMT-TV History]
*RecnetCanada|CFMT-TV