CHNM-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = CHNM-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = OMNI British Columbia
analog = 42 (UHF)
digital = "allocated 20 (UHF)"
other_chs = 29 CHNM-TV-1 Victoria
affiliations = Omni Television
network =
airdate = June 27, 2003
location = Vancouver, British Columbia
callsign_meaning = CHaNnel Multicultural
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Rogers Media
licensee = Rogers Broadcasting Ltd
sister_stations = CKVU-TV, CKWX (AM), CKLG-FM, CKCL-FM
former_affiliations = Independent (2003-2008)
effective_radiated_power = CHNM-TV:
130 kW (analog)
1.354 kW (digital)
CHNM-TV-1: 8.8 kW
HAAT = CHNM-TV: 615 m (both)
CHNM-TV-1: 265 m
coordinates = CHNM-TV:
coord|49|21|13|N|122|57|24|W|type:landmark
CHNM-TV-1:
coord|48|26|29|N|123|34|5|W|type:landmark|name=CHNM-TV-1| homepage = [http://www.omnibc.ca/ OMNI British Columbia]

CHNM-TV (known on air as OMNI British Columbia or simply OMNI) is a television station based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Rogers Media, the station is part of the Omni Television system, and it is aimed at promoting the province's multicultural diversity.

History

Rogers had made several attempts to launch a multicultural station in Vancouver similar to its successful CFMT (later Omni) operations in Toronto. Unsuccessful applications to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) were made in 1996 [ [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/eng/decisions/1997/DB97-39.htm Decision CRTC 97-39] , 31 January 1997 - VTV (now CTV) was licensed instead.] and again in 1999. [ [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/decisions/2000/DB2000-219.htm Decision CRTC 2000-219] , 6 July 2000 - The New VI (now A-Channel) and NOWTV (now OMNI.10) were licensed.]

Asked by the federal cabinet to pursue the matter further, in 2002 the commission asked for new applications for a Vancouver multicultural station and received two – from Rogers and the newly-formed Multivan consortium. The licence went to Multivan, with the CRTC citing its local ownership as one of the reasons for the decision. [ [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2002/db2002-39.htm Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2002-39] , 14 February 2002] The station went on-air June 27, 2003 under the name "channel m".

Following a failed 2007 bid for the multicultural licences in Calgary and Edmonton, which were won by Rogers, Multivan announced an agreement to sell channel m to Rogers in July of that year. The sale was approved by the CRTC on March 31, 2008, [ [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2008/db2008-72.htm CRTC Decision 2008-72] ] [ [http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/March2008/31/c8887.html CRTC Approves Rogers Acquisition of channel m] ] and was finalized on April 30, 2008. With Rogers' recent acquisition of Citytv Vancouver and the resulting sale of religious station CHNU-TV (formerly branded as "OMNI.10") to S-VOX, the Omni Television brand moved to CHNM on September 1, 2008.

Programming

The station produces daily newscasts in Cantonese, Mandarin, Punjabi and Korean, and weekly newscasts in Tagalog. It also entered into an agreement with Vancouver's CTV station, CIVT, enabling the two stations to share news resources.

Along with newscasts and interactive "call-in" shows, several independently-produced magazine and entertainment programs are created in-house as well. Currently these programs include "German Today", "Chai Time" (Live Punjabi), "Mandarin Magazine", and "World Beats" (an English language world music video program). The station also airs popular English-language shows such as "The Price Is Right" alongside its multicultural programming.

News operations

*Cantonese edition: Weekdays, 9 p.m. with Karen So ( 蘇嘉欣 )
*Mandarin edition: Weekdays, 8 p.m. with Bowen Zhang ( 張博 )
*Punjabi edition: Weekdays, 10 p.m. with Jasdip Wahla ( ਜਸ੍ਡਿਪ੍ ਓਹ੍ਲ )
*Korean edition: Tuesday-Saturday 7:00 a.m. with Yun Hee Oh ( _ko. 오윤희 )
*Tagalog edition: Sundays, 11:00 p.m. with Franco Teleg

Promotions

To capitalize on the station's former slogan "Diversity Lives Here", CHNM previously produced several station IDs and program promos using a diversity theme, including these spots:

* Chinese lion dancers who emerge from their lion costume with their faces painted in orange and white, the colours of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, along with slogans supporting the team
* An East Indian dancer who performs her routine to the Channel M jingle, then breaks into a Country and Western dance
* A leather-clad Sikh motorcyclist who boards his bike to the Channel M jingle, arranged and performed in a style mixing ZZ Top-style blues rock with East Indian music

Technical information

The station broadcasts on UHF channel 42 from the CBC Tower on Mount Seymour. It is currently seen on cable 8 on the Lower Mainland, and cable 10 on Vancouver Island. The station's transmitter in Victoria, CHNM-TV-1 (UHF 29), signed on the air on March 26, 2006 with a peak ERP of 8800 watts at 265 meters HAAT.

Due to a strong over-the-air signal on VHF channel 8 from Global BC, some cable viewers in the Greater Vancouver area may receive poor cable reception of CHNM; however, since the inception of CHNM-TV-1, the cable reception has greatly improved in the Greater Vancouver area.

The station's studio building is located in Vancouver's Chinatown at the intersection of Pender and Columbia Streets. Newscasts are produced from a street-level storefront studio.

Logos

Digital television and high definition

As of September 2008, CHNM-TV has not yet began broadcasting in digital.

After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, which is tentatively scheduled to take place on August 31, 2011 http://www.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/oca-bc.nsf/en/ca02336e.html] , CHNM-TV is required to begin digital broadcasts on its current assigned channel number, 20. However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display CHNM's virtual channel as 42.

ee also

*List of Canadian television channels
*2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.omnibc.ca/ Omni British Columbia]
* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/television/histories.php?id=64&historyID=18 Canadian Communications Foundation - CHNM-TV History]
*RecnetCanada|CHNM-TV