CBMT

:"CBSET" redirects here. For the semi-satellite station of CBMT, see CBSET-1."Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = CBMT
city =
station_
station_slogan = Canada's Own
station_branding = CBC Television
analog = 6 (VHF)
digital = 20 (UHF)
other_chs = see below
affiliations = CBC
network =
founded = January 10, 1954
location = Montreal, Quebec
callsign_meaning = Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation
Montreal
Television
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
licensee =
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 100 kW
HAAT = 259.9 m
class =
facility_id =
coordinates = coord|45|30|19.3|N|73|35|29.3|W|type:landmark
homepage = [http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/ CBC Montreal]

CBMT 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.

CBMT also has substantial viewership in the United States, mostly from Maine to northeastern New York. It is also seen via cable TV in Michigan, northern Wisconsin, and northern Minnesota — CBMT is the CBC station of choice for Charter Communications CATV systems in Bay City, Midland, Mount Pleasant, Alpena and Marquette.

CBMT can be heard at 87.7 MHz on FM radios, though at a slightly lower volume than other FM stations - due to technical reasons.

History

CBMT was Montreal's second television station; previously English and French-language programs had shared time on CBFT, channel 2, which was Canada's first broadcast television station.

By the end of 1953, Canada had about a dozen television stations either licensed or under construction, and American competition was about to arrive in Montreal with the construction of WCAX-TV in Burlington, Vermont (transmitting from the top of Mount Mansfield), and WIRI-TV in Plattsburgh, New York (now known as WPTZ-TV).

The CBC organization decided that it was imperative to stop time-sharing in English and in French, so CBMT was included in the network's expansion plans for television.

Since 1997, CBMT has been the only CBC station in Quebec province. Previously, Quebec City had a CBC affiliate, CKMI. However, in 1997, CKMI switched its affiliation to the Global Television Network. CBMT set up a full-power rebroadcaster, CBVE, on CKMI's old channel 5, while CKMI moved to channel 20.

CBMT transmits from the Mount Royal candelabra tower, in Mount Royal Park, overlooking the city of Montreal. As a result, channel 6 experiences severe multipath interference in parts of the city and South Shore. On cable TV, CBMT is seen on the Vidéotron channel 13 in the Montreal area. In the U.S., it is seen on cable channel 6 in Plattsburgh, on channel 19 in Burlington, Vermont, and on channel 15 in Bangor, Maine. It is also seen on direct broadcast satellites throughout Canada and the northmost U.S.

It was also previously seen unscrambled on C-band satellite but this has now ended, when it switched to a proprietary digital satellite signal. When the signal was sent unscrambled on the C-band, many Americans with their TV dishes tuned into CBMT for a variety of news, entertainment, and sports — particularly CBC's Olympic Games TV broadcasts, which gave a different perspective than NBC's American broadcasts. That Canadian signal is still available, but it requires the purchase of a $3000 receiver.

Local programming

Like most other CBC stations, CBMT has a local newscast at 6PM entitled "CBC News at Six", anchored by Michel Godbout.

Transmitters

The station's many rebroadcast transmitters are shown below, with semi-satellites in bold.

Mauricie/Capitale

Northwestern Quebec

Eastern Panhandle

See also

* CBFT (Radio-Canada Montreal)
* List of Quebec media
* List of CBC television stations

External links

* [http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/ CBC Montreal]
* [http://www.geocities.com/tvhatton/mtl-local/cbmt.html CBMT at TV Hat]
*