CKEM-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = CKEM-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Everywhere!
station_branding = Citytv Edmonton
analog = 51 (UHF)
digital = "allocated 44 (UHF)"
other_chs = 4 CKEM-TV-1 Red Deer
affiliations = Citytv
network =
airdate = September 18, 1997
location = Edmonton, Alberta
callsign_meaning = CK EdMonton
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Rogers Communications, Inc.
licensee = Rogers Broadcasting, Ltd.
sister_stations = CJEO-TV
former_affiliations = A-Channel (1997-2005)
effective_radiated_power = CKEM-TV: 704 kW
CKEM-TV-1: 7 kW
HAAT = CKEM-TV: 231.9 m
CKEM-TV-1: 229.7 m
coordinates = CKEM-TV:
coord|53|27|49|N|113|20|11|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
CKEM-TV-1:
coord|52|14|12|N|113|38|54|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=CKEM-TV-1
homepage = [http://www.citytv.com/edmonton/ Citytv Edmonton]

CKEM-TV is a television station based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Owned and Operated by Rogers Media, it is part of the Citytv system. This was a former flagship station of the A-Channel system between 1997-2005.

A transmitter in Red Deer rebroadcasts the station on channel 4.

History

The station was established by Craig Media Inc., and went on the air for the first time on September 18, 1997 as A-Channel. It promoted itself as a very locally-oriented station, with the slogan "Very independent, very Edmonton!"

In 1999, a letter bomb exploded in the A-Channel Newsroom, injuring the assignment editor and one of the general assignment reporters. A-Channel Edmonton simulcasted the Calgary editions of "Live@Five" and "News@Six" while police investigated the bombing. Local 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.

On September 17, 2003, several employees who were members of the Canadian Energy and Paperworkers Local 1900 went on strike over worry of jobs being lost, wages, and jobs being moved to Calgary (including Master Control operations). The strike lasted 166 days.

CKEM's master control moved in late 2003 to CKAL in Calgary.

In 2004, Craig Media announced a deal to sell the A-Channel stations to CHUM Limited. 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 would be relaunched as Citytv by that fall; the changes took effect on August 2.

CTVglobemedia takes over CHUM Limited

On July 12 2006, the station's local newscasts (with the exception of "CityNews" at Noon) were immediately cancelled when Bell Globemedia (now known as CTVglobemedia) announced plans to take over CHUM Limited. The local newscasts were replaced by a half-hour news magazine program called "Your City" at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., along with a national and international newscast called CityNews International (produced in the Citytv's CityNews studios in Toronto, Ontario) . Following the cancellation, many of the "CityNews@6" members have moved to other local television stations or accepted other jobs. [http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2006/12/c9578.html] , [http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/national/2006/07/12/chum-bell.html]

On June 8, 2007, 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 CKEM) to another buyer while keeping the A-Channel stations. cite web|url=http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/08062007/3/canada-crtc-tells-ctvglobemedia-sell-5-citytv-stations.html|title =CRTC tells CTVglobemedia to sell 5 Citytv stations|publisher=cbc.ca via Yahoo! Canada News|date=2007-06-08|accessdate=2007-06-08] The following Monday, it was announced that Rogers Communications would buy the stations of the Citytv system. The sale was approved by the CRTC on September 28 2007. The sale was finalized on October 31, 2007.

Current CKEM-TV hosts

*Rob Hislop, co-host, news anchor, "Breakfast Television"
*Wendy Sandwith, co-host, "Breakfast Television"
*Bridget Ryan, LiveEye, "Breakfast Television"
*Michele McDougall, co-host, weather specialist, "Breakfast Television"
*Paul Mennier, anchor, "Your City", Local Content Manager
*Stacey Brotzel, news reporter, "Your City", "CityNews"
*Ryan Jesperson, anchor, "CityNews", LiveEye, "Your City", news reporter

References

External links

* [http://www.citytv.com/edmonton/ Citytv Edmonton]
* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/television/histories.php?id=43&historyID=20 Canadian Communications Foundation - CKEM-TV History]
*RecnetCanada|CKEM-TV