CJBN-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = CJBN-TV
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = CJBN
analog = 13 (VHF), cable 4
digital = 16 (UHF), not in operation
affiliations = CTV
founded = 1980
location = Kenora, Ontario
callsign_meaning = unknown
owner = Shaw Communications
"(Norcom Telecommunications Ltd.)"
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 177.5w
homepage = [http://www.gokenora.com/cjbn CJBN]

CJBN-TV is a Canadian television station. It is a CTV affiliate, broadcasting on channel 13 and cable 4 in Kenora, Ontario. It can also be seen on the Bell TV (channel 224) and Star Choice (channel 320) satellite services. The station adopted the CJTV brand in the early 2000s, but switched back to "CJBN" in January 2007. CJBN went on the air for the first time on 1980.

The station is owned by Shaw Communications, which acquired the station in 2006 as part of its purchase of local cable company Norcom Telecommunications. It is one of only three CTV-affiliated stations in Canada that are not owned and operated directly by CTV. The station is Canada's lowest powered television station affiliated with a major network, with just 178 watts of power. [It is tied KJWY channel 2 of Jackson, Wyoming, also at 178 watts, for being the lowest-powered television station on a regular licence in North America. However, KJWY is a repeater of Pocatello, Idaho's KPVI. This distinction also excludes repeaters of Canadian networks, especially those affiliated with CBC Television and CBC North.] Its main method of distribution is via Shaw's (and others') cable and satellite services.

Programming

Despite being a CTV affiliate, the station had aired a fair bit of Global programming. A reason given for this would be Kenora's location, close to the Manitoba border, and to Winnipeg, where Global is based. In fact, Kenora gets CBC Television from a repeater of Winnipeg's CBWT. Rumours had been circulating that CJBN would disaffiliate from CTV, which would have meant Winnipeg's CKY-TV would have to build a repeater for the Kenora area. However, none of this has happened.

The station was examined by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for not airing enough Canadian content. Since this occurred in 1999, the station has aired the required amount of Canadian programming.

Since its launch, the station's programming has been primarily sourced from CTV, with the remainder of the schedule rounded out by Global and syndicated programming.

News and local programming

Despite being the only full-fledged station in the area, CJBN does not produce much local content. A daily news service isn't considered feasible for the station due to its small size. CJBN hosts a half-hour news and issues show called Points North which airs four times per week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 6:30pm and Saturday 6pm. It also airs other special programs aimed at tourists and local residents.

TruTV anchor Ashleigh Banfield began her career at the station.

History

CJBN-TV was started by local businessman Carl Johnson, and started in 1980, with a power output of 17.5 watts. It was co-owned with Norcom Telecommunications, whose cable systems served Kenora and surrounding areas. With a potential audience of only 5,800 households, it was Canada's smallest television market. It remains the smallest DMA in Canada, and the second smallest in North America (behind Glendive, Montana).

The station came about after Norcom applied to operate a Central Time Zone Satellite Relay Distribution System (SRDU), and as such, needed a CTV signal. Winnipeg's CKY, which was the closest CTV affiliate to Kenora, was unavailable, so Norcom applied for, and was successful in gaining their own CTV station. The company also planned to set up a series of rebroadcasting stations to expand into nearby areas, but when Cancom secured the main licence for the Northern Service uplink, Norcom was left with just CJBN. With the local economy dependent on the pulp and paper industry, the station's future remained precarious, especially with the increase of competing satellite services available in the area.

In 1983, the station proposed setting up rebroadcast transmitters in nearby communities:
* CJBN-TV-1 Dryden
* CJBN-TV-2 Fort Frances
* CJBN-TV-3 Sioux Lookout
* CJBN-TV-4 Ignace
* CJBN-TV-5 Red Lake
* CJBN-TV-6 Ear Falls.

In 1988, the station told the CRTC that they could not afford to construct the rebroadcast transmitters, and would remain with just one transmitter (in Kenora, Ontario). In place of the rebroadcast transmitters, the station is carried on cable in Red Lake, Sioux Lookout and Ear Falls.

In 1985, CJBN-TV increased its power to 177.5 watts. In 1999, the station was brought before the CRTC to explain the lack of Canadian content, but two years later, its licence was renewed, once evidence of renewed effort toward Canadian content was proven. In 2000, CJBN started to brand itself as "CJTV" but would revert back to the CJBN-TV designation after their purchase by Shaw Communications. And in 2004, cable systems in nearby areas and national satellite services began to carry CJBN. In June 2004, the CRTC renewed the licence for another seven years, until 2011.

On August 9, 2006, Shaw Communications announced an agreement to purchase Norcom. [ [http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=152349 Shaw Communications to Acquire Norcom Telecommunications Limited] , Shaw press release, August 9, 2006] CJBN is included in the sale, and while Shaw itself did not previously own any broadcast assets, [The Shaw family, however, controls Corus Entertainment, which owns three broadcast TV stations, all CBC affiliates.] the company has apparently decided, for the moment, to maintain CJBN. CRTC approval to this sale was announced in November 2006. [ [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2006/pb2006-152.htm Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2006-152] ]

Despite the recent sale to Shaw, the possibility of a further sale remains. One possible scenario involves a sale to CTVglobemedia; Shaw had previously sold CKY-TV to the network after Shaw's 2001 acquisition of Moffat Communications. If such a sale occurred, it is likely that CJBN, which presently airs very little local programming, would become a semi-satellite or else a pure rebroadcaster of CKY. However, the recent introduction of the station to all Shaw cable regions has made this scenario very unlikely.

There is an urban myth surrounding the origin of the station's call letters. This urban myth states that the letters stand for Carl Johnson Broadcast Network. However this has never been creditably verified.

Footnotes

See also

* Shaw TV Kenora

External links

* [http://www.gokenora.com/cjbn/monday.shtml CJBN-TV]
*RecnetCanada|CJBN-TV