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A-Channel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the current A-Channel television system. Articles for individual stations are titled according to their official call signs.
- For the system that operated in Manitoba and Alberta from 1997 to 2005, see A-Channel (Craig Media).
| A-Channel | |
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| Type | Broadcast television system |
|---|---|
| Country |  Canada |
| Availability | Semi-national (most urban areas of Ontario and southwestern B.C./Lower Mainland); also available in adjacent parts of Northern United States via antenna or cable television service |
| Owner | CTV Limited (CTVglobemedia) |
| Key people | Ivan Fecan |
| Launch date | 1995 (first as NewNet) 2005 (as A-Channel) |
| Website | www.achannel.ca |
A-Channel, previously known as the NewNet, is a Canadian English language privately owned television system, owned by CTV Limited a division of CTVglobemedia. The current A-Channel system consists of five television stations located in Southern Ontario, and one in British Columbia.
CHUM Limited, A-Channel's former parent, acquired the brand as part of its purchase of Craig Media in 2004. At the time the A-Channel brand was associated with Craig's television stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton. These television stations joined the Citytv system when the NewNet stations were renamed as A-Channels (the two television systems were previously under common ownership by CHUM Limited).
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The NewNet stations began to develop in 1995, when CHUM disaffiliated its longtime CBC Television affiliate in Barrie, Ontario, CKVR, and tried to give it a more youthful image in order to generate interest in the neighbouring Toronto market, which included acquiring broadcasting rights to Toronto's new National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise. The resulting station became known as "The New VR".
The experiment apparently worked. In 1997, when CHUM acquired similar stations in CHRO Pembroke (near Ottawa) CFPL London, CKNX Wingham and CHWI Windsor, Ontario as part of a trade with Baton Broadcasting, these stations were similarly rebranded. Most of these were also former CBC affiliates, and all were in markets where Citytv Toronto was already available on basic cable. CIVI in Victoria, British Columbia was added when it launched in 2001.
The name "NewNet" was never used on the stations themselves, only as an identifier for advertising buyers and news vehicles mainly in Southwestern Ontario. Instead, each station was known as "The New XX", where XX was the last two letters of the station's callsign (e.g., "The New VR" for CKVR, "The New RO" for CHRO, "The New PL" for CFPL, etc.)
On March 15, 2005, CHUM announced that the NewNet stations would be renamed as A-Channels by that fall; the date was later decided for August 2, the same date when CHUM's A-Channel stations in Manitoba and Alberta relaunched as Citytv stations.
On July 12, 2006, CTVglobemedia (CTVgm, formerly known as Bell Globemedia) announced a friendly takeover bid to buy CHUM Limited. CTVgm initially intended to keep CHUM's Citytv system, while divesting the A-Channel and Access Alberta stations in order to pass regulatory approval. [1]
On April 9, 2007, Rogers Communications announced an agreement to purchase the A-Channel stations (along with CKX-TV and several cable channels being put up for sale by CTV). [2]
On June 8, 2007, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced its approval of CTVglobemedia's purchase of CHUM Limited, but added a condition that CTVglobemedia must sell off CHUM's Citytv stations to another buyer. At the same time, it was permitted to keep the A-Channel stations, in effect cancelling the planned sale of A-Channel to Rogers Media. [3][4]
On June 22, 2007, CTVglobemedia finalized its purchase of the CHUM Limited stations, The Citytv stations were sold to Rogers Media. The company is required to keep the A-Channel stations' branding and programming independent from the CTV Television Network. However, as with the relationship between Global and E! (formerly CH), CTV radically adjusted A-Channel's announced schedule over the summer of 2007 to make room for several series that could not be accommodated on the main network's fall schedule. Notably, A-Channel picked up CTV's rights to 30 Rock, Scrubs, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Jeff Ltd.. In October, CTV also moved Dirty Sexy Money and Big Shots, both of which had originally premiered on the main network, to A-Channel.
On July 26, 2007, CTVglobemedia named Richard Gray the head of news for the A-Channel stations and CKX-TV. Gray will report to the CTVgm corporate group, not CTV News, to preserve independent news presentation and management. Gray will now oversee the news departments for CKVR, CHRO, CFPL, CKNX, CHWI, CIVI-TV and CKX-TV.[5]
Media analysts have speculated that the A-Channel stations will be rebranded in 2008.[6] Indeed, in September 2007, a survey linked from the various A-Channel sites suggested that CTVgm is considering "Much TV"[7] as a new name for A-Channel. The brand would derive from sister cable channel MuchMusic; otherwise the prospective relationship between the two outlets is not yet apparent.
A-Channel stations broadcast programs which are syndicated or aired on the smaller American television networks (such as The CW) in addition to local news programming and movies. Much of the primetime lineup on A-Channel stations comprises United States programming. A few original productions, such as 11 Somerset and Charlie Jade, have aired on A-Channel. The drama series Missing was carried over from the former A-Channel (now Citytv) stations.
CHRO also produces and broadcasts 20 regular-season games each year of the National Hockey League's Ottawa Senators. These games are generally seen on Thursday nights and are usually CHRO's most popular programmes.
- CHWI (Windsor, Ontario/Wheatley, Ontario)
- CFPL (London, Ontario)
- CKNX (Wingham, Ontario)
- CKVR (Barrie, Ontario/Toronto, Ontario)
- CHRO (Ottawa, Ontario/Pembroke, Ontario)
- CIVI (Victoria, British Columbia)
The following CTVglobemedia-owned stations also air some A-Channel programming, although they are not marketed as official affiliates:
- CKX (Brandon, Manitoba) - CBC affiliate. While not marketed as A-Channel, the A-Channel logo is periodically shown on screen during non-CBC programming.
- ACCESS - CIAN Calgary and CJAL Edmonton; also carried province-wide in Alberta on cable television and nation-wide on satellite television. Licensed as an educational television service for the province of Alberta, it also airs A-Channel programs during primetime hours.
- Atlantic Satellite Network (ASN) - CTV-owned cable channel in Atlantic Canada, which has long aired programs from both Citytv and A-Channel under an agreement with CHUM. CTV has not yet said what role ASN will play in a relaunched A-Channel.
- ^ Bell Globemedia makes $1.7B bid for CHUM. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (2006-07-12). Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
- ^ CRTC expected to OK Rogers' $137.5M buy of CTVglobemedia TV channels. Canadian Press via Yahoo! Canada News (2007-04-09). Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
- ^ CRTC tells CTVglobemedia to sell 5 Citytv stations. cbc.ca via Yahoo! Canada News (2007-06-08). Retrieved on 2007-06-08.
- ^ C.R.T.C. approves the purchase of CHUM Ltd. by CTVGlobemedia, excluding Citytv stations. Channel Canada (2007-06-08). Retrieved on 2007-06-08.
- ^ [1]
- ^ CTV expected to rebrand A Channel. Friends of Canadian Broadcasting (2006-06-13). Retrieved on 2006-07-05.
- ^ A-Channel Survey
- List of programs broadcast by A-Channel
- A-Channel (Craig Media)
- 2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment
- Official A-Channel website
- A-Channel Morning
- CHUM Announcement - Local Stations Being Renamed as A-Channel
- Bell Globemedia bids $1.7B for CHUM Ltd.
- A-Channel Media Site
- CTVglobemedia
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| Owned and operated stations | CIVI Victoria • CHWI Wheatley • CFPL London • CKNX Wingham • CKVR Barrie • CHRO Pembroke |
| Secondary carriers | ACCESS • CKX Brandon • Atlantic Satellite Network |
| See also: | List of A-Channel stations • A-Channel (original) • CTVglobemedia template • CTVglobemedia • CTV stations |