CFHD-DT, ICI – Multilingual, Montréal
4517466 Canada Inc.
| Station | Year | Channel | Network Affiliate | Owner/Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFHD-DT | 2013 | 47 | Independent | 4517466 Canada Inc. |
2012
On December 20, the CRTC approved an application by 4517466 Canada Inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate a multilingual ethnic television station in Montréal. The station would be known as ICI (International Channel/Canal International), and operate on channel 47 with an average effective radiated power of 2,700 watts (maximum ERP of 5,500 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 196 metres). The applicant proposed to offer programming in the Italian, Greek, Arabic, Portuguese, Persian, Romanian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Spanish, French, English, Armenian, Polish and Creole languages and indicated that the programming would be directed to the Italian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Algerian, Greek, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian, Romanian, Pakistani, Indian, Iranian, Haitian, Jewish, German, Ukrainian, Polish and Turkish ethnic groups. The applicant committed to devote at least 14 hours of its programming each broadcast week to local ethnic programming.
On the same date, the Commission approved Rogers Broadcasting Limited’s application for authorization to acquire from 2209005 Ontario Inc. the assets of CJNT-DT, an ethnic television station in Montréal and to convert it into an English-language station. As stated above, the Commission decided to consider the two applications conjointly because they could be considered complementary, with ICI seeking to serve Montréal’s ethnic communities, which were being served by CJNT-DT.
2013
CFHD-DT began testing it’s signal on channel 47.
The transmitter was on Mount Royal and the studios would be on Christophe Colomb Avenue in Montreal.
Sam Norouzi, the manager of ICI (CFHD-DT), announced that the city’s newest TV station would launch December 11. In 2012, the CRTC granted Norouzi the licence for a multilingual station that was part of a deal that saw CJNT-TV ownership switch to Rogers from Channel Zero and for it to become City Montreal. ICI would receive $1.067 million from Rogers for programming plus free content from OMNI. Channel Zero would grant ICI a loan of up to $1 million plus five years of free master control services. This for Norouzi taking over CJNT’s ethnic programming obligations and clearing the way for a City station in the city.
ICI signed on the air on December 11.
The story continues elsewhere…
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