CFTU-DT, Educational, Montréal
Canal Teleensignement (Université de Montréal)
| Station | Year | Channel | Network Affiliate | Owner/Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFTU-DT | 2011 | 29.1 (29) | Educational | Canal Teleensignement (University of Montreal) |
| CFTU-TV | 1986 | 29 | Educational | Canal Teleensignement (University of Montreal) |
1981
Télé-Université and cable provider Vidéotron joined together to form an educational television service for Quebec.
1982
The publicly-accessible educational cable TV service (using Radio-Québec as an over-the-air gateway for programming) went into operation.
1985
On January 18, CANAL, Corporation pour l’avancement de Nouvelles Applications des Langages Ltee was granted licences for a television station at Montreal and for a network to distribute to cable via satellite, the programming to be produced by CANAL. The Montreal over-the-air signal would broadcast over channel 62 with a transmitter power of 100 watts.
CANAL was a non-profit corporation composed of Quebec collegiate and university educational institutions, with 13 members at this time, including “Tele-Universite” of the Universite du Quebec.
CFTU-TV began test broadcasts. The “TU” in the calls: Télé-Université.
1986
CFTU-TV received approval to change channel from 62 to 29 and increase power from 100 watts to 10,000 watts. The station planned to offer educational programming at a post-secondary level.
CFTU-TV (Canal Téléensignement) officially signed on the air on August 20, operating on channel 29. Even though CFTU was run by a private institution (Université de Montréal), it operated as a commercial-free French-language educational television service.
1997
Canal Téléensignement changed its name to Canal Savoir.
2007
On June 1, CFTU-TV Canal Savoir moved to new studios and offices at 500 Rene Levesque Boulevard East.
2011
The CRTC approved an amendment to the licence for the French-language conventional television programming undertaking CFTU-TV Montréal, in order to add a post-transition digital television transmitter, operating on channel 29 with an effective radiated power of 450 watts (non-directional). Effective antenna height above average terrain would be 208.48 metres and the existing tower on the University of Montreal site would be used.
The deadline for the conversion of analog television to digital in mandatory markets was August 31. CFTU-TV received an extension in constructing its digital facility. By October 31, 2011, analog CFTU-TV channel 29 must leave the air and be replaced by CFTU-DT, also on channel 29 (virtual 29.1).
2012
On September 25, the CRTC approved the application by Canal Savoir to change the authorized contours of CFTU-DT by increasing the average effective radiated power from 450 to 910 watts (maximum ERP from 387 to 783 watts) and by decreasing the effective height of antenna above average terrain from 208.48 to 196.4 meters. Canal Savoir stated that this technical change would improve the coverage area, while respecting the maximum parameters of the Department of Industry’s DTV Post-Transition Allotment Plan.
The story continues elsewhere…
Effective September 1st 2019, we will only be adding new material to these station histories in exceptional circumstances. Our intent to chronicle the early days of these radio and television stations has been achieved, and many new sources and technologies, from the CRTC website to Wikipedia, and others, are now regularly providing new information in these areas.