CKTV-DT

On October 28, CKRS-TV joined Radio-Canada’s microwave network.

By this time, CKRS-TV was operating with 20,000 watts video and 10,000 watts audio, and operated the following rebroadcast transmitters: CKRS-TV-1 Port Alfred (ch 9), CKRS-TV-2 Chicoutimi (ch 2) and CKRS-TV-3 Roberval (ch 8).

Radio Saguenay Ltee ownership: Henri Lepage 27.4%, J. Grenier 0.2%, J. Landry 11.0%, CHRC Ltee 17.5%, CKCV Ltee 17.5%, Paul Lepage 2.5%, Simon Baribeau 14.9%, Gaston Pratte 2.5%, T. H. Burham 1.5%, Norman S. Robertson 2.5% and T. Fortier 2.5%. Henri Lepage was president of the company. Tom Burham was manager. Lionel Tremblay was news and sports director. 

Ad slogans: Only one private radio station covers Quebec’s rich No. 3 market…CKRS. The only private Radio & Television stations covering the entire Chicoutimi – Lake St. John market – CKRS Radio & Television. / Don’t split your advertising dollar when only one Radio & Television station covers Quebec’s entire No. 3 market – CKRC Radio-Television.

P. Audette was manager of CKRS-TV. Tom Burham was sales manager. 

Radio Saguenay Ltd. applied to the BBG for rebroadcasters of CKRS-TV at Roberville (channel 8, 2,360 watts video and 1,180 watts audio, directional, 552 feet EHAAT) and Chicoutimi (channel 2, 40 watts video and 20 watts audio, non-directional, 60′ EHAAT). The federal regulator deferred both applications.

Print Ad: Don’t miss in the Saguenay Kingdom – CKRS Radio-Television – Sir Wilfrid Laurier Street, Jonquiere. Only CKRS covers them all: Lake St. John, Jonquiere, Kenagami, Arvida, Chicoutimi. 

Henri Lepage, 68, died suddenly on August 26, ending a 39 year association in an executive capacity with CHRC. Lepage had retired as general manager of CHRC in January, but remained on the board of directors. He founded CKRS Radio in 1946, then CKRS-TV, in 1955 (Rouyn-Noranda-Jonquiere). He continued as president of both stations up to the time of his death. Lepage was one of the founders of Television de Quebec Ltee in 1953, establishing CFCM-TV and three years later, CKMI-TV (Quebec City). He joined Narcisse Thivierge in founding CJNT Radio and was president of that station at the time of his death. Henri was brother of Paul Lepage, who for many years was manager of CKCV (Quebec City). Henri Lepage entered the broadcasting business in 1930 when he was hired as secretary-treasurer for CHRC Ltee. In 1946, he became station manager, succeeding Thivierge. Lepage became general manager of CHRC-AM and FM in 1956. 

CKRS-TV received approval to add a transmitter at Alma, operating on channel 4 with a power of five watts (directional). It would receive programming over-the-air from CKRS-TV Jonquiere.

From an ad: CKRS-TV Jonquiere/Chicoutimi channel 12 and satellites: Chicoutimi channel 2, Alma channel 4, Roberval channel 8, Port Alfred channel 9.

A rebroadcast transmitter was approved for Lithium Mines, operating on channel 8 with an effective radiated power of 48,900 watts video and 9,800 watts audio. The signal would be directional and antenna height would be 811 feet.

CKRS-TV was authorized to increase effective radiated power from 20,000 watts to 208,000 watts and to change the antenna site. The rebroadcast transmitters at Port Alfred, Chicoutimi and Alma would cease operation as a result. 

Approval was granted for a change in effective radiated video power to 128 watts for CKRS-TV-1 Ville de la Baie.  Power had been 19 watts.

CKRS-TV was authorized to increase effective radiated video power from 20,000 watts to 161,000 watts, rather than the previously authorized 208,000 watts. 

CKRS-TV received approval to decrease effective radiated power from 208,000 watts to 137,300 watts.

CKRS-TV received approval for the re-instatement of CKRS-TV-4 at Alma, and to move the antenna from Alma to Saint-Fulgence.

Yvon Perron was named general manager of Radio Saguenay Ltee, but also continued on as GM of CKRS-TV. 

Radio Saguenay Ltee. was authorized to operate a rebroadcast transmitter at Jonquire for the new TQS network, operating on channel 4 with an effective radiated power of 24,550 watts. As a result, the CKRS-TV rebroadcaster at St-Fulgence would move from channel 4 to channel 27 and increase power to 708 watts. The new station would originate 2.5 hours a week and carry some of CKRS-TV’s present programming, allowing that station to broadcast nearly all of the Radio-Canada network schedule. 

CKTV-TV-1 St-Fulgence signed on June 30. 

On January 23, the CRTC approved the application to amend the licence for CKRS-TV by adding to the licence the following condition of licence: In addition to the 12 minutes of advertising material permitted by subsection 11(1) of the Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987, the licensee may broadcast more than 12 minutes of advertising material in any clock hour in a broadcast day, in order to broadcast infomercials as defined in Public Notice CRTC 1994-139 and in accordance with the criteria contained in that public notice, as amended. 

Cogeco Radio-Télévision inc. acquired CKRS-TV Jonquiere (and CKRS-TV-1 Saint-Fulgence) and CFRS-TV Trois Rivieres from Radio Saguenay ltée. 

CKRS-TV became CKTV-TV on March 26. Repeater CKRS-TV-1 became CKTV-TV-1. 

Cogeco Radio Television Inc. sold 40% of CKTV-TV, CFRS-TV and several other stations to Bell Globemedia Inc. subsidiary CTV Television Inc. These stations would now operate under the TQS Inc. name. 

On June 26, the CRTC approved the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to acquire the assets of CKSH-TV Sherbrooke, CKTM-TV Trois-Rivières and CKTV-TV Saguenay and its transmitter CKTV-TV-1 Saint-Fulgence, from TQS inc.  

On August 9, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence of CKTV and its transmitter to March 31, 2011. 

On March 29, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CKTV-TV until August 31, 2012. The Commission noted that it did not intend to renew authorizations for full-power analog transmitters operating in the mandatory markets or on channels 52 to 69 outside the mandatory markets beyond August 31, 2011. By that time, the Commission expected licensees to have the necessary authority to broadcast in digital. In addition, the Commission imposed the following condition of licence on stations that operated in mandatory markets or on channels 52 to 69 outside the mandatory markets: Unless otherwise authorized by the Commission, the licensee shall not transmit analog television signals after 31 August 2011 in mandatory markets designated as such by the Commission in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2011-184 or transmit television signals on channels 52 to 69. The CRTC also noted that pursuant to Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2010-69, it did not intend to renew authorizations to operate transitional digital transmitters included in these licences, beyond August 31, 2011.

On April 8, the CRTC approved the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to amend the licence for CKTV-TV Saguenay in order to add a post-transition digital transmitter to serve the population of Saguenay (Jonquière Borough). The new post-transition digital transmitter, CKTV-DT, would operate on channel 12 with an average effective radiated power of 3,100 watts (maximum ERP of 7,400 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 581.1 metres).

The deadline for stations in mandatory markets to switch from analog to digital was August 31. On that date, CKTV-TV became CKTV-DT, retaining channel 12 for its digital operation (virtual channel 12.1).

The CRTC approved an amendment to the licence for CKTV-DT Saguenay by deleting the transmitter CKTV-TV-1 Saint-Fulgence.

On August 9, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence of CKTV-DT until August 31, 2013. 

On May 28, the CRTC renewed CKTV-DT’s licence for a five year term, to August 31, 2018.