CFSO-TV, Cardston
Bright Ideas Design (Logan McCarthy)
| Station | Year | Channel | Network Affiliate | Owner/Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFSO-TV | 1996 | 32 | 20 | Bright Ideas Design (Logan McCarthy) |
1983
What is now CFSO-TV, started out when a group of businessmen formed a Video Society. Ron Pitcher offered the back-room of Pitcher Real Estate and Insurance Co. and Videotron donated some equipment. Programming consisted of music, spoken word, news and sports. Videotron later contracted with the Video Society to do service work in Cardston the Society hired Logan McCarthy part-time. He worked for the cable company and manged channel 10.
1993
The cable company announced cuts to funding and support for small community channels including channel 10. Cardston residents fought to keep their TV station. The Video Society decided to disband. The town approached Logan McCarthy and his son Corey to see how they could keep channel 10 on the air. The town provided some financial support and the facility was moved to the Waterton Highway #524.
1994
Channel 10 moved southwest of town to Logan McCarthy’s home, south of the Agridome. By this time, programming was recorded at McCarthy’s home and the tapes were then played back at the cable head end.
1996
On October 10, Logan McCarthy, operating as Bright Ideas Design, received a licence for a low-power English and Native language television station at Cardston. It would broadcast over channel 32 with an effective radiated power of 20 watts. The new station would air some locally-produced programming as well as pre-taped material.
Logan and Corey McCarthy launched CFSO-TV Channel 32 (“More than Television, it’s our Community”).
2002
Shaw Cable bought the Cardston cable system and then converted to digital. Channel 10 was in jeopardy of being pushed off cable. CFSO-TV (over the air channel 32) was moved from cable channel 10 to channel 4.
2003
On September 29 the CRTC renewed CFSO-TV’s licence until August 31, 2010.
2011
On July 12, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CFSO-TV until August 31, 2013.
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.