CBLFT-DT

CBLFT’s Thunder Bay transmitter signed on October 13.

On December 17, the CBLFT Sault Ste. Marie transmitter opened.

The Wawa and Dubreuilville transmitters began operations on December 24.

The Gogama transmitter opened February 23.

On September 29, the Chapleau, Geraldton and Manitouwadge transmitters went on the air.

The Mattawa transmitter signed on the air on June 1.

On March 1, the Nipigon transmitter signed on.

On December 17, CBLFT was authorized to add a transmitter at Thorne/Eldee, on channel 16 with a transmitter power of 13 watts. It would receive its programs from CBLFT-1 Sturgeon Falls.

CBLFT increased power to 1,827,000 watts video and 182,700 watts audio. At some point between 1976 and now, power had decreased from 2,140,000 watts.

On March 18, CBLFT-21 Gogama received approval to decrease effective radiated power from 5,300 watts to 2,600 watts.

CBLFT operated the following transmitters: CBLFT-1 Sturgeon Falls, CBLFT-2 Sudbury, CBLFT-3 Timmins, CBLFT-4 Kapuskasing, CBLFT-5 Hearst, CBLFT-6 Elliot Lake, CBLFT-7 Espanola, CBLFT-8 Kitchener, CBLFT-9 London, CBLFT-10 Chatham, CBLFT-11 Barrie, CBLFT-12 Peterborough, CBLFT-13 Belleville, CBLFT-14 Kingston, CBLFT-15 Penetanguishene, CBLFT-16 Driftwood, CBLFT-17 Sarnia, CBLFT-18 Thunder Bay, CBLFT-19 Nipigon, CBLFT-20 Sault Ste. Marie, CBLFT-21 Gogama, CBLFT-22 Chapleau, CBLFT-23 Wawa, CBLFT-24 Dubreuilville, CBLFT-25 Manitouwadge, CBLFT-26 Geraldton, CBLFT-27 Mattawa, and CBFST-2 Temiscaming (Quebec).

On December 5, 1990, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced its intention to implement, effective immediately, various reductions in service and other measures intended to address an estimated budget shortfall of approximately $108 million for the coming fiscal year. Among the reductions was to change the status of CBLFT-TV Toronto (and its rebroadcasters, including CBEFT Windsor) to that of a full-time rebroadcaster of CBOFT-TV Ottawa. The CRTC approved these changes June 28, 1991.

All CBC Toronto operations moved to the new CBC Broadcasting Centre, 250 Front Street West.

On June 10, CBLFT-7 Espanola was authorized to change channel from 11 to 4 and increase transmitter power from 8.9 watts to 10 watts. In 1992, CIII-TV (Global)  was authorized to use channel 11 at Sudbury. Once Global goes on the air, CBLFT-7 would move to channel 4.

CBLFT received approval on April 25 to decrease effective radiated power from 1,760,000 watts to 615,600 watts. The proposed decrease would result in a small reduction in the station’s coverage contours with virtually no effect on the service provided to populated areas. Those areas that will not be covered by CBLFT will receive a good quality signal from CBLFT-8 Kitchener, CBLFT-11 Barrie or CBLFT-12 Peterborough.

On August 28, CBLFT-21 Gogama received approval to change channel from 23 to 12 and decrease effective radiated power from 4,400 watts to 468 watts.  The CBC proposed to replace its existing UHF transmitter with a lower power VHF transmitter operating on channel 12.

CBLFT transmitters at this time: CBLFT-1 Sturgeon Falls (on air since March 4, 1961), CBLFT-2 Sudbury (July 23, 1962), CBLFT-3 Timmins (September 7, 1964), CBLFT-4 Kapuskasing (September 7, 1964), CBLFT-5 Hearst (June 4, 1966), CBLFT-6 Elliot Lake (September 14, 1967), CBLFT-7 Espanola (December 20, 1973), CBLFT-8 Kitchener, CBLFT-9 London, CBLFT-10 Chatham, CBLFT-11 Barrie, CBLFT-12 Peterborough, CBLFT-13 Belleville, CBLFT-14 Kingston, CBLFT-15 Penetanguishene, CBLFT-17 Sarnia, CBLFT-18 Thunder Bay, CBLFT-19 Nipigon, CBLFT-20 Sault Ste. Marie, CBLFT-21 Gogama, CBLFT-22 Chapleau, CBLFT-23 Wawa, CBLFT-24 Dubreuilville, CBLFT-25 Manitouwadge, CBLFT-26 Geraldton, and CBLFT-27 Mattawa.

On August 24 after years of not being used, the old CBC TV/FM tower at 354 Jarvis Street was toppled to make room for a new building.

On January 30, CBLFT was granted a transitional digital television licence. The digital undertaking operated from the CN Tower on channel 24C with an effective radiated power of 2,500 watts.

CBLFT (CBLFT-DT) began digital operations on channel 24 from the CN Tower on March 5.

On October 21, CBOFT Ottawa was granted a licence for a transitional digital TV transmitter. As CBLFT was a full rebroadcaster of CBOFT, the CBC would turn in the digital licence for CBLFT and that transmitter would become a rebroadcaster of the CBOFT digital operation once it becomes operational.

CBLFT-2 Sudbury received approval to decrease maximum effective radiated power from 17,100 watts video and 3,420 audio to 16,000 watts video and 1,600 watts audio. (average from 8,600 video and 1,720 audio to 7,340 video and 730 audio). Antenna height would increase from 143.6 metres to 149.9 metres. The same antenna site would be used and the station would continue to be directional.

On April 28, the CRTC approved an application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to operate a new regional television station in Toronto. CBLFT-TV Toronto must broadcast a minimum of five hours per week, on average on an annual basis, of local programming intended for television viewers in Toronto and a large part of Ontario. The Commission also approved an application by the CBC to amend the broadcasting licence for CBOFT-TV Ottawa in order to transfer the following transmitters to the new regional television station CBLFT-TV Toronto:

CBLFT-1-TV Sturgeon Falls, CBLFT-2-TV Sudbury, CBLFT-3-TV Timmins, CBLFT-4-TV Kapuskasing, CBLFT-5-TV Hearst, CBLFT-6-TV Elliot Lake, CBLFT-7-TV Espanola, CBLFT-8-TV Kitchener, CBLFT-9-TV London, CBLFT-10-TV Chatham, CBLFT-11-TV Barrie, CBLFT-12-TV Peterborough, CBLFT-13-TV Belleville, CBLFT-14-TV Kingston, CBLFT-15-TV Penetanguishene, CBLFT-17-TV Sarnia, CBLFT-18-TV Thunder Bay, CBLFT-19-TV Nipigon, CBLFT-20-TV Sault Ste. Marie, CBLFT-21-TV Gogama, CBLFT-22-TV Chapleau, CBLFT-23-TV Wawa, CBLFT-24-TV Dubreuilville, CBLFT-25-TV Manitouwadge, CBLFT-26-TV Geraldton, CBLFT-27-TV Mattawa, CBEFT Windsor and CBFST-2-TV Témiscamingue. The Commission also approved the CBC’s application to amend the broadcasting licence for CBOFT-DT Ottawa in order to transfer the transmitter CBLFT-DT Toronto to the new regional television station CBLFT-TV Toronto. The licensee indicated that until 1991 it had operated CBLFT-TV, a regional French-language television station in Toronto. This station was closed at the licensee’s request and converted to a rebroadcasting transmitter for CBOFT-TV Ottawa. The CBC now wished to convert the transmitter CBLFT-TV to a regional station in order to offer local and regional programming to the population of the Toronto region on a regular basis. The CBC stated that it currently offered local programming during station breakaways from CBOFT-TV Ottawa. However, this local programming offering was not the result of a regulatory requirement or a particular condition of licence. The CBC indicated that it wished to increase its commitments to the production of local and regional programming for the Toronto region. In addition, the CBC requested authorization to solicit local advertising in the area served by the regional station and its transmitters. As a condition of licence, CBLFT shall broadcast a minimum of five hours per week, on average on an annual basis, of local programming intended for television viewers in Toronto and a large part of Ontario. For the purposes of this condition of licence, “local programming” means “programming produced by local stations with local personnel or programming produced by locally-based independent producers that reflects the particular needs and interests of residents in the Toronto market and surrounding areas.”

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

On March 29, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CBLFT-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. 

The CRTC approved the amendment to licence of CBLFT-TV to add a post-transition digital television transmitter, operating on channel 25 with an effective radiated power of 106,200 watts (non-directional). Effective antenna height on the CN Tower would be 491 metres. Programming would be received by STL fibre-optic.

On August 16, the CRTC approved applications by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to continue to operate 22 analog television rebroadcasting transmitters until August 31, 2012 in markets that the Commission identified as mandatory for conversion to digital transmission, and to make associated technical changes. This approval included CBLFT-8 Kitchener, CBLFT-9 London, and CBLFT-18 Thunder Bay. CBLFT-8 would operate on channel 61 (existing) with an average effective radiated power of 334 watts (maximum ERP of 635 watts). The antenna would be directional with effective antenna height above average terrain of 198.1 metres (reflects parameters approved by the Department of Industry). CBLFT-9 would continue to broadcast on channel 53, but average ERP would be 181 watts (maximum of 340 watts). A directional antenna would be used with EHAAT of 306.5 metres. Approval of the CBC’s proposal, and related technical amendments, would provide additional time for affected households that rely on over-the-air service in mandatory markets to find other means to access the CBC’s television services. Approval of the proposal would also provide an opportunity for the Commission to discuss the CBC’s plans for its over-the-air transmitter system at the time of the CBC’s licence renewal hearing, now scheduled for June 2012. 

On the same date, the Commission approved applications by the CBC to change the technical parameters of CBLFT-17-TV Sarnia: the transmitter channel will move from 68 to 17 and the authorized contours would change due to a reduction of the average ERP from 41,300 to 12,120 watts, a reduction of the maximum ERP from 60,000 to 27,200 watts, and a change to the antenna’s effective height above average terrain from 133.5 metres to 98 metres. In Analog transmitters mandated for digital conversion, or operating on channels 52 to 69 in non-mandatory markets, the Commission indicated that it did not intend to renew beyond August 31, 2011 authorizations for full-power analog transmitters on channels 52 to 69 outside the markets where conversion was mandatory. The applicant therefore submitted the applications that were the subject of this decision in order to vacate the channels used by its Sarnia transmitter. 

The deadline for conversion from analog to digital in mandatory markets was August 31. On that date, CBLFT-TV channel 25 (analog) was shut down and the station moved from its transitional digital channel of 24 to channel 25 (virtual channel 25.1). CBLFT transmitters in the mandatory markets of Kitchener, London, Thunder Bay and Windsor were given permission to remain in analog until August 31, 2012. CBLFT-8 Kitchener (channel 61), CBLFT-9 London (channel 53) reduced power. CBEFT Windsor reduced power and changed its channel from 53 to 35. CBLFT-17 in Sarnia moved from channel 68 to channel 17. CBLFT-TV-11 Barrie (channel 55) was shut down. 

The CRTC approved an amendment to the licence for CBLFT-DT Toronto by deleting the transmitter CBLFT-11 Barrie.

On July 17, the CRTC approved the request to amend the licences for 23 English- and French-language television stations operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in order that reference to all analog transmitters be deleted. The CBC planned to cease operation of all these transmitters on 31 July 2012. The licences for the following transmitters were removed from the CBLFT-DT licence: CBLFT-11 Barrie, CBLFT-13 Belleville, CBLFT-22 Chapleau, CBLFT-10 Chatham, CBLFT-24 Dubreuilville, CBLFT-6 Elliot Lake, CBLFT-7 Espanola, CBLFT-26 Geraldton, CBLFT-21 Gogama, CBLFT-5 Hearst, CBLFT-4 Kapuskasing, CBLFT-14 Kingston, CBLFT-8 Kitchener, CBLFT-9 London, CBLFT-25 Manitouwadge, CBLFT-27 Mattawa, CBLFT-19 Nipigon, CBLFT-15 Penetanguishene, CBLFT-12 Peterborough, CBLFT-17 Sarnia, CBLFT-20 Sault Ste. Marie, CBLFT-1 Sturgeon Falls, CBLFT-2 Sudbury, CBFST-2 Témiscaming, CBLFT-18 Thunder Bay, CBLFT-3 Timmins, CBLFT-23 Wawa, and CBEFT Windsor.

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

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