CBCT-DT

The CBC Board of Governors recommended for approval, an application by The Island Broadcasting Co. Ltd. (CFCY Radio) for a new television station at Charlottetown. The station would operate on channel 13 with an effective radiated power of 21,000 watts video and 12,500 watts audio. A directional antenna would be used and tower height (EHAAT) would be 401 feet.

CFCY-TV (not yet on the air) was granted an increase in effective radiated power from 21,000 watts video and 12,500 watts audio to 38,600 watts video and 19,300 watts audio, with an increase in antenna height from 401 to 711 feet (height above average terrain). A directional antenna would still be used.

CFCY – TV Channel 13 went on the air July 1, just a little more than two years after the death of CFCY Radio’s founder, Col. Keith Rogers. He had a dream of having a TV station for many years, and it was left to his daughter Betty, and her husband (and engineer) Bob Large to bring that dream to fruition. He was also manager of CFCY-AM. The studio, transmitter and tower were located some 12 miles west of Charlottetown on the Trans Canada Highway near Bonshaw.

CFCY-TV had an effective radiated power of 38,600 watts video and 19,300 watts audio. It was a CBC affiliate. Ownership of The Island Radio Broadcasting Co. Ltd.: Mrs. Flora Rogers 51.5%, Mrs. Margaret E. Large 13.6%, Mrs. Marianne G. Morrow 13.6% and William K. Rogers 21.3%. Mrs. K. S. Rogers was president of the company. Robert F. Large was manager and commercial manager. Paul Williams was program director and traffic manager. William K. Rogers was music director. Margaret Large was promotions manager.
At the end of the year, ERP was listed as 79,000 watts video and 38,500 watts audio.

Severe winters over the next few years at the location proved it to be impractical and the studios were moved into an addition on the back of the Radio station on Kent Street, in 1961.

Typical of small TV stations across Canada, it was initially a one-camera operation for the first few years, but equipment was gradually updated.

Not so typical, was the development of talent that continued from CFCY’s radio days. Don Messer’s Islanders moved from radio to television at CFCY before being “discovered” by CBC when Don, Marg Osborne and Charlie Chamberlain became household names across Canada. Mike Duffy, the now celebrated political mmentator, started at CFCY-TV with a Saturday afternoon teen dance party, just because he had the best collection of records in town.

CFCY-TV had an effective radiated power of 38,600 watts video and 19,300 watts audio and operated rebroadcast transmitter CFCY-TV-1 (channel 7) at New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

Network color transmission came along with the rest of the industry.

Television was moving into a new era across the country. The new CTV Network was expanding and CBC wished to have their own station in each province. After much soul searching it was decided that Charlottetown and P.E.I. could not support two television stations, and CFCY-TV was sold to the CBC to become CBCT-TV.  

On June 13, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was authorized to purchase CFCY-TV Charlottetown and CFCY-TV-1 New Glasgow (NS) from The Island Radio Broadcasting Co. Ltd.

CFCY-TV became CBCT-TV.

On January 19, CBCT Channel 13 was authorized to increase effective radiated power from 38,600 watts video and 19,300 watts audio to 62,000 watts video and 12,400 watts audio. Antenna height would increase from 771 to 918 feet. The station would continue to operate with a directional pattern. These improvements would allow residents of eastern P.E.I. to receive CBC programming via CBCT rather than from CJCB-TV Sydney, NS.

On April 10, CBCT was given approval to increase effective radiated video power from 62,000 to 178,000 watts.

Bob Large former Manager of CFCY-TV (now CBCT-TV) and CFCY-AM in his 91st year.

On March 29, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CBCT-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 an amendment to the licence for conventional television programming undertaking CBCT-TV, to add a post-transition digital transmitter in Charlottetown, operating on channel 13 with a maximum effective radiated power of 13,030 watts (average of 7,160 watts). A directional antenna would be used. Effective height of the antenna above average terrain would be 268.8 metres and the existing tower would be used. Program service to the transmitter would be by common carrier.

August 31 was the deadline for the conversion of analog to digital for television stations in mandatory markets. CBCT made the switch on this date, using channel 13 (virtual 13.1), the same channel it had used for analog broadcasting.

On July 17, the CRTC announced that effective 1 August 2012, it would revoke the broadcasting licences for CBIT Sydney and CBKST Saskatoon and their transmitters. The Commission also 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 CBCT-DT licence: CBCT-2 Elmira and CBCT-1 St. Edward/St. Louis.

David Skinner passed away September 13. He was 64. Skinner became a cameraman for CBCT and remained with the CBC for over 35 years.