CKSH-DT

Télévision St-François Inc. opened CKSH-TV channel 9 as an SRC affiliate on September 19. CKSH was a semi-satellite of CKTM-TV in Trois-Rivieres.

CKSH-TV was authorized to make a minor relocation of its transmitter site and to increase effective radiated power from 77,100 watts video and 14,300 watts audio to 113,000 watts video and 20,200 watts audio.

Louis Audet was named director of national sales for CKSH-TV and CKTM-TV.

CKSH-TV updated its technical facilities. Before now, local production was on film, using unlimited, overcrowded facilities. Now, with more professional equipment and surroundings, the station was winning larger audiences, and contracts for production of commercials for national accounts. The construction was completed without any disruption of regular programming.

Alain Plante was CKSH-TV’s production director.

Télévision St-François Inc., owner of CKSH-TV, launched CFKS-TV – an affiliate of the new TQS network.

Francois Laganiere joined CKSH-TV/CKTM-TV (Cogeco) as national sales manager.

By this time, CKSH-TV was operating with 325,000 watts video and 56,000 watts audio.

On August 22, Consortium Quebecor was authorized to acquire effective control of TQS inc. Communications Quebecor inc. would hold 58.52% in Consortium Quebecor. The other shareholders were Canadian Satellite Communications Inc. (19.49%), Cogeco inc. (19.99%), and the other affiliates of the “Télévision Quatre Saisons” network, which included CKSH-TV

On December 7, Cogeco Radio Television Inc. (60%) and Bell Globemedia Inc. (through subsidiary CTV Television Inc.) (40%) were given approval to acquire TQS Inc. The shares had been held in trust by Mr. Pierre Hébert. The sale of TQS came about because of the purchase of TVA by Quebecor Média Inc. The CRTC imposed a condition precedent requiring that the control of TQS be transferred to a third party not associated with Quebecor.

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 January 7, the CRTC approved the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to amend the licence for CKSH-TV to add a post-transition digital transmitter in order to serve the population of Sherbrooke. The new post-transition digital transmitter would operate on channel 9 with an average effective radiated power of 1,370 watts (maximum ERP of 4,470 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 585.9 metres).

On March 29, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CKSH-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 deadline for stations in mandatory markets to switch from analog to digital was August 31. On that date CKSH-TV became CKSH-DT, retaining channel 9 (virtual 9.1) for its digital operation.

On November 15, the CRTC approved the application by the CBC to amend the technical parameters for CKSH-DT by increasing the average effective radiated power from 1,370 to 11,160 watts (maximum ERP from 4,470 to 36,280 watts). All other technical parameters would remain unchanged. The CBC stated that following the transition to digital, it received many complaints related to bad reception CKSH-DT’s signal in the Sherbrooke area. The CBC therefore proposed this amendment to remedy reception and signal penetration problems inside homes and buildings.

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

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