CKTM-DT

CKTM-TV was hoping to be on the air around March 30 but finally signed on the air on April 15. The “TM” in the call sign: Télévision Mauricie. It was a basic connected station of the CBC French television network. Effective radiated power was 6,000 watts video and 3,000 watts audio.

Ad slogan: Reach the Heart of Quebec – CKTM-TV Trois-Rivieres Channel 13.

Henri Audet was president and general manager of CKTM-TV.

CKTM-TV built a new transmission tower. Effective radiated power was now 162,500 watts video and 81,200 watts audio. The station was owned by Television St-Maurice Inc.

CKTM-TV lost its tower in nearby Mt. Carmel in December during a severe ice storm. Service resumed shortly after by hooking up to the old standby tower.

CKTM-TV undertook a major update of its technical (production) facilities.

Télévision St. Maurice Inc. launched CFKM-TV – an affiliate of the new TQS network.

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

By this time, the corporate name had changed from Télévision St. Maurice Inc. to Cogeco Radio-Télévision Inc. Télévision St. Maurice Inc. had been a subsidiary of Cogeco.

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.

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.

CKTM operated by this time as a semi-satellite of Radio-Canada’s flagship station, CBFT Montreal.

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 CKTM to March 31, 2011.

On January 7, the CRTC approved the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to amend the licence for CKTM-TV to add a post-transition digital transmitter in order to serve the population of Trois-Rivières. The new post-transition digital transmitter would operate on channel 28 with an average effective radiated power of 17,900 watts (maximum ERP of 38,900 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 314.6 metres).

On March 29, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CKTM-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, CKTM-TV channel 13 became CKTM-DT channel 28 (virtual 13.1).

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

In November, Henri Audet, founder of Cogeco cable died at age 94. Trained as an engineer, Audet left a job at the CBC to launch a TV station in Trois-Riviéres. He sold his house and raised $100,000 from friends and other investors as seed money. From that single television station the company became Canada’s fourth-largest cable company and one of Quebec’s largest media companies. Audet served as president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters from 1961 to 1964, and was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1984. Control of Cogeco Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries was held by Gestion Audem Inc., a holding company whose shares were held entirely by the members of the family of Henri Audet.

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