CIMT-DT

On April 10, the go ahead was given for Simard to operate a new TV station at Riviere-du-Loup, with a rebroadcast transmitter at Edmunston, New Brunswick. Effective radiated power at the main transmitter (Channel 9) would now be 14,100 watts (video) rather than 49,000 watts. The Edmunston transmitter would now broadcast on channel 4 rather than channel 5, and effective radiated power would be decreased from 2,000 to 1,200 watts (video).

CIMT-TV channel 9, a TVA affiliate, was launched by on September 17.

CIMT received approval for a rebroadcast transmitter at Trois-Pistoles, operating on channel 8 with a power of ten watts.

CIMT-TV-2 Trois-Pistoles was authorized to change from channel 8 to channel 13.

On April 15, Tele Inter-Rives Ltee was authorized to increase the effective radiated video power for CIMT-TV from 14,100 watts to 24,900 watts. Approval was also given for the addition of a transmitter at Baie St-Paul (10 watts on channel 13). 

By this time, the corporate name was Télé-Inter Rives Ltée and CIMT operated the following repeaters: CIMT-TV-2 Trois-Pistoles, CIMT-TV-4 Baie-Saint-Paul and CIMT-TV-1 Edmunston.

CIMT joined Télé-Capitale’s Réseau Pathonic (network). This was in addition to being a TVA affiliate.

On January 22, the CRTC approved the application for a licence for a French-language television broadcasting transmitting undertaking at Saint-Urbain, on channel 5 with a transmitter power of 1 watt to rebroadcast the programs of CIMT-TV. The licence would expire September 30, 1990. This term would enable the Commission to consider renewal of this licence at the same time as that of CIMT-TV, the originating station. 

CFTF-TV, a TQS affiliate was launched.

On August 13, Télé-Métropole Inc. was given approval to acquire 75% of Le Réseau de télévision TVA Inc. from Radio Nord Inc., Télé-Inter Rives Ltée and Télévision de la Baie des Chaleurs Inc. (25% each). This purchase gave Télé-Métropole 100% of the network. 

CIMT was given CRTC approval to increase effective radiated power from 24,900 to 172,200 watts.

Approval was given for the addition of a low-power transmitter at Cabano.

CIMT was authorized to add a low-power transmitter at Rivière-du-Loup, to compensate for the weak signal of the main station at several locations in the lower part of town.

Télé Inter-Rives ltée was authorized to add a re-broadcast transmitter for CIMT-TV at Les Escoumins.

On August 27 the CRTC renewed until August 31, 2016, the licence of CIMT-TV and its transmitters (Quebec: CIMT-TV-2 Trois-Pistoles, CIMT-TV-4 Baie-Saint-Paul, CIMT-TV-5 Saint-Urbain, CIMT-TV-6 Rivière-du-Loup, CIMT-TV-7 Les Escoumins and CIMT-TV-8 Cabano; New Brunswick: CIMT-TV-1 Edmundston). Conditions of licence include: The licensee shall broadcast not less than two hours and 24 minutes of local programming in each broadcast week.

On February 19, the CRTC approved in part an application by Télé Inter-Rives ltée for a broadcasting licence to operate a transitional digital television undertaking associated with CIMT-TV. The applicant proposed to simulcast the programming aired on CIMT-TV on the new digital station. In Revised licensing framework for over-the-air digital television services, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-69, 10 February 2010, the Commission announced that it would no longer issue separate licences for DTV undertakings. Instead, the operation of DTV transmitters would be authorized by way of an amendment to the licences of existing services, authorizing the simulcast, on a digital transmitter, of the programming broadcast by the associated station. The new transmitter will operate on channel 41B with an effective radiated power of 132 watts (effective height of the antenna above average terrain of 54.8 metres).

On January 6, the CRTC approved the application by Télé Inter-Rives ltée to amend the licence for the television CIMT-TV to add post-transition digital transmitters at the following locations: Edmundston (New Brunswick), CIMT-DT-1 on channel 4 with an average effective radiated power of 1,062 watts (maximum ERP of 2,220 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 117.2 metres); Trois-Pistoles, CIMT-DT-2, on channel 13 with an average ERP of 9 watts (maximum ERP of 50 watts with an EHAAT of 50.6 metres); Baie-Saint-Paul, CIMT-DT-4, on channel 13 with an average ERP of 7.5 watts (maximum ERP of 40 watts with an EHAAT of 4.2 metres); Saint-Urbain, CIMT-DT-5, on channel 38 with an average ERP of 70 watts (maximum ERP of 394 watts with an EHAAT of 27.8 metres); Les Escoumins, CIMT-DT-7, on channel 35 with an average ERP of 64 watts (maximum ERP of 312 watts with an EHAAT of 87.9 metres); and Cabano, CIMT-DT-8, on channel 23 with an average ERP of 39 watts (maximum ERP of 101 watts with an EHAAT of 125.5 metres).

The CRTC approved the application by Télé Inter-Rives ltée for an amendment to the licence of CIMT-TV-6 Rivière-du-Loup, to add a post-transition digital television transmitter serving Rivière-du-Loup, and Mont-Bleu, Quebec. The transmitter would operate on channel 9 with an effective radiated power of 27,500 watts maximum and 17,200 watts average. Effective antenna height would be 362.2 metres and a directional pattern would be used. The existing Tele Inter-Rives tower site would be used. Programming would be received at the transmitter by microwave.

August 31 was the deadline for the conversion of analog television stations to digital in mandatory markets. CIMT-TV channel 9 switched to digital as CIMT-DT channel 9 (virtual channel 9.1) on September 1. CIMT’s rebroadcast transmitters were not in mandatory markets but the station converted them to digital on the same date. CIMT-TV-1 Edmundston (NB) continued to use channel 4 as CIMT-DT-1. CIMT-TV-2 Trois-Pistoles remained on channel 13 as CIMT-DT-2. CIMT-TV-4 continued on channel 13 as CIMT-DT-4 at Baie-Saint-Paul. CIMT-TV-5 Saint-Urbain moved from channel 5 to channel 38 as CIMT-DT-5. CIMT-TV-7 Les Escoumins moved from channel 57 to channel 35 as CIMT-DT-7. CIMT-TV-8 Cabano moved from channel 3 to channel 23 as CIMT-DT-8.

Télé Inter-Rives ltée received CRTC approval to add a post-transition digital transmitter for CIMT-TV at Rivière-du-Loup.

On October 6, the CRTC approved the application by Télé Inter-Rives ltée relating to the licence for CIMT-DT in order to change the technical parameters of the digital rebroadcasting transmitter CIMT-DT-6 Rivière-du-Loup by decreasing the average effective radiated power from 95 to 90 watts, by increasing the maximum ERP from 132 to 150 watts, by decreasing the effective height of antenna above average terrain from 64.1 to 50.7 metres and by relocating the antenna site. According to the licensee, tests made with this transitional transmitter demonstrated that the coverage was inadequate in the lower sector of Rivière-du-Loup and Notre-Dame-du-Portage. It stated that relocating the transmitter to the same site as that used for the related stations CKRT-DT-3 Rivière-du-Loup and CFTF-DT-6 Rivière-du-Loup should resolve this problem.