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:''This article is about the current 'A-Channel' television system. Articles for individual stations are titled according to their official call signs.''
:''For the system that operated in Manitoba and Alberta from 1997 to 2005, see A-Channel (Craig Media).''
'A-Channel', previously known as the 'NewNet', is a Canadian English language privately owned television system owned by CTVglobemedia. The current A-Channel system consists of five television stations located in Southern Ontario, and one in British Columbia.
CHUM Limited, the system's former owner, acquired the A-Channel brand as part of its purchase of Craig Media in 2004. At the time the A-Channel brand was associated with Craig's television stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton. These television stations joined the Citytv system when the NewNet stations were rebranded as A-Channel.
The NewNet stations began to develop in 1995, when CHUM disaffiliated its longtime CBC Television affiliate in Barrie, Ontario, CKVR, and tried to give it a more youthful image in order to generate interest in the neighbouring Toronto market, which included acquiring broadcasting rights to Toronto's new National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise. The resulting station became known as "The New VR".
The experiment apparently worked. In 1997, when CHUM acquired similar stations in Pembroke (near Ottawa), London, Wingham and Windsor, Ontario, as part of a trade with Baton Broadcasting, these stations were similarly rebranded. Most of these were also former CBC affiliates, and all were in markets where Citytv Toronto was already available on basic cable. CIVI in Victoria, British Columbia was added when it launched in 2001.
The name "NewNet" was never used on the stations themselves, only as an identifier for advertising buyers and news vehicles mainly in Southwestern Ontario. Instead, each station was known as "The New ''XX''", where ''XX'' was the last two letters of the station's callsign (e.g., "The New VR" for CKVR, "The New RO" for CHRO, "The New PL" for CFPL, etc.)
On March 15, 2005, CHUM announced that the NewNet stations would be renamed as A-Channels; the date was later decided for August 2, the same date that the former Craig-owned A-Channel stations relaunched as Citytv stations.
On July 12, 2006, CTVglobemedia (CTVgm, formerly known as Bell Globemedia) announced a friendly takeover bid to buy CHUM Limited. CTVgm initially intended to keep CHUM's Citytv system, while divesting the A-Channel and Access Alberta stations in order to pass regulatory approval. Bell Globemedia makes $1.7B bid for CHUM
On April 9, 2007, Rogers Communications announced an agreement to purchase the A-Channel stations (along with CKX-TV and several cable channels being put up for sale by CHUM). CRTC expected to OK Rogers' $137.5M buy of CTVglobemedia TV channels
On June 8, 2007, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced its approval of CTVglobemedia's purchase of CHUM Limited, but added a condition that CTVglobemedia must sell off CHUM's Citytv stations to another buyer. At the same time, it was permitted to keep the A-Channel stations, in effect cancelling the planned sale of A-Channel to Rogers Media. CRTC tells CTVglobemedia to sell 5 Citytv stations C.R.T.C. approves the purchase of CHUM Ltd. by CTVGlobemedia, excluding Citytv stations
On June 22, 2007, CTVglobemedia finalized its purchase of the CHUM Limited stations, with the Citytv stations being sold to Rogers Media (pending CRTC approval). The company will keep the A-Channel stations' branding and programming independent from the CTV Television Network. Media analysts have speculated that CTVglobemedia will rebrand the A-Channel stations in 2008. CTV, however, has not yet indicated its plans. CTV expected to rebrand A Channel
On July 26, 2007, CTVglobemedia named Richard Gray the head of news for the A-Channel stations and CKX-TV. Gray will report to the CTVgm corporate group, not CTV News, to preserve independent news presentation and management. Gray will now oversee the news departments for CKVR, CHRO, CFPL, CKNX, CHWI, CIVI-TV and CKX-TV.[1] CTVglobemedia plans to rebrand the A-Channel stations with a new name and identity. As of September 2007, the name MuchTV is being tested in focus groups as a possible new name. The brand would be an extension of Muchmusic, the popular Canadian cable network now under the ownership of CTVglobemedia and the programming on local MuchTV stations would be tied to the style of the existing cable property. The idea of extending a cable brand to a group of conventional local over-the-air broadcast stations is already being tried by CanWest Global which has rebranded its CH local stations in Canada with the American cable network E! brand.
A-Channel stations broadcast programs which are syndicated or aired on the smaller American television networks (such as The CW) in addition to some local news programming and a few movies. Much of the primetime lineup on A-Channel stations comprises United States programming, as well as programming from Citytv. A few original productions, such as ''11 Somerset'' and ''Charlie Jade'', have aired on A-Channel. The drama series ''Missing'' was carried over from the old A-Channel stations to the new ones.
Many A-Channel programmes aired on the former A-Channel (now Citytv) stations in Manitoba and Alberta, or even on Alberta's CTVglobemedia-owned educational service Access.
CHRO also produces and broadcasts 20 regular-season games each year of the National Hockey League's Ottawa Senators. These games are generally seen on Thursday nights and are usually CHRO's most popular programmes.
★ CHWI (Windsor, Ontario/Wheatley, Ontario)
★ CFPL (London, Ontario)
★ CKNX (Wingham, Ontario)
★ CKVR (Barrie, Ontario/Toronto, Ontario)
★ CHRO (Ottawa, Ontario/Pembroke, Ontario)
★ CIVI (Victoria, British Columbia)
The following CTVglobemedia-owned stations also air some A-Channel programming, although they are not marketed as official affiliates:
★ CKX (Brandon, Manitoba) - CBC affiliate. While not marketed as A-Channel, the A-Channel logo is periodically shown on screen during non-CBC programming.
★ ACCESS - CIAN Calgary and CJAL Edmonton; also carried province-wide in Alberta on cable television and nation-wide on satellite television. Licensed as an educational television service for the province of Alberta, it also airs A-Channel programs during primetime hours.
★ Atlantic Satellite Network (ASN) - CTV-owned cable channel in Atlantic Canada, which has long aired programs from both Citytv and A-Channel under an agreement with CHUM. CTV has not yet said what role ASN will play in a relaunched A-Channel, and given the latter's weaker schedule (compared to Citytv), ASN may continue to carry some Citytv programming.
1. [1]
★ List of programs broadcast by A-Channel
★ A-Channel (Craig Media)
★ 2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment
★ Official A-Channel website
★ A-Channel Morning
★ CHUM Announcement - Local Stations Being Renamed as A-Channel
★ Bell Globemedia bids $1.7B for CHUM Ltd.
:''For the system that operated in Manitoba and Alberta from 1997 to 2005, see A-Channel (Craig Media).''
'A-Channel', previously known as the 'NewNet', is a Canadian English language privately owned television system owned by CTVglobemedia. The current A-Channel system consists of five television stations located in Southern Ontario, and one in British Columbia.
CHUM Limited, the system's former owner, acquired the A-Channel brand as part of its purchase of Craig Media in 2004. At the time the A-Channel brand was associated with Craig's television stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton. These television stations joined the Citytv system when the NewNet stations were rebranded as A-Channel.
| Contents |
| History |
| CTVglobemedia takeover |
| Programming |
| Stations |
| Secondary carriers |
| References |
| See also |
| External links |
History
The NewNet stations began to develop in 1995, when CHUM disaffiliated its longtime CBC Television affiliate in Barrie, Ontario, CKVR, and tried to give it a more youthful image in order to generate interest in the neighbouring Toronto market, which included acquiring broadcasting rights to Toronto's new National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise. The resulting station became known as "The New VR".
The experiment apparently worked. In 1997, when CHUM acquired similar stations in Pembroke (near Ottawa), London, Wingham and Windsor, Ontario, as part of a trade with Baton Broadcasting, these stations were similarly rebranded. Most of these were also former CBC affiliates, and all were in markets where Citytv Toronto was already available on basic cable. CIVI in Victoria, British Columbia was added when it launched in 2001.
The name "NewNet" was never used on the stations themselves, only as an identifier for advertising buyers and news vehicles mainly in Southwestern Ontario. Instead, each station was known as "The New ''XX''", where ''XX'' was the last two letters of the station's callsign (e.g., "The New VR" for CKVR, "The New RO" for CHRO, "The New PL" for CFPL, etc.)
On March 15, 2005, CHUM announced that the NewNet stations would be renamed as A-Channels; the date was later decided for August 2, the same date that the former Craig-owned A-Channel stations relaunched as Citytv stations.
CTVglobemedia takeover
On July 12, 2006, CTVglobemedia (CTVgm, formerly known as Bell Globemedia) announced a friendly takeover bid to buy CHUM Limited. CTVgm initially intended to keep CHUM's Citytv system, while divesting the A-Channel and Access Alberta stations in order to pass regulatory approval. Bell Globemedia makes $1.7B bid for CHUM
On April 9, 2007, Rogers Communications announced an agreement to purchase the A-Channel stations (along with CKX-TV and several cable channels being put up for sale by CHUM). CRTC expected to OK Rogers' $137.5M buy of CTVglobemedia TV channels
On June 8, 2007, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced its approval of CTVglobemedia's purchase of CHUM Limited, but added a condition that CTVglobemedia must sell off CHUM's Citytv stations to another buyer. At the same time, it was permitted to keep the A-Channel stations, in effect cancelling the planned sale of A-Channel to Rogers Media. CRTC tells CTVglobemedia to sell 5 Citytv stations C.R.T.C. approves the purchase of CHUM Ltd. by CTVGlobemedia, excluding Citytv stations
On June 22, 2007, CTVglobemedia finalized its purchase of the CHUM Limited stations, with the Citytv stations being sold to Rogers Media (pending CRTC approval). The company will keep the A-Channel stations' branding and programming independent from the CTV Television Network. Media analysts have speculated that CTVglobemedia will rebrand the A-Channel stations in 2008. CTV, however, has not yet indicated its plans. CTV expected to rebrand A Channel
On July 26, 2007, CTVglobemedia named Richard Gray the head of news for the A-Channel stations and CKX-TV. Gray will report to the CTVgm corporate group, not CTV News, to preserve independent news presentation and management. Gray will now oversee the news departments for CKVR, CHRO, CFPL, CKNX, CHWI, CIVI-TV and CKX-TV.[1] CTVglobemedia plans to rebrand the A-Channel stations with a new name and identity. As of September 2007, the name MuchTV is being tested in focus groups as a possible new name. The brand would be an extension of Muchmusic, the popular Canadian cable network now under the ownership of CTVglobemedia and the programming on local MuchTV stations would be tied to the style of the existing cable property. The idea of extending a cable brand to a group of conventional local over-the-air broadcast stations is already being tried by CanWest Global which has rebranded its CH local stations in Canada with the American cable network E! brand.
Programming
A-Channel stations broadcast programs which are syndicated or aired on the smaller American television networks (such as The CW) in addition to some local news programming and a few movies. Much of the primetime lineup on A-Channel stations comprises United States programming, as well as programming from Citytv. A few original productions, such as ''11 Somerset'' and ''Charlie Jade'', have aired on A-Channel. The drama series ''Missing'' was carried over from the old A-Channel stations to the new ones.
Many A-Channel programmes aired on the former A-Channel (now Citytv) stations in Manitoba and Alberta, or even on Alberta's CTVglobemedia-owned educational service Access.
CHRO also produces and broadcasts 20 regular-season games each year of the National Hockey League's Ottawa Senators. These games are generally seen on Thursday nights and are usually CHRO's most popular programmes.
Stations
★ CHWI (Windsor, Ontario/Wheatley, Ontario)
★ CFPL (London, Ontario)
★ CKNX (Wingham, Ontario)
★ CKVR (Barrie, Ontario/Toronto, Ontario)
★ CHRO (Ottawa, Ontario/Pembroke, Ontario)
★ CIVI (Victoria, British Columbia)
Secondary carriers
The following CTVglobemedia-owned stations also air some A-Channel programming, although they are not marketed as official affiliates:
★ CKX (Brandon, Manitoba) - CBC affiliate. While not marketed as A-Channel, the A-Channel logo is periodically shown on screen during non-CBC programming.
★ ACCESS - CIAN Calgary and CJAL Edmonton; also carried province-wide in Alberta on cable television and nation-wide on satellite television. Licensed as an educational television service for the province of Alberta, it also airs A-Channel programs during primetime hours.
★ Atlantic Satellite Network (ASN) - CTV-owned cable channel in Atlantic Canada, which has long aired programs from both Citytv and A-Channel under an agreement with CHUM. CTV has not yet said what role ASN will play in a relaunched A-Channel, and given the latter's weaker schedule (compared to Citytv), ASN may continue to carry some Citytv programming.
References
1. [1]
See also
★ List of programs broadcast by A-Channel
★ A-Channel (Craig Media)
★ 2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment
External links
★ Official A-Channel website
★ A-Channel Morning
★ CHUM Announcement - Local Stations Being Renamed as A-Channel
★ Bell Globemedia bids $1.7B for CHUM Ltd.
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