CJDC-TV

CJDC-TV is a Canadian television station based in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. It serves the Peace River region of northeastern British Columbia and reaches viewers in parts of western Alberta. The station broadcasts on analog channel 5 and is owned and operated by Bell Media. Its current programming identity is associated with CTV2, although its history includes long periods as a CBC affiliate and participation in regional television groupings. CJDC-TV began broadcasting on January 15, 1959. It was established by Mega Communications, the company associated with CJDC radio, and formed part of a broader effort by the Michaud family to introduce radio and television services to the British Columbia Peace River region. Henry Michaud and Mike Michaud, who was also known as Mike Laverne, were central to the station's creation. Before the television service launched, Mike Laverne travelled to Toronto to meet advertising agencies, develop national advertising relationships and recruit newsroom expertise. He hired Australian-born Val Wake as the station's first news editor. In its earliest years, the station's news operation relied on 35-millimetre transparencies as its principal visual material, reflecting the technical limitations of local broadcasting at the time. The station's role has consistently been that of a regional broadcaster rather than a national network outlet. It supplies local news and information for communities that are geographically distant from major British Columbia media centres. Its studios are located on 102 Avenue and 9 Street in Dawson Creek, while its main transmitter is situated near 233 Road in the Peace River area. CJDC-TV's Mountain Time location has influenced its schedule and competitive position. Its evening newscast does not directly compete with Global BC's principal supper-hour program in the same way that many Pacific Time broadcasters do, and the station has historically reported respectable local audience performance. From the early 1990s until 2002, CJDC-TV belonged to Northern Television, a small regional sub-network. In 2002, that arrangement was discontinued and relaunched as Great West Television, with CKPG-TV joining the group. Great West's schedule combined syndicated American programming with material connected to CHUM's NewNet and A-Channel operations, alongside CBC programming. The Great West structure later became largely nominal after the CBC expanded its schedule to 24 hours in 2006, leaving local news as the principal remaining element associated with the regional arrangement. Ownership changed during the 2000s. Standard Broadcasting owned CJDC-TV from 2002 until 2007, when Astral Media acquired most of Standard's assets. Bell Canada's proposed acquisition of Astral became a significant regulatory event for the station. The initial 2012 transaction was rejected by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, but Bell submitted a revised proposal in 2013 involving asset divestitures. The revised transaction was approved by the Competition Bureau and the CRTC, with Bell retaining CJDC-TV and committing to maintain the station's existing licence conditions, including its CBC affiliation, through the applicable licence term. A major programming transition took place in 2016. Bell and the CBC agreed to end CJDC-TV's CBC affiliation early, and the CRTC made public Bell's application to move the station to CTV2 effective February 22, 2016. The change required television service providers in the area to ensure that viewers continued to receive CBC programming through an eligible CBC service. CJDC-TV has since operated as a CTV2 station while maintaining a strong local-news function. The station currently produces hour-long weekday newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. It also carries a weekday simulcast of CTV News Vancouver at 5 p.m. and weekend evening newscasts from sister station CIVI-DT in Victoria. Its schedule includes outdoor programming and other network material adapted to local timing requirements. Transmission coverage has evolved over time: several CBC-owned rebroadcast transmitters that had carried the station were closed in 2012 as part of CBC cost reductions; a Hudson's Hope transmitter was destroyed by fire in 2015 and subsequently deleted; and a Fort St. John transmitter was approved in 2017, reactivating facilities associated with a former CBC transmitter. CJDC-TV remains an active regional television service under Bell Media ownership.

CJDC-TV began broadcasting in Dawson Creek on January 15, 1959. The station was originally established by Mega Communications, the owner of CJDC radio, and was part of the Michaud family's pioneering effort to bring both radio and television to the Peace River region of British Columbia. Henry Michaud and Mike Michaud, known professionally as Mike Laverne, were the principal figures behind the launch. Laverne sought national advertising in Toronto before the television service began and recruited Val Wake, an Australian-born journalist, as the first news editor. Early local newscasts used 35-millimetre transparencies as their main visual resource. CJDC-TV developed as a small regional station serving communities that were separated from the province's major urban broadcasting centres. Its facilities were established in Dawson Creek, with transmission infrastructure serving the wider Peace River area. During the early 1990s, the station participated in Northern Television, a two-station regional sub-network. Northern Television was discontinued in 2002 and replaced by Great West Television, which included CKPG-TV. Great West programming combined acquired American shows, material associated with CHUM's NewNet and A-Channel stations, and CBC programming. After the CBC expanded to a continuous 24-hour schedule in 2006, Great West Television became largely inactive as a programming structure, with local news remaining its most visible continuing function. Standard Broadcasting owned CJDC-TV from 2002 until the autumn of 2007. Astral Media then acquired most of Standard's assets, bringing the station into Astral's ownership. Bell Canada's proposed purchase of Astral in 2012 had direct implications for CJDC-TV. The original transaction was rejected by the CRTC, but Bell returned with a revised proposal in 2013 that included the sale of selected assets. The Competition Bureau approved the deal in March 2013, followed by CRTC approval in June. Bell retained CJDC-TV and agreed to preserve the station's existing licence conditions, including its CBC affiliation, until the end of the relevant licence term. The station's most consequential programming change came after Bell sought regulatory permission to end its CBC affiliation. The CRTC published the application in October 2015, and Bell and CBC agreed to terminate the affiliation early. On February 22, 2016, CJDC-TV became a CTV2 station. The transition required local television distributors that did not already provide a qualifying CBC service to add one to their basic line-up, helping preserve access to CBC programming for viewers in the region. CJDC-TV's present identity combines network affiliation with local news production. It produces hour-long weekday newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., carries a weekday CTV News Vancouver simulcast at 5 p.m. and airs weekend evening newscasts from CIVI-DT in Victoria. Because Dawson Creek is in the Mountain Time Zone, the timing of the station's supper-hour news differs from stations in much of coastal British Columbia. During daylight-saving periods, the local time relationship changes because the area observes Pacific Time. The station's transmission network has also changed. CBC-owned rebroadcast transmitters serving Fort St. John, Pouce Coupe and Chetwynd were among the analogue facilities closed in 2012 during CBC budget reductions. In April 2015, the Hudson's Hope CJDC-TV-1 transmitter was destroyed by fire. Bell applied to delete it rather than replace the low-power facility, noting that viewers could receive the station through cable and direct-to-home satellite services. In 2017, Bell applied for a new Fort St. John transmitter, which was approved in December of that year. The facility reused the channel of a former CBC transmitter and operated under the available CJDC-TV-1 call sign. CJDC-TV continues as an active Bell Media regional station with local coverage centred on Dawson Creek and the northeastern British Columbia market.

• 2017

  Fort St. John transmitter approved

  [1]CJDC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  A new transmitter to rebroadcast CJDC-TV in Fort St. John receives regulatory approval.

• 2016

  Station switches from CBC to CTV2

  [1]CJDC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  CJDC-TV ends its CBC affiliation and begins carrying CTV2 programming on February 22.

• 2013

  Bell receives approval to acquire Astral

  [1]CJDC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Regulators approve Bell's revised acquisition proposal, allowing Bell to retain CJDC-TV subject to licence commitments.

• 2007

  Astral Media acquires station ownership

  [1]CJDC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Astral Media acquires most of Standard Broadcasting's assets, including CJDC-TV.

• 2002

  Great West Television replaces Northern Television

  [1]CJDC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The earlier Northern Television sub-network is discontinued and relaunched as Great West Television, with CKPG-TV joining the arrangement.

• 1959

  CJDC-TV begins broadcasting

  [1]CJDC-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station launches in Dawson Creek on January 15, serving the British Columbia Peace River region.

A regional, community-focused television broadcaster serving northeastern British Columbia and nearby western Alberta communities, combining local news production with CTV2 network programming.

• Local television news

  CJDC-TV local news

  CJDC-TV produces hour-long weekday newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. These programs focus on Dawson Creek, northeastern British Columbia and adjacent Peace River communities, giving the station its principal distinctive programming role within the CTV2 schedule.

• Network television programming · 2016

  CTV2 programming

  Since February 2016, CJDC-TV has operated as a CTV2 station. Its schedule combines CTV2 network material with local news, selected programming from sister stations and schedule adjustments reflecting the station's Mountain Time location.

• Television transmission · 1959

  Regional broadcast distribution

  The station provides broadcast service to Dawson Creek and surrounding Peace River communities through its main facility and rebroadcast infrastructure. Coverage has included transmitters and retransmission arrangements serving locations such as Fort St. John and other regional communities.

• 2017

  Re-establish Fort St. John transmissionStrategy

  Background

  Bell sought to extend over-the-air CJDC-TV service in Fort St. John after earlier CBC-owned analogue transmitters had been closed.

  Action taken

  Bell applied for and received approval for a Fort St. John transmitter using channel 9 and the available CJDC-TV-1 call sign.

  Aftermath

  The approved facility restored a dedicated retransmission option for the station in Fort St. John.

  Source

• 2016

  End CBC affiliation and join CTV2Strategy

  Background

  Bell sought to change CJDC-TV's network relationship after acquiring Astral Media. Bell and CBC agreed to end the affiliation before its scheduled licence-term conclusion, and the CRTC reviewed the resulting application.

  Action taken

  CJDC-TV discontinued CBC Television programming and adopted CTV2 programming effective February 22, 2016.

  Aftermath

  Cable and satellite providers in the area that did not already offer a qualifying CBC service were required to add one, while CJDC-TV continued operating with a local-news mandate under Bell Media.

  Source

1. 1CJDC-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2CJDC-TV official websitecjdctv.com