CFTO-TV

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CFTO
Toronto, Ontario
Branding	CTV Toronto
Slogan	Toronto's number one newscast
Channels	9 (VHF) analog, 40 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	CTV
Owner	Bell Globemedia
Founded	December 31, 1960
Call letters meaning	Canada's Foremost, Toronto's Own
Former affiliations	none
Website	CTV Toronto

CFTO (now identifying as CTV Toronto) is a Canadian television station, licensed to, and serving Toronto, Ontario and surrounding areas. It is the flagship station of the CTV Television Network and one of the charter members of the CTV network when it was launched in 1961. It broadcasts from the CN Tower in Toronto on channel 9 and cable channel 8 with a power output of 316 kW, with two repeater stations:

• Orillia (CFTO-TV-21, on channel 21 with 207.6 kW ERP)
• Peterborough (CFTO-TV-54, on channel 54, with 223.2 kW ERP)

Prior to 1995, CFTO only had one main transmitter (similar to CFCF and CIVT now), but with its two repeater stations, its signal now reaches all of Central Ontario.

It also transmits on the Bell ExpressVu (channels 212 analog and 800 HD) and Star Choice (channel 314) satellite systems. The station shares its premises with the network's headquarters, which includes studios for the network's news programming (Canada AM, CTV National News and the CTV Newsnet channel), along with CTV's specialty channels. This arrangement had existed even before CFTO's founder, Baton Broadcasting, purchased the network.

CFTO is one of four television stations in Toronto (the others being Global O&O station CIII and OMNI.1 / OMNI.2) that broadcasts descriptive video services for the blind on SAP.

Contents 1 Programming 2 News 3 Staff 4 Former Reporters 5 History 5.1 Logos 5.2 Chronology 6 Shows produced at CFTO's studios 7 External links

[edit] Programming

Being the flagship station of the CTV network, its schedule is naturally the main CTV schedule. This schedule is also seen on the other CTV stations in Southern Ontario, as CFTO acts as the master control for these stations.

[edit] News

CFTO's news programming is aired at noon (Monday to Friday), 6 p.m. and at 11:30 p.m. (all week, 11:30 p.m. bulletin repeated at 5:55 AM Monday to Friday before Canada AM begins). CTV News at 6 is the highest rated local newscast in Toronto - getting approximately 500,000 viewers each newscast. CTV News Toronto is also known for having the most live trucks in the market (multiple satellite and microwave trucks). CFTO is one of three Canadian television stations to own a news helicopter which can broadcast live at 1500ft above land. CFTO's twin chopper is in Vancouver at CTV's CIVT. CTV News also has the most advanced weather technology compared to other Canadian stations which incorporates WSI's TrueView technology and real time doppler radar with zoom and pan capabilities. Moreover, CFTO has bureaus at City Hall, Queen's Park, and downtown Toronto (Front St.). CTV News Toronto has the support of the entire CTV National News Team, it is not uncommon to see live reports from any one of CTV National News bureaus.

• noon Anchors
  • Tim Weber
  • Christine Bentley
• 6 p.m. Anchors
  • Ken Shaw - formerly of CHFI FM
  • Christine Bentley
• 11:30 p.m. Anchors
  • Bill Hutchison
  • Pauline Chan
• Weekend Anchors
  • Tom Hayes
  • Andria Case
• Fill-in Anchors
  • Tom Gibney - retired as main evening news anchor
  • Janice Golding
  • Alicia Kay-Markson
  • Austin Delaney
  • Galit Solomon
  • Paul Bliss
  • Dana Levenson

[edit] Staff

• General Reporters:
  • Janice Golding
  • Alicia Kay-Markson
  • Desmond Brown
  • Galit Solomon
  • Tom Hayes
  • Marcia MacMillan (Occasionally anchors at CTV Newsnet)
  • Andria Case
  • Bill Hutchison
  • Dana Levenson
  • Chris Eby
  • Austin Delaney
  • Jim Junkin - crime and police reporter
  • John Lancaster
  • John Musselman
  • Paul Bliss
  • Mairianna Bachynsky
  • Roger Peterson

• Entertainment Reporters:
  • Jacintha Wesselingh - currently on maternity leave
  • Andria Case

• Consumer Affairs Reporter:
  • Pat Foran

• Weather:
  • Dave Devall[1]
  • Tom Brown
  • Dana Levenson
  • Anwar Knight

• Sports:
  • Lance Brown
  • Joe Tilley
  • Claude Feig
  • Suneel Joshi - formerly of Citytv

• Business:
  • Michael Hainsworth
  • Linda Sims

The station has recently rebranded its bulletin as CTV News Toronto, in line with all of CTV's other owned and operated stations, using generic CTV News graphics.

[edit] Former Reporters

• Glenn Cochrane - retired and living in the The Beaches area of Toronto
• Ali Velshi - now with CNN as business anchor
• Tom Clark - now CTV Washington Bureau Chief, and fill in anchor for Lloyd Robertson and/or Sandie Rinaldo
• Gail Smith
• Jim Wicks - now Media Consultant for WJM Communications, West Palm Beach, Florida
• Fraser Kelly - founding partner and Senior Associate - CorpWorld Group Incorporated, Toronto
• Arthur Vaile - business reporter, now deceased
• Theresa Roncon - now reporter for Discovery Kids
• Garth Turner - now Independent Member of Parliament
• George Bryson - sports reporter now with CKVR (A-Channel) in Barrie
• Mary Ito - now with TVOntario
• Christine Crosbie - now health reporter with CIII (Global) in Toronto
• Steve Jacobs
• Pat Marsden - former Sports Editor, now deceased
• Sharon Caddy - former weekend weather anchor, quit CFTO August 14th, 2006

[edit] History

CFTO went on the air for the first time on December 31, 1960 at 10.00 p.m.. The first official day of programming was January 1, 1961. The opening program was a telethon hosted by Joel Aldred, complete with a fireworks ceremony.

The station was originally owned by Baton-Aldred-Rogers Broadcasting, made up of:

• Telegram Corp (Bassett and Eaton families)
• Aldred-Rogers Broadcasting Ltd (Joel Aldred & E.S. Rogers)
• Foster Hewitt Broadcasting Ltd (CKFH Radio)

The station's original studios and transmitter were located at 1550 McCowan Road.

In March 1961, Joel Aldred sold his interest in CFTO, and on October 1 that year, the station joined the CTV Television Network. In 1970, Ted Rogers sold his interest in CFTO and the Bassett-Eaton group sold their interest in Rogers Cable.

On May 31, 1976, CFTO began broadcasting from the CN Tower, while studios remained in Agincourt. CFTO began broadcasting in stereo in 1985.

In 1994, the station became part of the Baton Broadcast System, a subsystem within the CTV network.

In 1995, CFTO began operating rebroadcast stations at Orillia (channel 21) and Bobcaygeon (near Peterborough, channel 54).

On January 27, 1998, the Eaton family sold its 41% interest in Baton, and a year later, Baton Broadcasting changed its name to CTV Inc.

With rumours of a takeover impending, Bell Canada Enterprises proposed to buy CTV Inc. for $2.3 billion. This was approved by the CTV board in March 2000. The deal still required CRTC approval, but with the promise of the largest benefits package ever presented to the regulators, the deal was approved on December 7 that year.

The station began providing a digital signal on satellite on November 17, 2003, and on January 30, 2004, CFTO was granted a digital television channel signal, transmitting on channel 40VU from the CN Tower with an ERP of 17,400 watts. In mid 2005, CFTO's CN Tower transmitter began transmitting HDTV over the air. As this is presently the only HDTV feed of the CTV network emanating from eastern or central Canada, CFTO-DT is sometimes known as CTV HD East.

[edit] Logos

Before the Globemedia takeover, 1994-1998

CFTO's old logo, 1998-2005

[edit] Chronology

Date	Call	Ch	City of Licence	Main Studio	Network	ERP (W)	Altitude	RCAGL	Tx Latitude/Longitude	Owner
31 Dec 1960	CFTO-TV	9	Toronto	Toronto	independent	325000				Baton-Aldred-Rogers-Hewitt
1961	CFTO-TV	9	Toronto	Toronto	CTV	325000				Baton-Rogers
1970	CFTO-TV	9	Toronto	Toronto	CTV	325000				Baton Broadcasting Inc.
31 May 1976	CFTO-TV	9	Toronto	Toronto	CTV	325000	82 m	492 m	43°38′33″N, 79°23′15″W	Baton Broadcasting Inc.
1999	CFTO-TV	9	Toronto	Toronto	CTV	325000	82 m	492 m	43°38′33″N, 79°23′15″W	CTV Inc.

[edit] Shows produced at CFTO's studios

The CTV Toronto studios are also the main headquarters for the CTV national network and the head administrative office for Bell Globemedia (the parent of CTV).

• CTV National News with Lloyd Robertson
• CTV Newsnet
• Canada AM
• TSN Sportscentre
• CTV National News with Sandie Rinaldo - weekends
• W-FIVE
• Countdown with Mike Duffy - certain seasons; others produced in Ottawa

In addition, the studio scenes in the 1976 film Network were filmed at CFTO.

[edit] External links

• CFTO
• Canadian Communications Foundation (source)
• NelsonMedia (source)
• CFTO sign-ons, sign-offs and station IDs at MediaCanada