CBWT-DT
Channels
Branding
  • CBC Manitoba (general)
  • CBC Winnipeg News (newscasts)
Programming
AffiliationsCBC Television
Ownership
OwnerCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
CBW, CBW-FM, CKSB-10-FM, CKSB-FM, CBWFT-DT
History
First air date
May 31, 1954 (1954-05-31)
Former call signs
CBWT (1954–2011)
Former channel number(s)
Analogue: 4 (VHF, 1954–1958), 3 (VHF, 1958–1964), 6 (VHF, 1964–2011)
Paramount Television Network (secondary, 1954–1956)
Call sign meaning
CBC Winnipeg Television
Technical information
Licensing authority
CRTC
ERP42 kW
HAAT138.6 m (455 ft)
Transmitter coordinates49°53′43″N 97°08′17″W / 49.89528°N 97.13806°W / 49.89528; -97.13806
Links
WebsiteCBC Manitoba

CBWT-DT (channel 6) is a CBC Television station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It has common ownership with Ici Radio-Canada Télé station CBWFT-DT (channel 3). The two stations share studios on Portage Avenue and Young Street in Downtown Winnipeg; CBWT-DT's transmitter is located near Red Coat Trail/Highway 2 in Macdonald.

History

CBC Winnipeg Building at 541 Portage Avenue

Planning for CBWT started in November 1952, when the Government of Canada announced its intention of setting up a television station in Winnipeg.[1] The station was announced by J. R. Finlay at a Cosmopolitan Club meeting at the Marlborough Hotel on September 16, 1953. At the time, the station was projected to become western Canada's first television station (before Vancouver's CBUT), but was delayed.[2] There was an entry for CBWT in the 1953 MTS telephone book.[3] In September 1953, CBC Winnipeg moved into a new 5,000 m2 (50,000 sq ft) facility at 541 Portage Avenue.[4]

A few months later, on May 31, 1954,[5] CBWT began as a bilingual station on channel 4 with an effective radiated power of 60,000 watts.[6] In the same year KXJB-TV began broadcasting on channel 4 from Fargo, North Dakota, and there were concerns of interference between the two stations.[7] CBWT's first equipment consisted of an RCA Victor TT10AL transmitter and a 60-metre (196 ft) 6-section Super Turnstile Type TF-6AM antenna, located atop the station's roof.[8]

One of CBWT's first large mobile production was Ice Revue, broadcast from the Winnipeg Winter Club in March 1956.[9] However, the equipment was different and there were complains of television receivers becoming stuck in the vertical or horizontal hold when the mobile unit switched cameras. Older tube-television sets had a sync generator which was blamed for the reception problem.[10]

On September 30, 1956, the station connected to the Trans-Canada Microwave Relay System, which allowed Winnipeggers to watch CBC Television programming on the same day it was broadcast in Toronto and Montreal.[11] To celebrate this link, CBC Television produced a special one-hour program, Along the Tower Trail, the Winnipeg segment featured a view of the CPR's Marshalling Yards, the Saint Boniface Cathedral, a prairie harvest clip, and a musical piece sung by the Andrew Mynarski School choir.[12] By late 1957, it was decided to move CBWT from channel 4 to channel 3.[13] The changeover occurred in April 1958.

Eye-To-Eye was a weekly local current affairs program broadcast from 10:15 to 11 p.m. every Tuesday and was the predecessor to 24Hours. It debuted on October 20, 1959, and was similar in style to Close-Up on the national network. The first topics covered were: "The Slums of Winnipeg", "Civic Politics – A Sick Joke" and "Interview – Two Young Ladies".[14] Eye-To-Eye was produced by Ken Black and Warner Troyer.

On April 24, 1960, the station became English-only, while French programming moved to the newly launched CBWFT. At the same time two video tape recorders, worth $75,000 each, were installed at the station to replace the kinescope system used previously.[15] The local version of Reach for the Top debuted in 1962 and was hosted by Bill Guest, alternately by Ernie Nairn. The program ran until 1985.[16]

On November 16, 1964, CBWT swapped channels with CBWFT and higher-powered transmitters were installed on a new 324-metre (1,064 ft) antenna mast near Starbuck, Manitoba. This enabled reception as far as 113 kilometres (70 mi) away,[17] and improved reception in the towns of Portage la Prairie, Gimli, Carman, Winkler, Morden, Morris, Letellier, Emerson, Altona, and Dominion City. It continues to be the tallest free-standing structure in the province.[18] The move to VHF channel 6 also permitted people in the coverage area to hear the English feed's audio on FM radios tuned to 87.7; this option was no longer available after the station shifted to digital and shut down the analogue transmitter.

There was a large National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET) strike throughout the CBC organization in the spring of 1981, and production of 24Hours was halted. Strike action began at 10:30 p.m. on May 3.[19] Shortly after the Mulroney government came to power in 1984, they made major cuts to the CBC, and as a result, 86 staff members were let go at CBWT.[20] A second round of major cuts in December 1990, had a negative effect on local production, especially on the resources of 24Hours.

On February 27, 1997, CBC Manitoba announced that it would update and expand its studio facilities by 2,700 square metres (29,063 sq ft) at a cost of $2.8 million.[21] In 1998, CBC Manitoba's newsroom and studios were expanded into a new building, after essentially using portables and an abandoned church for many years. The new studio featured a window looking down onto Portage. It was one of the first CBC stations to transition to a new digital Betacam SX format. The first television broadcast from the new studio occurred on Monday, September 21, 1998.

Previous programs produced at CBWT include Fred Penner's Place, It's a Living, and Disclosure.

Programming

CBWT is CBC Television's flagship station for the Central Time Zone, airing the main CBC schedule one hour after stations in the Eastern Time Zone. This differs from other Canadian television networks, whose Eastern and Central time zones stations air programs simultaneously.

Country Canada, CountryWide and a local edition of CBC News at Six (formerly the local segment of CBC News: Canada Now from 2000 to 2006 and 24Hours from 1970 to 2000) have been produced at CBWT. In addition, The National has an investigative unit based at the station.

Local programming

Country Canada was one of the longest-running programs in Canadian television history and is broadcast nationally. It began as Country Calendar in 1954. The program name was carried over to a new digital specialty channel called CBC Country Canada, which first launched in September 2001. Spotlight was one of CBWT's first news interview programs, which aired Monday through Saturdays between 7:15 and 7:30 p.m.[22]

3's Company was a local program broadcast in the early 1960s, hosted by Mary Liz Bayer, Bill Guest, and Jose Poneira, and similar to Living Winnipeg.[23] Bayer had become the host of her own show, The Mary Liz Show, one year earlier. The Medicine Show was a local production shown nationally from January 1980 to August 1982. Show Business, hosted by Tom McCulloch, and Ten O'Clock Live, a music program from a local bar, were produced by CBWT in 1981.[24]

In Search of the Perfect Summer was a summertime series produced by Sean Sullivan and was co-hosted by Anne Harding and Laurie Mustard in the 1982 season. It was nominated Best Variety Program on Television in the 1982 Winnipeg Broadcast Awards.[25] Mustard won Best Host/Interviewer for the series.[26]

Between 1983 and 1986, Mustard hosted the Winnipeg edition of a Sunday morning program for kids called Switchback. By 1989, the Winnipeg program was cancelled and amalgamated with the CBKT Regina edition of Switchback, contributing a portion of the program content.

The end of regional non-news programming came in 2000–01, when Breakaway, a program profiling Manitoba towns which had aired since June 1987,[27][28] was canceled in a round of CBC budget cuts. Co-host Sandi Coleman went on to host the morning program on CBC Radio One Yukon.

CBWT broadcast Living Winnipeg, another regional non-news program, weekdays from January 15, 2007, until the program was cancelled across the network in 2009.

News operation

As of 2023, CBWT-DT broadcasts 5 hours and 50 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week. CBWT airs a 60-minute supper hour newscast from 6 to 7 p.m. and a ten-minute late-night summary at 11 p.m. on weeknights.[29] CBC Radio One's Information Radio program is also simulcast on CBC Television weekdays from 6 to 7 a.m.[30]

The first big news story CBWT covered was on June 8, 1954, about one week after the station opened, when the Time Building at 333 Portage Avenue caught fire.[31] The Time Building was across from the Eaton's building.

At one time, Western Manitoba Broadcasters (a subsidiary of Craig Media) and CBC Manitoba had an agreement where the Dauphin retransmitter (CBWST 8) would carry a local newscast in place of the Winnipeg news.[32] The program was called IMTV The Report and was broadcast at 5:30 p.m. in the 1980s and 1990s.[33]

News at Noon was CBWT's half-hour news program that ran until January 1985, when the network program Midday took the timeslot.[34] It had been previously called Noon Hour, which was a 60-minute program.[35] Midday ran until 2000, but local news programming has not returned during the noon hour. 24Hours, an hour-long news and current affairs program, had run from 1970 to 2000.

On January 5, 2024, longtime CBC Manitoba meteorologist John Sauder signed off for the final time. Sauder had been with the CBC for 16 years, joining in 2008 from rival broadcaster CKY-TV.[36]

Notable current on-air staff

Notable former on-air staff

  • Maurice Burchell, CBWT's first news reader
  • Sandy Cushin, former host of Country Canada (1975–2000)
  • Garth Dawley, former 24Hours newsreader (1970–1983)
  • Arvel Gray, former 24Hours weather forecaster
  • Liz Grogan co-hosted Noon Hour in the 1970s
  • Bill Guest, former station announcer, host of Reach for the Top quiz show, co-hosted Tandem (early 1960s)
  • John Harvard, former 24Hours interviewer
  • Peter Herrndorf, worked for CBWT (1965–?)
  • Peter Jordan, former host of It's a Living and W six segment on CBC News Winnipeg
  • Lee Major, former CBWT alternate/weekend anchor
  • Peter Mansbridge, former anchor of The National, began his career at CBWT.
  • Terry Matte, former 24Hours reporter
  • Mike McCourt, former 24Hours interviewer (1986–1991)
  • Tom McCulloch, hosted Show Business (early 1980s)
  • Bill Morgan, original producer of 24Hours
  • Sheila North, former host of CBC Winnipeg Late Night, left for unsuccessful run for Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs[37]
  • Scott Oake, former 24Hours and CBC Sports anchor and reporter
  • Fred Penner, children's entertainer
  • Anne Petrie, former host of 24Hours Late Night (1985–1989)
  • Aarti Pole, CBC News Winnipeg news reporter and substitute anchor
  • Üstün Reinart, former 24Hours interviewer/reporter
  • John Robertson, former 24Hours interviewer (1977–1981)
  • Lloyd Robertson, began his television career here (1954–1957)
  • Ed Russenholt, CBWT's first weather person on Spotlight
  • Murray Parker (1966–1992 & 2007–2008) longtime staff announcer, Let's Go!, Reach For The Top, host of Around Town (late 1960s), CBC Sports (anchored nightly national round-up during '76 Olympics), and best known as the 24Hours weatherman until his retirement in 1992.
  • Diana Swain, former 24Hours news anchor and interviewer (1995–2000)
  • Marv Terhoch, former CBWT news & current affairs producer (1981–2019)
  • Warner Troyer, former Eye-To-Eye producer
  • Rosemary Thompson former 24Hours reporter
  • Judy Waytiuk, former 24Hours reporter
  • Jack Wells, former sports anchor of Spotlight
  • Bob Willson, original host of Spotlight

Technical information

Subchannel of CBWT-DT[38]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
6.1 720p16:9Main CBWT-DT programming / CBC Television

Analogue-to-digital conversion

CBWT switched from analogue to digital television broadcasting on December 9, 2011, from its Winnipeg transmitter atop the Richardson Building. There had been several delays in the switchover, due to issues involving antenna erection.[39] CBWT's former analog transmitter was located southwest of Winnipeg at 49°53′43″N 97°08′17″W / 49.89528°N 97.13806°W / 49.89528; -97.13806. CBWT's digital signal operates on UHF channel 27. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display CBWT's virtual channel as 6.1.

Former transmitters

CBWT operated approximately 50 analogue television rebroadcasters throughout the province of Manitoba (e.g. The Pas and Thompson), the Central Time Zone portion of Northern Ontario (e.g. Kenora), and portions of Saskatchewan. Due to federal funding reductions to the CBC, in April 2012, the CBC responded with substantial budget cuts, which included shutting down CBC's and Radio-Canada's remaining analogue transmitters on July 31, 2012.[40] None of CBC or Radio-Canada's rebroadcasters were converted to digital.

CBWT began extending its signal using various methods, beginning in June 1962 with CBWBT in Flin Flon and CBWBT-1 in The Pas using kinescope recordings from CBWT. Later on, CBTA in Lynn Lake became part of the Frontier Coverage Package in September 1967. From 1968 onwards, CBWT used the province-wide microwave system to provide live television signals.[41]

At one time, CBWAT in Kenora offered separate local news programming from CBWT, which was discontinued in 1979–80 when CJBN-TV went on the air.

Manitoba

City of licence[42] Call sign[43] Channel ERP
(W)		 Notes
Baldy Mountain
(Dauphin)		 CBWST 8 (VHF) 120,000[44] Began operation on June 19, 1960
Churchill CHFC-TV 8 (VHF) 8.9 Previously a CBC North transmitter until 1981; began operation as CHGH-TV on May 17, 1965[45]
Cross Lake CBWNT 12 (VHF) 8.9
Easterville CBWHT-2 11 (VHF) 8.9
Fairford CBWGT-2 11 (VHF) 2,000
Fisher Branch CBWGT 10 (VHF) 27,400[44] Formerly CBWT-1; began operation January 31, 1967[46]
Flin Flon CBWBT 10 (VHF) 68 Began operation June 8, 1962[46]
Gillam CBWLT[44] 8 (VHF) 5 Began operation October 3, 1969[45]
Gods Lake Narrows CBWXT 13 (VHF) 2,400
Grand Rapids CBWHT 8 (VHF) 5 Began operation November 29, 1968
Jackhead CBWGT-15 5 (VHF) 3,400 Began operation June 7, 1977
Lac de Bonnet CBWT-2 4 (VHF) 8,400 Began operation May 27, 1968[45]
Leaf Rapids CBWQT 13 (VHF) 260
Little Grand Rapids CBWZT 9 (VHF) 230
Lynn Lake CBWRT 8 (VHF) 8.9 Began operation as CBTA-TV on September 18, 1967[45]
Mafeking CBWYT 2 (VHF) 4,000
Manigotagan CBWGT-3 22 (UHF) 151
McCusker Lake CBWUT 10 (VHF) 240
Moose Lake CBWIT-1 9 (VHF) 8.9
Nelson House CBWPT 11 (VHF) 8.9
Norway House CBWOT 9 (VHF) 8.9
Oxford House CBWVT 8 (VHF) 8.9
Pickle Lake CBWDT-6 7 (VHF) 5
Pikangikum CBWDT-5 9 (VHF)
Piney CBWT-3 29 (UHF) 25,000
Pukatawagan CBWBT-1 11 (VHF) 8.9
Red Lake CBWET 10 (VHF) 570
Snow Lake CBWKT 8 (VHF) 5 Began operation on February 22, 1969[45]
South Indian Lake CBWQT-1 10 (VHF) 8.9
The Pas CBWIT 7 (VHF) 288 Formerly CBWBT-1; began operation June 13, 1962[46]
Thompson CBWTT 7 (VHF) 296 Began operation April 1, 1965[45]
Wabowden CBWMT 10 (VHF) 8.9
Wassagomach CBWWT 9 (VHF) 3,400

Northwest Ontario

City of licence Call sign Channel ERP
(W)[42]		 Notes
Atikokan CBWCT-1 7 (VHF) 2,800 Began broadcasting November 3, 1964
Big Trout Lake CBWT-1 13 (VHF) 10
Dryden CBWDT 9 (VHF) 8,900 Began operation March 26, 1963
Ear Falls, Ontario CBWJT 13 (VHF) 10
Fort Frances
(International Falls, Minnesota, USA)		 CBWCT 5 (VHF) 50,500 Began broadcasting July 30, 1964; also served border regions of north-central Minnesota, including International Falls
Ignace CBWDT-2 13 (VHF) 8.9
Kenora CBWAT 8 (VHF) 8,000 Began broadcasting December 5, 1959
Osnaburgh CBWDT-4 13 (VHF) 8.9
Red Lake CBWET 10 (VHF) 570 Began broadcasting on July 27, 1954
Sandy Lake CBWDT-7 10 (VHF) 10
Savant Lake CBWDT-3 8 (VHF) 8.9
Sioux Narrows CBWAT-1 4 (VHF) 8.9

Northeast Saskatchewan

City of licence[42] Call sign Channel ERP
(W)
Cumberland House CBWIT-2 9 (VHF) 8.9
Island Falls CBWBT-2 7 (VHF) 330
Pelican Narrows CBWBT-3 5 (VHF) 13.2

References

  1. ↑ Nash, Knowlton (1994). The Microphone Wars: A History of Triumph and Betrayal at the CBC. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc. pp. 241. ISBN 0-7710-6712-7.
  2. ↑ "Winnipeg's TV Station Goes Into Action Starting Monday". Winnipeg Free Press. May 29, 1954. p. 1.
  3. ↑ "TV To Storm City Homes In Winter". Winnipeg Free Press. September 16, 1953. pp. 1, 9.
  4. ↑ "Winnipeg Is Hub of CBC System". Winnipeg Free Press. May 6, 1958. p. 47.
  5. ↑ Henry, Ann (June 1, 1954). "CBWT Makes A Triumphant Debut Here: Two Years Of Plans Pays Off". The Winnipeg Tribune. p. 15.
  6. ↑ Finlay, J. R. (May 30, 1954). "Television ... Another CBC Service". CBC Times.
  7. ↑ "Winnipeg Fears Valley City TV Will Fog Theirs". Bismarck Tribune. May 29, 1954. p. 7.
  8. ↑ "CBWT-Manitoba's First Television Station goes on the air with RCA Victor". Winnipeg Tribune. May 31, 1954. p. 24.
  9. ↑ Petrie, Anne (May 31, 1989). 24Hours LateNight: CBWT's 35th Anniversary Look Back (television news). Winnipeg, Manitoba: CBWT (CBC).
  10. ↑ "Tv Flip-Flop? Here's an Answer". Winnipeg Free Press. March 14, 1956. p. 8.
  11. ↑ "CBC Archive – 1956 – Micro-wave of the future". CBC News. Retrieved September 8, 2006.
  12. ↑ "Opening Show Hops Half A Continent". Winnipeg Free Press. September 29, 1956. p. 34.
  13. ↑ "CBWT To Switch TV Channel In New Year". Winnipeg Free Press. November 20, 1957. p. 3.
  14. ↑ "CBWT Turns It's 'Eye-To-Eye' On Manitoba". Winnipeg Free Press. October 20, 1959. p. 10.
  15. ↑ "Viewers To Get Choice Of Channels This Year". Winnipeg Free Press. April 26, 1960. p. 31.
  16. ↑ Jager, Manfred. "Reach for the Top Returning to TV". Winnipeg Free Press. p. 31.
  17. ↑ "October Set As Target Date For Change In CBC Channels". Winnipeg Free Press – TV-Radio. April 15, 1964. p. 15.
  18. ↑ "CBWT Will Switch to Channel 6". Winnipeg Free Press. November 5, 1964. p. 3.
  19. ↑ "CBC Struck, pickets out in Winnipeg". Winnipeg Free Press. May 4, 1981. pp. 1, 4.
  20. ↑ "CBC Manitoba loses 86 staff jobs in province". Winnipeg Free Press. December 12, 1984.
  21. ↑ MacKenzie, Glen (January 27, 1997). "CBC to erect new quarters, combine into two buildings". Winnipeg Free Press. p. A4.
  22. ↑ "Here's A Week Of TV Viewing". Winnipeg Free Press. June 2, 1954.
  23. ↑ "February 1961 National Electrical Week". Winnipeg Free Press. February 6, 1961. p. 12.
  24. ↑ McIlroy, Randal (May 9, 1981). "Local TV is in 'slow lane'". Winnipeg Free Press. p. 14.
  25. ↑ MacKinnon, Marilyn (September 27, 1982). "Broadcast awards nominees selected". Winnipeg Free Press. p. 17.
  26. ↑ MacKinnon, Marilyn (October 6, 1982). "Awards show goes on despite technical snafus". Winnipeg Free Press. p. 31.
  27. ↑ "Coleman new co-host for CBC's Breakaway". Winnipeg Free Press. June 12, 1987. p. 33.
  28. ↑ "Spirit of Breakaway rises: Coleman starts new series of folksy features". Winnipeg Free Press. October 28, 1993. p. C7.
  29. ↑ "Manitoba Programs". CBC News. 2023-01-13. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22.
  30. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/programguide/program/information_radio_cc_hd_e
  31. ↑ MacPherson, Bill (June 8, 1954). "City's Greatest Fire". The Winnipeg Tribune. p. 1.
  32. ↑ "CRTC Decision 89–114". April 6, 1989.
  33. ↑ "CRTC Decision 89–111". April 6, 1989.
  34. ↑ "Terhoch cautious about noon news". Winnipeg Free Press. July 31, 1984.
  35. ↑ Floyd, Donald (June 13, 1977). "Tough training pays off for CBC's Murray Parker". Winnipeg Free Press. p. 17.
  36. ↑ Bernhardt, Darren (January 5, 2024). "CBC's John Sauder calls for low pressure, more relaxation as sun sets on 39-year career". CBC News. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  37. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6590756
  38. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for CBWT
  39. ↑ CBC (n.d.), "CBC Television Winnipeg Archived 2011-11-21 at the Wayback Machine" at cbc.radio-canada.ca, accessed 2011-10-04, 2011-12-09.
  40. ↑ Speaking notes for Hubert T. Lacroix regarding measures announced in the context of the Deficit Reduction Action Plan
  41. ↑ "Microwave Hook-Up Gives North Live TV". Winnipeg Free Press. April 29, 1969. p. 28.
  42. 1 2 3 TV & Cable Factbook (56th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Warren Communications News. 1988. p. B-140.
  43. ↑ “Microsoft Word - Analogue transmitters - emetteurs analogiques.docx”. CBC/Radio-Canada. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  44. 1 2 3 "List of Broadcasting Stations in Canada". CRTC. 1975.
  45. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Television Factbook (42nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Warren Communications News. 1972. pp. 985–b, 986-b.
  46. 1 2 3 TV & Cable Factbook (37th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Warren Communications News. 1967. p. 869–b.
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