CBC Budget cuts

[richllewis]

I do not live in Canada, but very soon according to a CBC-Radio Canada news release that there are some cuts including the elimination of Short Wave Broadcasts from Canada. WE Short wave listeners in the US are sorry to see RCI broadcasts ceasing soon.

Full details: http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/newsreleases/20120404.shtml

Details on Short Wave services: http://www.rcinet.ca/english/news/15_56_27_2012-04-04-rci-slashed/

 

[w9wi]

- I think probably the biggest news here is the decision to air commercials on CBC Radio 2 and Espace Musique. (provided CRTC permission is granted)

- There are a number of analog TV transmitters which received a one-year reprieve on mandatory digital conversion. Unless that work is already paid for, I suspect those transmitters will be shut down this fall:

Calgary (French)
Lethbridge (both languages)
Fredericton (two transmitters in French)
Moncton (English)
Saint John (English)
St. John's (French)
Halifax (French)
Kitchener (both languages)
London (both languages)
Thunder Bay (French)
Windsor (French)
Charlottetown (French)
Quebec City (English)
Saguenay (English)
Sherbrooke (English)
Trois-Rivieres (English)
Saskatoon (both languages)

 

[spunker88]

As far as TV goes, I understand that very few Canadian channels have DTV subchannels. I'm not sure why but it may have to do with CRTC rules. In markets that already have a CBC service on digital, the same transmitter could be used for both the English and French CBC stations. For example in Windsor CBEFT (Radio-Canada) could be broadcast as a subchannel on the existing CBET.

Also, will this have an impact on non CBC owned stations? My local CBC affiliate in Kingston (CKWS) is owned by Corus and still broadcasts on VHF in analog.

As far as shortwave, what frequencies will be shutting down? The only thing I ever commonly get from Canada is 9625 khz, which sometimes matches CBC Radio 1. Other times it plays its own programming or is French.

 

[w9wi]

As far as TV goes, I understand that very few Canadian channels have DTV subchannels. I'm not sure why but it may have to do with CRTC rules. In markets that already have a CBC service on digital, the same transmitter could be used for both the English and French CBC stations. For example in Windsor CBEFT (Radio-Canada) could be broadcast as a subchannel on the existing CBET.

The CRTC has indicated they regard subchannels as additional stations. You can't just light one up, you have to have a license for it.

To my knowledge there is only one authorized subchannel in Canada; CJON-TV (NTV) St. John's is carrying co-owned CHOZ-FM on an audio-only subchannel. The purpose is mainly to piggyback the FM studio-transmitter link on the TV, but it is wired in such a way that viewers can receive the radio signal.

An analog community station in Leamington has applied to go digital with four programs. They seem to think the unique nature of their proposed programming will get it approved. (I suspect they're right)

Also, will this have an impact on non CBC owned stations? My local CBC affiliate in Kingston (CKWS) is owned by Corus and still broadcasts on VHF in analog.

It will affect the programming on the CBC network, but it won't affect the digital conversion decisions of the various (few) privately-owned affiliates. Kingston isn't a mandatory market, so CKWS can remain analog as long as it likes. (it's smaller than 300,000, and CKWS is the only station originating programming from there) I don't have the time to do all the research right now, but IIRC the only other remaining privately-owned CBC affiliates are in Thunder Bay and Lloydminster, both mandatory markets, and both have already converted.

 

[azumanga]

I don't have the time to do all the research right now, but IIRC the only other remaining privately-owned CBC affiliates are in Thunder Bay and Lloydminster, both mandatory markets, and both have already converted.

There's also CKWS's sister station in Peterborough, CHEX-TV, and its semi-satellite in Oshawa, CHEX-TV-2, as well as Astral's CBC affiliates in northern BC, CFTK-TV (Terrace) and CJDC-TV (Dawson Creek).

 

[Yeziknoradio]

The protests are alive and well, requesting to keep CBC Radio Commercial free...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9FaV5aB1co

 

[travisl5678]

I don't understand why they would cut the English Shortwave service from Sackville. They're remaining English Transmitters for RCI would all be in Asia, doesn't make much sense.

 

[mjlarochelle]

- I think probably the biggest news here is the decision to air commercials on CBC Radio 2 and Espace Musique. (provided CRTC permission is granted)

- There are a number of analog TV transmitters which received a one-year reprieve on mandatory digital conversion. Unless that work is already paid for, I suspect those transmitters will be shut down this fall:

Calgary (French)
Lethbridge (both languages)
Fredericton (two transmitters in French)
Moncton (English)
Saint John (English)
St. John's (French)
Halifax (French)
Kitchener (both languages)
London (both languages)
Thunder Bay (French)
Windsor (French)
Charlottetown (French)
Quebec City (English)
Saguenay (English)
Sherbrooke (English)
Trois-Rivieres (English)
Saskatoon (both languages)

I had thought that one of the French transmitters in Fredericton was already eliminated, to make room for the new digital signal for CBAT which is on Channel 19.

There's a lot more Canadian cities that could be soon losing English and/or French service. Here's a longer list:

Newfoundland and Labrador
St. Johns - CBFJ-TV (F)
Corner Brook - CBYT (E), CBFNT (F)
Labrador City - CBNLT (E)
Goose Bay - CFGB-TV (E)

Nova Scotia
Sydney - CBIT (E), CBHFT-3 (F)
Halifax - CBHFT (F)

Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown - CBAFT-5 (F)

New Brunswick
Saint John - CBAT-TV (E), CBAFT-1 (F)
Moncton - CBAT-TV-2 (E)
Campbellton - CBAT-TV-4 (E), CBAFT-7 (F)

Quebec
Quebec City - CBVE-TV (E)
Trois-Rivieres - CBMT-1 (E)
Sherbrooke - CBMT-3 (E)
Chicoutimi - CBJET (E)
Rouyn-Noranda (Malartic) - CBVD-TV (E)

Ontario
Windsor - CBEFT (F)
London - CBLN-TV (E), CBLFT-9 (F)
Wingham - CBLN-TV-4 (E)
Kitchener - CBLN-TV-1 (E), CBLFT-8 (F)
Peterborough - CBLFT-12 (F)
Kingston - CBLFT-14 (F)
Pembroke - CBOT-6 (E), CBOFT-1 (F)
North Bay - CBLT-4 (E), CBLFT-1 (F)
Sudbury - CBLT-6 (E), CBLFT-2 (F)
Timmins - CBLT-7 (E), CBLFT-3 (F)
Sault Ste. Marie - CBLT-5 (E), CBLFT-20 (F)
Thunder Bay - CBLFT-18 (F)

Manitoba
Brandon - CBWFT-10 (F)

Saskatchewan
Saskatoon - CBKST (E), CBKFT-1 (F)
Yorkton - CBKT-6 (E)
Swift Current - CBKT-4 (E)
Prince Albert - CBKST-9 (E), CBKFT-2 (F)

Alberta
Lethbridge - CBRT-6 (E), CBXFT-3 (F)
Red Deer - CBXFT-4 (F)
Calgary - CBRFT (F)
Medicine Hat - CBXFT-11 (F)

British Columbia
Terrace - CBUFT-3 (F)
Dawson Creek - CBUFT-5 (F)
Kamloops - CBUFT-2 (F)
Kelowna - CBUT-38 (E), CBUFT-1 (F)
Prince George - CBUFT-4 (F)

The Territories
Whitehorse - CFWH-TV (E), CBFT-15 (F)
Iqaluit - CFFB-TV (E)

Of course, the loss of OTA in English in Quebec, and OTA in French outside Quebec, New Brunswick, and parts of Ontario will have little or no impact.

 

[w9wi]

I had thought that one of the French transmitters in Fredericton was already eliminated, to make room for the new digital signal for CBAT which is on Channel 19.

The new digital signal for CBAT is on channel 31.

They wanted to use the French transmitter on channel 19 (CBAFT-10), converting it to digital for CBAT, but the CRTC denied that plan. So they filed instead to use channel 31. Both transmitters are on the same antenna and at similar powers.

There's a lot more Canadian cities that could be soon losing English and/or French service. Here's a longer list:
...

The rest of these are in non-mandatory markets, so as far as the CRTC is concerned they can continue in analog indefinitely. The CBC obviously may have other ideas.

They have said the satellite system feeding their analog transmitters will reach end-of-life next year & they don't intend to maintain it. It's not entirely clear to me that means they'll shut it down immediately. (although with the cost of satellite time, I suppose they will...) It's conceivable they'll leave it up until it suffers an expensive-to-repair failure.

Their license is up for renewal this year, (which is part of why they got a year's reprieve) I suspect this whole OTA coverage thing will come up.

We've been pricing IRDs for other reasons & it sure looks to me as if it would be almost trivially inexpensive to downlink the HD signal, downconvert it to analog, and use it to feed the analog transmitters. Probably not economical at the little LP and VLP sites but one would think it would be worthwhile at the larger sites.

Of course, the loss of OTA in English in Quebec, and OTA in French outside Quebec, New Brunswick, and parts of Ontario will have little or no impact.

And as many others have suggested, it would just take a satellite receiver & MPEG encoder to add the other language on a .2 subchannel. It's hard for me to imagine the CRTC would have a problem with that. But it's not completely free, so I suppose it won't happen

 

[northwoods]

Another reason why the CBC should be privatized. How many more do I need?

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Another reason why the CBC should be privatized. How many more do I need?

CBC should NEVER be privatized. Bell & Rogers would snatch up all the radio frequencies. Rogers and Bell would own almost Everything, if not, EVERYTHING! The new name for Canada would be RoBel.

I'm glad there's something there that Rogers and Bell will never be able to touch.

 

[Dan Sys]

Another reason why the CBC should be privatized. How many more do I need?

I see that our redneck friend from south of the border has made his reappearance from out of the woodwork. Butt out pal!

 

[mjlarochelle]

They have said the satellite system feeding their analog transmitters will reach end-of-life next year & they don't intend to maintain it. It's not entirely clear to me that means they'll shut it down immediately. (although with the cost of satellite time, I suppose they will...) It's conceivable they'll leave it up until it suffers an expensive-to-repair failure.

Their license is up for renewal this year, (which is part of why they got a year's reprieve) I suspect this whole OTA coverage thing will come up.

We've been pricing IRDs for other reasons & it sure looks to me as if it would be almost trivially inexpensive to downlink the HD signal, downconvert it to analog, and use it to feed the analog transmitters. Probably not economical at the little LP and VLP sites but one would think it would be worthwhile at the larger sites.

Of course, the loss of OTA in English in Quebec, and OTA in French outside Quebec, New Brunswick, and parts of Ontario will have little or no impact.

And as many others have suggested, it would just take a satellite receiver & MPEG encoder to add the other language on a .2 subchannel. It's hard for me to imagine the CRTC would have a problem with that. But it's not completely free, so I suppose it won't happen

I believe that with CBC/Radio-Canada, it's more of a strategic direction, rather than a budgetary one. In fact, last summer when the controversy was going on with London's CBC signal, Hubert Lacroix stated that budgetary considerations had nothing to do with their decision about shutting down analog signals in mandatory conversion markets.

In light of the budget cuts, I don't know why they would want to "accelerate" their analog shutdown as was suggested. I would think it would cost them more money to go and shut down every single transmitter site, rather than to just let it die a natural death. That said, it's possible that they could shut them down remotely and then save money on electricity costs. But then they'll still have all this transmission equipment that they'll have to retrieve from all these sites.

 

[mjlarochelle]

Another reason why the CBC should be privatized. How many more do I need?

I see that our redneck friend from south of the border has made his reappearance from out of the woodwork. Butt out pal!

Well, Northwoods does have somewhat of a point. I have long advocated for the privatization of most of the individual stations, and keeping CBC as a federally-funded national content provider. This would allow CBC to focus on being a national network instead of trying to be everyone's local television station in addition to being a national network. Companies that specialize in local broadcasting, whether they be private for-profit or private non-profit, should be running television stations with local programming and relying on the CBC for content to fill the schedule.

I've said before that I have no problem with hearing perspectives about Canadian issues from people outside Canada, whether it be on these topics or any other topic. We as Canadians, like any other nation in the world, don't always do things perfectly, so I see nothing wrong with receiving advice from an outsider's perspective.

 

[kc1ih]

I notice in the press release they say that they will be moving away from satellite distribution. I wonder if this refers to their channels on Sirius? I’m in the US but I listen to Sirius 159 (CBS Radio One) quite a bit.

 

[mimo]

As far as shortwave, what frequencies will be shutting down? The only thing I ever commonly get from Canada is 9625 khz, which sometimes matches CBC Radio 1. Other times it plays its own programming or is French.

That station is CBC Northern Quebec. It's a mix of Radio 1, Radio Canada and local service in Inuktitut. It's not part of radio Canada international. One shortwave antenna is easier to maintain than hundredes of low powered FM's. It's mostly Radio 1 in Montreal when it's in English.

 

[w9wi]

In light of the budget cuts, I don't know why they would want to "accelerate" their analog shutdown as was suggested. I would think it would cost them more money to go and shut down every single transmitter site, rather than to just let it die a natural death. That said, it's possible that they could shut them down remotely and then save money on electricity costs. But then they'll still have all this transmission equipment that they'll have to retrieve from all these sites.

I might suggest the problem isn't so much the transmitters as the satellite time. Occupying a transponder 24/7 isn't particularly cheap.

An option would be to install an ExpressVu (etc.) dish at each remote transmitter & use that as the means of distribution.

Or, assuming the cable operators around each province are using satellite to deliver signals (not microwave) could they piggy-back on this satellite feed?

_________________________________________________

If you can take another one of us south-of-the-border types digging into your affairs...

How do you convince private stations to take the CBC programming, when the CBC's mandate is such that that programming is going to be less lucrative than CTV/Global/etc.?

Over the last few years of analog, we were seeing the CBC buy some of the privately-owned affiliates. (NB, Sask, central Ontario) My understanding was much of the reason was that the private affiliates weren't clearing a lot of the CBC programming. Wouldn't that issue return?

 

[northwoods]

Another reason why the CBC should be privatized. How many more do I need?

I see that our redneck friend from south of the border has made his reappearance from out of the woodwork. Butt out pal!

South Of The Border Redneck? Hmm. Didn't know there were rednecks living in Mexico. I guess you learn something new everyday on this board.

 

[northwoods]

CBC should NEVER be privatized. Bell & Rogers would snatch up all the radio frequencies. Rogers and Bell would own almost Everything, if not, EVERYTHING! The new name for Canada would be RoBel.
[/quote]

I haven't seen Bell & Rogers financials, but for arguments sake if they learned anything from Clear Channel, it's not likely they would snatch up everything.

Clear Channel went on a huge buying spree in the 1990's, buying stations left and right, and now they have a huge mountain of debt to deal with.

 

[Tincap]

I do not live in Canada, but very soon according to a CBC-Radio Canada news release that there are some cuts including the elimination of Short Wave Broadcasts from Canada. WE Short wave listeners in the US are sorry to see RCI broadcasts ceasing soon.

Indeed, another sad chapter for SW listeners. RCI was a life line to home for me, while living in Europe and the Middle-East. But having said that, of interest to our cross border listeners, is there any word on cuts to the (previously mentioned) CBC SW services to northern Quebec, or the SW CBC Radio 1 relays from St John's NF or Vancouver BC (CKZN and CKZU, both on 6160 kHz)?

- I think probably the biggest news here is the decision to air commercials on CBC Radio 2 and Espace Musique. (provided CRTC permission is granted)

*sigh* So, be it. They've lost me (and many others). If CBC Radio 2 (and Espace Musique) wants to compete for 'commercial' listeners, let them pay their way.

~BG