When Did Toronto First Get UHF Stations?

[Gregg]

According to a thread below, there were no UHF stations on the air in Toronto in 1969. In fact, only WNED 19 PBS Buffalo was on the air on the UHF band at that time.

According to my memory, UHF stations signed on in Toronto in this order...

19 CICA TVO
25 CBLFT Radio-Canada
79 CITY Independent (now 57)
47 CFMT Ethnic
41 CIII Global


Gregg
[email protected]

 

[azumanga]

According to Wikipedia:

19 CICA TVO: 9/27/1970
79 CITY Independent (now 57): 9/28/1972
25 CBLFT Radio-Canada: 3/23/1973
41 CIII Global: 1/6/1974, on channel 22 from Uxbridge; moved to Toronto and channel 41 in 1988
47 CFMT Ethnic: 9/3/1979

 

[Tim L]

WNED 19 PBS Buffalo was on the air on the UHF band at that time.

Probably was just a mistype (I do that enough myself) but WNED-PBS Buffalo would be channel 17, not 19..

 

[mjlarochelle]

CICA was the first full-power UHF station in Canada, period.

 

[Bluenoser]

According to Wikipedia:

19 CICA TVO: 9/27/1970
79 CITY Independent (now 57): 9/28/1972
25 CBLFT Radio-Canada: 3/23/1973
41 CIII Global: 1/6/1974, on channel 22 from Uxbridge; moved to Toronto and channel 41 in 1988
47 CFMT Ethnic: 9/3/1979

And for the other U's...
69 CJMT Ethnic: 9/16/02
52 CKXT Sun TV/formerly Toronto 1: 9/19/2003 (the name change occurred on 8/29/05 after Quebecor purchased the station from Craig Media in April 2004)

 

[FreddyE1977]

79 CITY Independent (now 57)

Back in the days of the detent UHF tuner, you had to REALLY want to watch them BAD
to go clicking your way all the way up the dial to 79! (I believe this is what gave them the initial
concept for SCTV)

 

[azumanga]

79 CITY Independent (now 57)

Back in the days of the detent UHF tuner, you had to REALLY want to watch them BAD
to go clicking your way all the way up the dial to 79!

Given some of their late-night programming, there was an incentive (if you know what I mean).

 

[Bob1370]

"Given some of their late-night programming, there was an incentive (if you know what I mean)."

CITY TV's late night programming sold a significant number of high-gain UHF rooftop antennas in the Buffalo and Rochester markets during the 70s.

 

[FreddyE1977]

79 CITY Independent (now 57)

Back in the days of the detent UHF tuner, you had to REALLY want to watch them BAD
to go clicking your way all the way up the dial to 79!

Given some of their late-night programming, there was an incentive (if you know what I mean).

"No, Mom, there is nothing on those channels. They are used for Educational TV out in Idaho and
Wyoming and places like that." ;D