Alberta TV Station > CTV’s Community Events Calendars, Online and On-Air
Both CTV Calgary and CTV Edmonton have an online Community Calendar to which they invite nonprofit and community organizations in Edmonton and Calgary and the surrounding areas to submit events. From the submissions, they select events to feature on their Community Calendar segment that airs seven days a week, several times a day in each city. In Calgary, the Community Calendar segment is hosted by Pearl Tsang, CTV Calgary’s traffic specialist and a graduate of Mount Royal University’s broadcasting program. In Edmonton, the Community Calendar segment is hosted by Josh Klassen, CTV Edmonton’s weather specialist and a graduate of NAIT’s Radio and Television Arts program. Read more 
Keep Canada Connected: Stop Severe Cuts to the CBC
At this pivotal moment in our history, Canadians are coming together to “Reimagine the CBC” to help it connect Canadians and realize the opportunities of a digital era.The Reimagine CBC community’s ideas are from the heart, distinctly Canadian and often inspiring. But just as a community is coming together around new opportunities for the CBC, a few MPs have singled out the CBC for severe cuts in the impending budget. These cuts threaten many key CBC services, like those in rural and remote regions, and they will damage our digital economy. We have to let the government know that these severe cuts are unacceptable. They will destroy the opportunity for the CBC to connect all Canadians with new ideas and services that can stop us from falling behind in a new era of news and culture. Read more
Alberta Television Station Spotlight: Shaw TV Calgary
Shaw TV is a locally-based community channel service operated by cable TV company Shaw Communications, and is available to Shaw Cable subscribers in most major communities throughout western Canada. Each station runs programming produced by staff and/or volunteers. Most stations broadcast a variety of programming, including news, live studio shows, city council meetings, high school/college sports, and community bulletin board/telefied advertisements. Some programs are aired only locally, while others are aired throughout a province or region, such as WHL hockey coverage. ShawTV Calgary is especially welcoming to story ideas suggested by community organizations in Calgary and area. Read more
CBC Seeks Films From Across Canada for “Short Films Faceoff”
CBC’s Short Film Faceoff is Canada’s only television magazine program which features short films from across the country. The critically acclaimed show has already enjoyed four successful seasons and has brought a new mainstream audience for short films and increased profile for filmmakers. The CBC is looking for the best short films from every region to take part in this program. In Short Film Face Off films are screened and a panel of industry professionals will provide commentary as well as discuss the creative and technical aspects of the films with the filmmakers. Read more
Alberta TV Station Spotlight > Global Edmonton
Global Edmonton (CITV-DT) is a television station in Edmonton, Alberta launched in 1974 by Dr Charles Allard. Now known on air as Global Edmonton, the station is now owned by Shaw Media, and is part of the Global Television Network. CITV’s programming is similar to CICT-TV, its sister station in Calgary. CITV’s master control is also based out of CICT, along with all the rest of Shaw’s television stations. The station currently produces a total of 45 hours of local newscasts each week; seven hours of news every weekday (consisting of a 3½ hour morning newscast, hour-long newscasts at noon and 6 p.m., and half-hour newscasts at 5 and 11 p.m.), and five hours on weekends (consisting of a three-hour Saturday morning newscast, two-hour Sunday morning news cast, an hour-long newscast at 6 p.m. and half-hour newscast at 11 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday nights). Read more
Alberta TV Station of Interest: FusedLogic TV
Walter Schwabe the producer of FusedLogic TV with a studio in Sherwood Park describes social tv like this: “If you still watch television like I do, you’ve most likely noticed lately that many of your favourite channels are integrating more Twitter and Facebook references in their bottom thirds. The “bottom-third” is that title that pops up at the bottom of the screen with the name of the person talking on camera at that moment for instance. What CNN is doing now is creating hashtags that correspond with the show that’s airing at that moment. #CNNdebate for example. The goal is to make a connection, a shared experience online around the show content. Read more
CRTC Hears 37 Applications for Broadcasting Licences in Canada on September 16, 2011
On September 16, 2011 the CRTC heard from 37 applicants vying for broadcasting licences in Canada. An application was submitted by Golden West Broadcasting Ltd. for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language commercial FM radio programming undertaking in Fort Saskatchewan. The new station would operate on frequency 107.9 MHz (channel 300B1) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 11,000 watts. The applicant proposes a mixed Classic Hits/Classic Rock music format. Read more
CTV Morning Live to Launch in Calgary on October 24, 2011
L - R Pearl Tsang, Jefferson Humphreys, Aisling Tomei and Todd Gallant
CTV Calgary will be waking up Calgarians with a blend of news, weather and traffic as they get set to Launch CTV MORNING LIVE. Jefferson Humphreys, Aisling Tomei, Pearl Tsang and Todd Gallant will breathe new life into morning television with their combination of crackling energy, wit and passion for the city they call home. CTV Morning Live begins on Monday, October 24 at 5:30 a.m. and every weekday morning will deliver an exciting lineup of stories that matter most to Calgarians. Read more
CTV Morning Live to Launch in Edmonton on October 24, 2011
L-R Melissa Dominelli, Rob Williams, Dez Melenka, Craig Larkins
Edmonton is about to get another local morning show. Launching Monday, October 24, CTV MORNING LIVE features breaking local news, frequent detailed traffic reports, and up-to-the-minute weather forecasts for the viewers of Edmonton, central and northern Alberta. Airing weekday mornings from 5:30 – 9 a.m., CTV MORNING LIVE promises to be an energetic, lively three-and-a-half hours of everything viewers need to start their day. “We’ve heard what our viewers have been asking for,” said Glenn Kubish, Director of News and Public Affairs, CTV Edmonton. “They’re busy, they have a lot to accomplish in their days, and they want to start with a fast, fun, professional and interactive broadcast. We’re proud to call that CTV MORNING LIVE!” Read more
Rogers Closes OMNI TV Edmonton and Calgary Studios
Omni television has shuttered its Edmonton and Calgary studios as part of a shift to national newscasts. The studios closed Sept. 15 as part of a national reorganization, with about 20 employees remaining in each city to produce news segments, liaise with communities, and help facilitate independent productions. “We’re launching national newscasts in Cantonese, Mandarin and Punjabi,” said Madeline Ziniak, national vice-president of the broadcaster. The new national broadcast will still feature a daily story from both Calgary and Edmonton in each of its three newscasts, Ziniak said. Fourteen employees were offered jobs within the Rogers Media organization: six are moving to the organization’s headquarters in Toronto, while most of the others will shift to Citytv Edmonton or Calgary. Six others were laid off. Ziniak said lower-than-expected viewership of local newscasts factored in the decision, but plans for national newscasts have been in the works for some time.
Global TV to Broadcast Alberta PC Party Leadership Debate on September 28, 2011
Global News iwill host a debate between the three remaining candidates for the Alberta PC leadership. Gary Mar, Alison Redford and Doug Horner will be in Global Edmonton Studios on Wednesday September 28th for a televised debate heading into the 2nd ballot vote. You can catch the hour long debate live on Global, starting at 6:30 p.m. The debate will be carried live on Global Edmonton, Global Calgary and Global Lethbridge as well as 630 CHED radio in Edmonton and CHQR in Calgary. They will be livestreaming the event here on www.globaltvedmonton.com.
CTV Expands Its Local Newcasts in Alberta
This fall three of four television networks in Canada are expanding their local newscasts in Alberta. First out of the gate is CTV. On August 29, 2011, they rebranded their A Channels across Canada and ACCESS TV in Alberta under the banner of CTV Two. The debut of the new channel was strategically timed to coincide with the launch of the network in high definition. They converted ACCESS from analog to digital none too soon. As of September 1, the digital conversion of all over the air television stations in Canada mandated by the CRTC, and thus the digital conversion of ACCESS, made it impossible for viewers without a cable provider to receive the station’s signal over the air. Read more
Marilyn
Jones is a corporate and social media advocate for individuals, small businesses
and nonprofit organizations in Alberta. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada and is the proprietor of RiverCity Productions. You can contact her
by phone at 780-695-5675 or by email at marilyn@mediamag.ca.