CBC Television

==Over-the-air digital television transition==
{{see also|Digital television in Canada}}
The CRTC ordered that in 28 "mandatory markets," full power over-the-air analogue television transmitters had to cease transmitting by August 31, 2011. Broadcasters could either continue serving those markets by transitioning analogue transmitters to digital or cease broadcasting over-the-air. Cable, IPTV, and satellite services are not involved or affected by this digital transition deadline.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}

While its fellow Canadian broadcasters converted most of their transmitters to digital by the [[Digital television in Canada|Canadian digital television transition]] deadline of August 31, 2011, the CBC converted only about half of the analogue transmitters in mandatory areas to digital (15 of 28 markets with CBC Television stations, and 14 of 28 markets with Télévision de Radio-Canada stations). Due to financial difficulties reported by the corporation, the corporation published digital transition plans for none of its analogue retransmitters in mandatory markets to be converted to digital by the deadline. Under this plan, communities that receive analogue signals by rebroadcast transmitters in mandatory markets would lose their over-the-air signals as of the deadline. Rebroadcast transmitters account for 23 of the 48 CBC and Radio-Canada transmitters in mandatory markets. Mandatory markets losing both CBC and Radio-Canada over-the-air signals include [[London, Ontario]] (metropolitan area population 457,000) and [[Saskatoon]], Saskatchewan (metro area population 257,000). In both of those markets, the corporation's television transmitters are the only ones that were not planned to be converted to digital by the deadline.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}

Because rebroadcast transmitters were not planned to be converted to digital, many markets stood to lose over-the-air coverage from CBC or Radio-Canada, or both. As a result, only seven of the markets subject to the August 31, 2011, transition deadline were planned to have both CBC and Radio-Canada in digital, and 13 other markets were planned to have either CBC or Radio-Canada in digital. In mid-August 2011, the CRTC granted the CBC an extension, until August 31, 2012, to continue operating its analogue transmitters in markets subject to the August 31, 2011, transition deadline. This CRTC decision prevented many markets subject to the transition deadline from losing signals for the CBC or Radio-Canada, or both at the transition deadline. At the transition deadline, [[Barrie]], Ontario lost both CBC and Radio-Canada signals as the CBC did not request that the CRTC allow these transmitters to continue operating.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}

In markets where a digital transmitter was installed, existing coverage areas were not necessarily maintained. For instance, the CBC implemented a digital transmitter covering [[Fredericton]], New Brunswick in the place of the existing transmitter covering [[Saint John, New Brunswick]] and Fredericton, and decided to maintain analogue service to Saint John. According to CBC's application for this transmitter to the CRTC, the population served by the digital transmitter would be 113,930 people versus 303,465 served by the existing analogue transmitter. In [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], the replacement of the Vancouver analogue transmitters with digital ones only allowed only some northeastern parts of the metropolitan area (total population 330,000) to receive either CBC or Radio-Canada.

CBC announced on April 4, 2012, that it will shut down all of its approximately 620 analogue television transmitters on July 31, 2012<ref name="radio-canada">{{Cite web |title=2015 Same Strategy, Different Path |url=http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/site/budget/en/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605084355/http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/site/budget/en/ |archive-date=June 5, 2012 |access-date=July 27, 2012}}</ref> with no plans to install digital transmitters in their place, thus reducing the total number of the corporation's television transmitters across the country down to 27. According to the CBC, this would reduce the corporation's yearly costs by $10 million. No plans have been announced to use subchannels to maintain over-the-air signals for both CBC and Radio-Canada in markets where the corporation has one digital transmitter. In fact, in its CRTC application to shut down all of its analogue television transmitters, the CBC communicated its opposition to use of subchannels, citing costs, amongst other reasons.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}

The CBC had stated that the "useful life of CBC/Radio-Canada's satellite distribution backbone for analogue transmission ends in 2013" and that it "will not reinvest in that infrastructure given the inevitability of analogue obsolescence."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120307104129/http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/newsreleases/pdf/DTV_plan_QA.pdf ''Q&A: CBC/Radio-Canada's Digital Transition Plan'']</ref>

Despite the shutdown of the rebroadcasters, few viewers actually lost access to CBC programming due to the very high penetration of cable and satellite, which is all but essential for acceptable television in much of Canada (particularly rural areas).{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}

===CBC and affiliate transmitters in mandatory markets===
{{see also|List of television stations in Canada}}
{| class="wikitable"
!
!
! colspan="2" style="background: #F08080" | CBC Television (English language)
! colspan="2" style="background: lightblue;" | Ici Radio-Canada Télé (French language)
|-
! Province
! Market
! style="background: #FFE4E1;" | Analog
! style="background: #FFE4E1;" | Digital
! style="background: #ffdead;" | Analog
! style="background: #ffdead;" | Digital
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| AB
| Calgary
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| AB
| Edmonton
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| AB
| Lethbridge
| Yes 
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| AB / SK
| Lloydminster
| Yes (affiliate)
|  ''2011-2016:'' Yes (affiliate)<br /> ''Since 2016:'' {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}<sup>1</sup> 
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}<sup>1</sup> 
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}<sup>1</sup> 
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| BC
| Vancouver
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| BC
| Victoria
| Yes (Vancouver transmitter)
| {{backgroundcolor|lightgreen|Sidney/Saanich only<br />(Vancouver transmitter)}}
| {{backgroundcolor|lightgreen|Sidney/Saanich only<br />(Vancouver transmitter)}}
| {{backgroundcolor|lightgreen|Sidney/Saanich only<br />(Vancouver transmitter)}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| MB
| Winnipeg
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| NB
| Fredericton
| Yes (Saint John transmitter)
| Yes
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| NB
| Moncton
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| NB
| Saint John
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| NL
| St. John's
| Yes
| Yes 
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| NS
| Halifax
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| ON
| Kitchener
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| ON
| London
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| ON
| Ottawa/Gatineau, QC
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| ON
| Thunder Bay
| Yes (affiliate)
| ''2011-2014:'' Yes (affiliate)<br /> ''Since 2014:'' {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}<sup>2</sup> 
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| ON
| Toronto
| Yes<sup>3</sup> 
| Yes<sup>3</sup> 
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| ON
| Windsor
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| PE
| Charlottetown
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| QC
| Montreal
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| QC
| Quebec City
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| QC
| Rivière-du-Loup
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}<sup>4</sup>
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}<sup>4</sup>
| Yes (affiliate)
| | ''2011 to 2021:'' Yes (affiliate)<br /> ''Since 2021:'' {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}<sup>4</sup>
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| QC
| Rouyn-Noranda/Val-d'Or
| Yes ([[McGarry, Ontario|Kearns, ON]] and [[Malartic, Quebec|Malartic, QC]] transmitters)
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes (affiliate)
| ''2011 to 2018:'' Yes (affiliate)<br /> ''Since 2018:'' {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}<sup>5</sup>
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| QC
| Saguenay
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| QC
| Sherbrooke
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| QC
| Trois-Rivières
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| SK
| Regina
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| SK
| Saskatoon
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
| Yes
| {{backgroundcolor|yellow|No}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
! Total
! 27 markets
! 26 yes, 1 no
! 14 yes, 12 no, 1 partially
! 26 yes, 1 no
! 13 yes, 13 no, 1 partially
|}

In addition to the above noted digital transmitters, the non-mandatory market Radio-Canada transmitter in [[Rimouski, Quebec]], [[CJBR-DT]], was transitioned to digital on August 31, 2012. The non-mandatory market CBC [[Yellowknife]] transmitter, [[CFYK-DT]], was transitioned to digital on July 31, 2012. Of the non-mandatory affiliates, [[CKWS-DT]] [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]] and [[CHEX-DT]] [[Peterborough, Ontario]] converted in 2013, while [[CFTK-TV]] [[Terrace, British Columbia|Terrace]] and [[CJDC-TV]] [[Dawson Creek, British Columbia]] has yet to convert; these stations has since changed its affiliations to other networks.

<sup>1</sup> Lloydminster's CBC affiliate, [[CKSA-DT]], disaffiliated with the network in September 2016, changing to an affiliate of [[Global Television Network|Global]]. CBXT Edmonton and/or CBKT Regina now serves the region via cable and satellite. Radio-Canada never had a transmitter serving the Lloydminster area.

<sup>2</sup> Thunder Bay's CBC affiliate, [[CKPR-DT]], disaffiliated with the network in September 2014, changing to an affiliate of [[CTV Television Network|CTV]]. CBLT now serves the city via cable and satellite.

<sup>3</sup> The [[Greater Toronto Area]] was served by CBC Television flagship CBLT, while the [[Regional Municipality of Durham|Durham Region]] was served by an affiliate, [[CHEX-DT-2|CHEX-TV-2]]. CHEX-TV-2 would not be required to convert to digital until 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 13, 2017 |title=Digital Television (DTV) Transition Schedule |url=https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf11282.html}}</ref> CHEX-TV-2 would drop CBC programming in exchange for CTV in 2015; it since became a Global outlet for the Durham Region in 2018.

<sup>4</sup> The Radio-Canada affiliate serving Rivière-du-Loup, [[CKRT-DT]], ceased operations on August 31, 2021, after Radio-Canada declined to renew CKRT's affiliation, with no sufficient alternate sources available. Radio-Canada programming has since become available in the region only by cable and satellite, with CJBR-TV Rimouski seen on many cable systems. CBC Television never had a transmitter serving the Rivière-du-Loup area.

<sup>5</sup> The Radio-Canada affiliate serving Rouyn-Noranda/Val-d'Or, [[CKRN-DT]], ceased operations on March 25, 2018. Radio-Canada programming has since become available in the region only by cable and satellite, with CBFT Montreal seen on many cable systems. CBC Television was provided by two different repeaters: CBVD-TV channel 5 [[Malartic, Quebec|Malartic]] (repeating CBMT Montreal, serving Val-d'Or) and CFCL-TV-2 / CBLT-8 channel 2 in [[McGarry, Ontario|Kearns, Ontario]] (repeating [[CFCL-TV]] [[Timmins]], later CBLT Toronto, serving Rouyn-Noranda); these repeaters would close with the rest of the repeater network in 2012.

===History===
In 2006, the CBC submitted a plan to the CRTC for [[Digital television in Canada|transitioning the over-the-air television]] signals from analogue to digital. In this submission, the CBC stated that its 654 analogue transmitters reached 98% of the population, and that it planned on installing 44 digital transmitters, reaching 80% of Canadians.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120307104239/http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/submissions/crtc/2006/OTA-ENG-Sept28.pdf CBC/Radio-Canada Fact Sheet Over-the Air Transmission and the Transition to Digital/HD], January 16, 2011.</ref>

The CRTC decided to impose a mandatory transition date switching over-the-air television signals from analogue to digital, following consultation with CBC and the public. The CBC had requested during this consultation that broadcasters be given four years to transition. Following the consultation, on May 17, 2007, the CRTC imposed a transition timeline of four years, resulting in a transition deadline of August 31, 2011, and requiring that over-the-air analogue transmitters be shut off by that date.

On July 6, 2009, the CRTC limited the August 31, 2011 [[Digital television in Canada|transition deadline]] to certain mandatory markets, greatly reducing the number of transmitters needing to be transitioned. In CBC's 2009–2010 Corporate Plan, the corporation stated that it planned on having 30 transmitters broadcasting in digital by the deadline, costing $30 million.

On August 6, 2010, the CBC issued a press release stating that due to financial reasons, the CBC and Radio-Canada would only transition 27 transmitters total, one in each market where there was an originating station (i.e. a CBC or Radio-Canada television station located in that market). Further, the CBC stated in the release, that only 15 of the transmitters would be in place by August 31, 2011, due to lack of available funds, and that the remainder would not be on the air until as late as August 31, 2012.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120307104259/http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/newsreleases/20100806.shtml CBC/Radio-Canada releases plan for the transition to over-the-air digital television], January 11, 2011.</ref> Additionally, the CBC stated in the release that it was asking the CRTC for permission to continue broadcasting in analogue until the identified transmitters for transition were up and running. At the time of the press release, only eight of the corporation's transmitters (four CBC and four Radio Canada) were broadcasting in digital.

On November 30, 2010, the CBC's senior director of regulatory affairs issued a letter to the CRTC regarding CBC's plans for transitioning to digital. The letter states, "CBC/Radio-Canada will not be converting its analogue retransmitters in mandatory markets to digital after August 31, 2011."<ref>[https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/DocWebBroker/OpenDocument.aspx?Key=7&Type=Notice Refer to file: "DM#1480736 – 2010-169 CBCSRC Reply Letter_DTV Transition Update_30Nov10.pdf"]</ref> On December 16, 2010, some months after the CRTC issued a bulletin reminding broadcasters that analogue transmitters had to be shut off by the deadline in mandatory markets, the CBC revised the documents accompanying its August 6, 2010, news release to state that it had the money for and is striving to transition all 27 transmitters by August 31, 2011.

On March 23, 2011, the CRTC rejected an application by the CBC to install a digital transmitter serving Fredericton, New Brunswick in place of the analogue transmitter serving Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick, which would have served only 62.5% of the population served by the existing analogue transmitter.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 23, 2011 |title=Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-203 |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-203.htm |access-date=October 31, 2011 |publisher=Crtc.gc.ca}}</ref> The CBC issued a press release stating "CBC/Radio-Canada intends to re-file its application with the CRTC to provide more detailed cost estimates that will allow the Commission to better understand the unfeasibility of replicating the Corporation's current analogue coverage."<ref>{{Cite web |title=CBC/Radio-Canada remains committed to serving the Province of New Brunswick |url=http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/newsreleases/20110323.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404042344/http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/newsreleases/20110323.shtml |archive-date=April 4, 2012 |access-date=October 31, 2011 |publisher=Cbc.radio-canada.ca}}</ref> The press release further added that the CBC suggests coverage could be maintained if the CRTC were to "allow CBC Television to continue providing the analogue service it offers today – much in the same way the Commission permitted recently in the case of [[Yellowknife]], [[Whitehorse, Yukon|Whitehorse]] and [[Iqaluit]]."

On March 29, 2011, the CRTC added the following condition of licence to over-the-air stations owned by CBC: "Unless otherwise authorized by the Commission, the licensee shall not transmit analogue television signals after 31 August 2011 in mandatory markets designated as such by the Commission in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2011-184 or transmit television signals on channels 52 to 69".<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 29, 2011 |title=Broadcasting Decision 2011-215 |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-215.htm |access-date=October 31, 2011 |publisher=Crtc.gc.ca}}</ref>

On August 18, 2011, the CRTC issued a decision that allows CBC's mandatory market rebroadcasting transmitters in analogue to remain on-air until August 31, 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 16, 2011 |title=Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-494 |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-494.htm |access-date=August 18, 2011}}</ref> Before that deadline, the CBC's licence renewal process would take place and CBC's digital transition plans would be examined as part of that process. The requirement remains for all of CBC's full-power transmitters occupying channels 52 to 69 to either relocate to channels 2 to 51 or become low-power transmitters. In some cases, the CBC has opted to reduce the power of existing transmitters to low-power transmitters, which will result in signal loss for some viewers.

On April 4, 2012, the CBC released its budget plans, in which it announced that all of its approximately 620 analogue television transmitters would be shut down on July 31, 2012, which was earlier than planned, due to funding reductions from the federal government.<ref name="radio-canada" /><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120415035823/http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/newsreleases/20120404.shtml CBC/Radio-Canada outlines extent of budgetary challenge and its plan to address it]</ref><ref>[http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2012/2012-384.htm Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-384 Revocation of licences for the rebroadcasting stations CBIT Sydney and CBKST Saskatoon and licence amendment to remove analog transmitters for 23 English- and French-language television stations], ''CRTC'', July 17, 2012</ref>

On July 17, 2012, the CRTC approved the shut down of CBC's analogue transmitters, noting that "while the Commission has the discretion to refuse to revoke broadcasting licences, even on application from a licensee, it cannot direct the CBC or any other broadcaster to continue to operate its stations and transmitters."<ref>[http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2012/2012-384.htm Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-384]</ref> On July 31, 2012, at around 11:59&nbsp;p.m. in each time zone, the remaining 620 analogue transmitters were shut down, leaving the network with 27 digital television transmitters across the country, and some transmitters operated by some affiliated stations.