CJDC-TV

CJDC-TV, CTV Two, Dawson Creek

Bell Media Inc.

StationYearChannelNetwork AffiliateOwner/Info
CJDC-TV20135CBCBell Media
CJDC-TV20075CBCAstral Media Inc.
CJDC-TV20015CBCStandard Broadcasting Corp.
CJDC-TV19995CBCTelemedia Communications Inc.
CJDC-TV19975CBCOkanagan/Skeena Broadcasters
CJDC-TV19595CBCMega Communications Ltd.

1958

CJDC Radio applied for a television licence. An earlier application was deferred to permit the CBC Board to study low power television and to determine the cost to the CBC of providing national program service to such stations. The latest application was approved and the new station would broadcast on channel 5 with an effective radiated power of 713.5 watts video and 86.75 watts audio. It was expected channel 5 would launch in early December. Construction was underway in August to house the TV station at the rear of the existing radio building.

1959

Hank Michaud, owner of CJDC radio, and his brother Mike signed on a low powered CJDC-TV, channel 5 on Thursday January 15, 1959 to bring television to Dawson Creek and the surrounding areas.  At the start of telecasting, the station broadcast only six hours a day, signing on at 5 p.m. and ending with a sign off at 11:15.  A late night movie was added a short time later. Most programming was on film, and two weeks behind the CBC Television Network.  All commercials and newscasts were broadcast live along with a talk show featuring local personalities. 

Hank  Michaud

1960

Ad: The one-two punch…in the Peace River Country – for sight and sound – CJDC Radio & Television.

Frank Harris was appointed manager of CJDC-TV. He first entered television in August of 1954 with CFRN-TV in Edmonton, just as the station was getting ready to open. He was an account executive. Harris joined CJDC-TV in August of last year as operations and production manager. 

1962

CJDC-TV installed a new transmitter 312 metres above average terrain southwest of the city, with a power of 9500 watts.  

1967

Broadcasting in colour commenced and the station subsequently added low power re-broadcast transmitters CJDC-TV-1, channel 11 at Hudson’s Hope and CJDC-TV-2, channel 8 at Bullhead Mountain. Mike Michaud became general manager at this time.

1989

When the CRTC renewed the licence on April 6, 1989 it noted the station had committed to broadcast 8 hours 15 minutes per week of locally-produced news, sports and information programming, including midday and evening news programs on weekdays, a half-hour weekly sports program “Sports Digest” as well as 25 minutes per week of religious programming, “Morning Devotions”.  The Commission further noted that the licensee had established a news department with four full-time employees responsible for coverage of local and regional news events in Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge. 

1994-95

Bill Hutchings took over as general manager of CJDC-TV. 

1995

On January 23, the CRTC approved the application to amend the licence for CJDC-TV by adding to the licence the following condition of licence: In addition to the 12 minutes of advertising material permitted by subsection 11(1) of the Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987, the licensee may broadcast more than 12 minutes of advertising material in any clock hour in a broadcast day, in order to broadcast infomercials as defined in Public Notice CRTC 1994-139 and in accordance with the criteria contained in that public notice, as amended.

On March 24, the CRTC renewed the licence for CJDC-TV Dawson Creek and its transmitters CJDC-TV-1 Hudson Hope and CJDC-TV-2 Bullhead Mountain, until August 31, 2002. The licensee was expected to adhere to the commitment made in its licence renewal application to broadcast a minimum weekly average of 8 hours and 15 minutes of original local news during the new licence term.

1997


Brothers Mike and Henry Michaud planned to retire after selling Mega Communications (CJDC-AM-TV) to Okanagan Skeena Broadcasters. Their father purchased CJDC radio in January of 1948, from Wilma Moore. CJDC-TV was licensed in January of 1958. Henry ran it while Mike looked after radio, but they later got together to operate both stations. 

On Oct. 21, 1997 the CRTC approved the transfer of CJDC-TV from owners Mike and Hank Michaud (Mega Communications Ltd.) to Okanagan Skeena Broadcasters. Soon after, a news bureau and sales office were opened in Fort St John. 

1999


The CRTC approved the transfer of ownership and control of Okanagan Skeena Group Limited to Telemedia Radio West Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Telemedia Communications Inc. 

CJDC-TV rebranded as NTV.

2000

The CRTC denied application by Telemedia Radio West Inc. to add a transmitter on channel 8 at Grande Prairie, AB to broadcast programs originating from CJDC-TV, a CBC affiliate.  The Commission considered that the proposed transmitter would offer minimal diversity and could have had a negative effect on existing television services in that community, already served by CBC affiliate CBXAT, which rebroadcasts the programming of CBXT Edmonton. 

2002

Standard Radio’s approval to buy Telemedia Radio West’s radio stations included CJDC-TV.

2007


Former general manager Mike Michaud died August 25 at age 78.

On September 27, Astral Media Radio G.P. received CRTC approval to acquire the assets of the radio and TV undertakings owned by Standard Radio Ltd., subject to certain conditions. The purchase included CJDC-TV and CJDC-AM.

2011

On April 26, the CRTC renewed the licences for CJDC-TV Dawson Creek and its transmitters CJDC-TV-1 Hudson Hope and CJDC-TV-2 Bullhead Mountain, and CFTK-TV Terrace and its transmitter CFTK-TV-1 Prince Rupert. Given the pace of change in the broadcasting environment and its desire to assess the impact of its approach on all services, the Commission renewed these licences for a five-year term, to August 31, 2017. 

2013

On June 27, 2013, after a previous such application had been denied in 2012, the CRTC approved an application by Astral Media Inc. to sell its pay and specialty television channels, conventional television stations and radio stations to BCE Inc., including CJDC-TV.

2015

On October 7, the CRTC approved the application to amend the broadcasting licence for CJDC-TV by deleting the analog rebroadcasting transmitter CJDC-TV-1 Hudson’s Hope.  Bell Media stated that a fire on April 23 completely destroyed the transmitter.

In the fall, Bell Media announced plans to disaffiliate CJDC-TV from the CBC network effective February 21, 2016. If approved, the stations would become part of CTV Two.

2016

On February 19, Bell Media received CRTC approval to have CJDC-TV (and CJDC-TV-2 Bullhead Mountain) disaffiliate from the CBC-TV network. On February 22, the station joined the CTV Two network.

2017

On December 12, the CRTC approved CJDC-TV’s application to operate a transmitter in Fort St. John, operating on channel 9 with average ERP of 180 watts (max. 660 watts with EHAAT of 245.7 metres).

The story continues elsewhere…
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