View source for CBMT-DT

{{Short description|Television station in Montreal}}
{{For|the radio station in La Tabatière, Quebec that uses the calls "CBMT-FM"|CBVE-FM}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign               = CBMT-DT
| city                   =
| logo                   = File:CBMT-DT logo.svg
| logo_size              = 220px
| branding               = CBC Montreal
| digital                = 21 ([[UHF]])
| virtual                = 6
| translators            = 
| subchannels            = 
| affiliations           = [[CBC Television]]
| airdate                = {{Start date and age|1954|01|10|p=y}}
| location               = [[Montreal]], Quebec
| country                = Canada
| callsign_meaning       = Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Montreal Television
| former_callsigns       = 
| former_channel_numbers = '''Analogue:''' 6 ([[VHF]], 1954–2011)
| owner                  = [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]
| licensee               = 
| sister_stations        = [[CBFT-DT]], [[CBME-FM]], [[CBM-FM]], [[CBF-FM]], [[CBFX-FM]]
| former_affiliations    = [[Paramount Television Network]] (secondary, 1954–1956)
| erp                    = 25 [[Watt|kW]]
| haat                   = {{convert|300|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| coordinates            = {{coord|45|30|19|N|73|35|29|W|type:landmark}}
| licensing_authority    = [[CRTC]]
| website                = {{URL|http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal|CBC Montreal}} 
}}

'''CBMT-DT''' (channel 6) is a [[television station]] in [[Montreal]], Quebec, Canada, broadcasting the English-language service of [[CBC Television]]. It is [[owned and operated]] by the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] alongside [[Ici Radio-Canada Télé]] [[flagship (broadcasting)|flagship]] [[CBFT-DT]] (channel 2). The two stations share studios at [[Maison Radio-Canada]] on [[René Lévesque Boulevard]] East in [[Downtown Montreal]]; CBMT-DT's transmitter is located atop [[Mount Royal]].

==History==
CBMT first signed on the air on January 10, 1954, as Montreal's second television station; previously, [[Canadian English|English]] and [[Canadian French|French]]-language programs had shared time on CBFT, Canada's first television station. By the end of 1953, Canada had about a dozen television stations either licensed or under construction, and American competition was about to arrive in Montreal with the construction of [[WCAX-TV]] in [[Burlington, Vermont]], and WIRI-TV from [[North Pole, New York]] (nearby to [[Plattsburgh, New York]] and now known as [[WPTZ]]). The CBC decided that it was imperative to stop time-sharing in English and in French, so CBMT was included in the network's expansion plans for television; upon its sign-on, CBMT became the exclusive English-language CBC station for Montreal; CBFT, simultaneous to this, became an exclusive French-language station.

The station was branded in the late 1970s and early 1980s as "Montreal 6", becoming "CBC Television Montreal 6" by the mid-1980s, and "CBC Television Montreal" during the 1990s. Since 1997, CBMT has been the only full-fledged CBC station in the province of Quebec. Previously, the only other CBC station in the province had been [[Quebec City]]'s [[CKMI-TV]]. However, in 1997, CKMI switched its affiliation to the [[Global Television Network]]. CBMT set up a full-power rebroadcaster, CBVE, on CKMI's old channel 5, while CKMI moved to channel 20.

CBMT transmits from the [[Mount Royal]] [[candelabra tower]], in [[Mount Royal Park]], overlooking the city of Montreal. As a result, channel 6 experiences severe [[multipath interference]] in parts of the city and South Shore.

It was also previously seen unscrambled on C-band satellite until the early-2000s, when it switched to a proprietary digital satellite signal. When the signal was sent unscrambled on the C-band, many American satellite viewers tuned into CBMT for a variety of news, entertainment, and sports – particularly the CBC's ''[[Hockey Night in Canada]]'' and [[Olympic Games]] television broadcasts, which gave a different perspective than the American broadcasts. That Canadian signal is still available, but it requires the purchase of a dedicated and expensive receiver, or a [[grey market]] subscription to a Canadian satellite service.

Due to several cutbacks over the years, master control for the station is now based at the [[Canadian Broadcasting Centre]] in [[Toronto]].
[[File:CBC Montreal.png|thumb|left|Former logo used for local programming from 2015 to 2019|151x151px]]

==News operation==
CBMT-DT presently broadcasts 10 hours, 40 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week (with two hours each weekday, a half-hour on Saturdays and ten minutes on Sundays); in regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it is the lowest local newscast output out of any English-language television station in the Montreal market. CBMT airs local news programming for Montreal seven days a week. On weekdays, the station airs half-hour newscasts at 6 and 11 p.m. On weekends, ''Montreal at 6'' airs on Saturdays for 30 minutes and a ten-minute summary airs on Sundays at 11 p.m.

Anchor [[Debra Arbec]] won the [[Canadian Screen Award]] for Best Local Anchor at the [[12th Canadian Screen Awards]] in 2024.<ref>Connie Thiessen, [https://broadcastdialogue.com/canadian-screen-awards-winners-news-entertainment-sports/ "Canadian Screen Awards winners: News, Entertainment & Sports"]. ''Broadcast Dialogue'', May 28, 2024.</ref>

==Technical information==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannel of CBMT-DT<ref>[http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=CBMT#station RabbitEars TV Query for CBMT]</ref> 
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#Canada|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.1 
| [[720p]] || [[16:9]] || CBMT-DT || Main CBMT-DT programming / [[CBC Television]]
|}

===Analogue-to-digital conversion===
CBMT began broadcasting its digital signal over-the-air on February 21, 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/dtv/montreal_cbc.shtml |title=CBC Television Montréal (CBMT) |access-date=March 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321192828/http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/dtv/montreal_cbc.shtml |archive-date=March 21, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On August 31, 2011, when Canadian television stations in CRTC-designated mandatory [[media market|markets]] [[Digital television in Canada|transitioned from analogue to digital broadcasts]],<ref name="Analog to Digital">{{Cite web |url=http://digitaltv.gc.ca/eng/1298735988428/1298735988465# |title=Digital Television – Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) |access-date=July 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131120000609/http://digitaltv.gc.ca/eng/1298735988428/1298735988465# |archive-date=November 20, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the station's digital signal remained on [[UHF]] channel 21, using [[virtual channel]] 6.

==Former transmitters==
CBMT once operated over 50 analogue rebroadcasters throughout the province of Quebec and in three communities in northern [[Manitoba]]: [[Brochet, Manitoba|Brochet]], [[Poplar River, Manitoba|Poplar River]], and [[Shamattawa]].

Due to federal funding reductions to the CBC, in April 2012, the CBC responded with substantial budget cuts, which included shutting down the CBC's and Radio-Canada's remaining analogue transmitters on July 31, 2012.<ref>[http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/media-centre/2012/04/04/ Speaking notes for Hubert T. Lacroix regarding measures announced in the context of the Deficit Reduction Action Plan]</ref> None of the CBC or Radio-Canada's rebroadcasters were converted to digital.

Transmitters in mandatory markets were required to go digital or be taken off the air by the transition deadline of August 31, 2011. The CBC had originally decided that none of its rebroadcasters will transition to digital and instead will remain in analogue. The CBC had rebroadcasters of CBMT in the following mandatory markets:
* CBVE-TV [[Quebec City]]
* CBJET [[Saguenay, Quebec|Saguenay]]
* CBMT-3 [[Sherbrooke]]
* CBMT-1 [[Trois-Rivières]]

On August 16, 2011, the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC) granted the CBC permission to continue operating 22 repeaters in mandatory markets, including the above, in analogue until August 31, 2012, by which time the transmitters had to be converted to digital or shut down.

===Quebec===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! [[City of license]]<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT2TBiCGCQM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/kT2TBiCGCQM |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=CBC Montreal January 2, 2006 sign-off|date=January 2, 2006|publisher=retronewfoundland|via=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 
! [[Call signs in North America|Call sign]]<ref>[http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/_files/cbcrc/documents/analogue-tv/analogue-transmitters-emetteurs-analogiques.pdf “Microsoft Word - Analogue transmitters - emetteurs analogiques.docx”]. [[CBC/Radio-Canada]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20180103012607/http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/_files/cbcrc/documents/analogue-tv/analogue-transmitters-emetteurs-analogiques.pdf Archived] from the original January 3, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2019.</ref> 
! [[Television channel|Channel]] 
! [[Effective radiated power|ERP]] ([[watt|W]]) 
! Notes 
|- 
| [[Alma, Quebec|Alma]]
| CBJET-1
| 32 (UHF) 
| 4,000
| 
|- 
| [[Baie-Comeau]] 
| CBMIT
| 28 (UHF) 
| 4,200
| 
|- 
| [[Blanc-Sablon]]
| CBMST
| 5 (VHF) 
| 150
|
|- 
| [[Chandler, Quebec|Chandler]] 
| CBVB-TV
| 23 (UHF) 
| 184
|
|- 
| [[Chibougamau]]
| CBMCT
| 4 (VHF) 
| 276
| 
|- 
| [[Chicoutimi]] ([[Saguenay, Quebec|Saguenay]]) 
| CBJET 
| 58 (UHF) 
| 10,000
| 
|-
| [[Chisasibi]]
| CBMGT
| 12 (VHF) 
| 10
| 
|- 
| [[Escuminac, Quebec|Escuminac]] 
| CBVA-TV
| 18 (UHF)
| 5,200
|  
|- 
| [[Fermont]] 
| CBMRT
| 9 (VHF) 
| 18
| 
|- 
| [[Gaspé, Quebec|Gaspé]]
| CBVG-TV
| 18 (UHF) 
| 5,000
|
|- 
| [[Harrington Harbour]]
| CBMUT
| 13 (VHF) 
| 129
| 
|- 
| [[Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec|Îles-de-la-Madeleine]]
| CBMYT
| 7 (VHF) 
| 2,900
| 
|- 
| [[La Tabatiere]] 
| CBMLT
| 10 (VHF) 
| 62
| 
|- 
| [[La Tuque]]
| CBMET
| 9 (VHF) 
| 103
|
|- 
| [[Malartic, Quebec|Malartic]] 
| CBVD-TV
| 5 (VHF) 
| 9,300
| 
|- 
| [[Maniwaki]]
| CBVU-TV
| 15 (UHF)
| 
|
|- 
| [[Mistissini]]
| CBMDT
| 12 (VHF)
| 10
|  
|- 
| [[Murdochville]] 
| CBMMT
| 21 (UHF)
| 30
|  
|- 
| [[New Carlisle, Quebec|New Carlisle]]
| CBVN-TV 
| 45 (UHF) 
| 5,300
|
|- 
| [[New Richmond, Quebec|New Richmond]]
| CBVR-TV 
| 27 (UHF) 
| 6,000
| 
|- 
| [[Nouveau-Comploir, Quebec|Nouveau-Comploir]] 
| CBMNT
| 12 (VHF) 
| 10
|
|- 
| [[Old Fort Bay, Quebec|Old Fort Bay]] 
| CBMVT
| 13 (VHF) 
| 10
|
|- 
| [[Perce, Quebec|Perce]] 
| CBVP-TV
| 14 (UHF) 
| 3,700
|
|- 
| [[Port Daniel]]
| CBVF-TV
| 16 (UHF) 
| 1,310
|
|- 
| [[Quebec City]] 
| [[CBVE-TV]]
| 5 (VHF) 
| 13,850
| Formerly [[CKMI-TV]] 
|- 
| [[Rivière-Saint-Paul, Quebec|Rivière-Saint-Paul]] 
| CBMPT
| 11 (VHF) 
| 23
|
|-
| [[Schefferville]] 
| [[CBSET-1]] 
| 7 (VHF) 
| 89
| 
|- 
| [[Sept-Îles, Quebec|Sept-Îles]]
| CBSET
| 3 (VHF) 
| 1,500
|
|- 
| [[Sherbrooke]] 
| CBMT-3
| 50 (UHF) 
| 11,000
| 
|- 
| [[Saint-Augustin, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec|St. Augustin]] (Saguenay) 
| CBMXT
| 7 (VHF) 
| 10
|
|- 
| Saguenay
| CBJET 
| 58 (UHF) 
| 
|
|- 
| [[Thetford Mines]] 
| CBMT-4
| 32
| 1,140
| 
|- 
| [[Trois-Rivières]] 
| CBMT-1
| 28 (UHF) 
| 13,000
| 
|-
| [[Wakeham, Quebec|Wakeham]]
| CBVH-TV
| 24 (UHF) 
| 100
| 
|- 
| [[Waskaganish]]
| CBMHT
| 12 (VHF) 
| 10
| 
|- 
| [[Waswanipi, Quebec|Waswanipi]]
| CBVW-TV
| 10 (VHF) 
| 5
| 
|- 
| [[Wemindji]]
| CBMNT
| 12 (VHF) 
|
| 
|}

===Northeast Ontario===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! City of licence 
! Call sign 
! Channel 
! Notes
|-
| [[Armstrong, Ontario|Armstrong]] 
| CBLIT 
| 10
| Part of the licence for [[CBLT-DT]]/[[Toronto]], but it repeated CBMT's signal.
|-
|}

===Northern Manitoba=== 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! City of licence 
! Call sign 
! Channel 
! ERP 
|- 
| [[Brochet, Manitoba|Brochet]] 
| CBDE-TV
| 9 (VHF) 
| 
|- 
| [[Poplar River, Manitoba|Poplar River]] 
| CBDI-TV
| 13 (VHF) 
| 10 
|- 
| [[Shamattawa]] 
| CBDG-TV
| 9 (VHF) 
| 10 
|- 
|}

==Audience outside Canada==
CBMT also has substantial viewership in the United States, mostly from [[Maine]] to northeastern [[New York (state)|New York]]. It is also seen via cable television in [[Michigan]], northern [[Wisconsin]], and northern [[Minnesota]]; CBMT is the main CBC station for [[Charter Spectrum]] systems in [[Bay City, Michigan|Bay City]], [[Midland, Michigan|Midland]], [[Mount Pleasant, Michigan|Mount Pleasant]], [[Alpena, Michigan|Alpena]] and [[Marquette, Michigan]].

CBMT is also broadcast in [[Jamaica]] and [[Trinidad and Tobago]] on [[Flow (brand)|Flow Cable]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071109162317/http://www.flowjamaica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=133 Flow Jamaica | Welcome – TV, Phone, and Internet Services from Flow]</ref> and in the [[Bahamas]] on [[Cable Bahamas]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cablebahamas.com/television/digital/comparison/index.html |title=Cable Bahamas &#124; Television |access-date=June 11, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604161324/http://www.cablebahamas.com/television/digital/comparison/index.html |archive-date=June 4, 2008 }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of Quebec media]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal CBC Montreal]
* [https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/quebec/quebec-montreal-et-ouest-du-quebec/CBMT-DT CBMT-DT] at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the [[Canadian Communications Foundation]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091027123932/http://geocities.com/tvhatton/mtl-local/cbmt.html CBMT at TV Hat]
*{{RecnetCanada|CBMT}}

{{Montreal TV}}
{{CBC TV stations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cbmt-Dt}}
[[Category:1954 establishments in Quebec]]
[[Category:CBC Television stations|BMT-DT]]
[[Category:English-language mass media in Quebec]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1954]]
[[Category:Television stations in Montreal|BMT-DT]]