View source for CITO-TV

{{Short description|Television station in Timmins}}
{{redirect|CITO|other uses|Cito (disambiguation)}}
{{update|date=January 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = CITO-TV
| logo = CTV logo 2018.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| branding = {{ubl|[[CTV Northern Ontario]] (general)|''[[CTV News]] [[Northern Ontario]]'' (newscasts)}}
| analog = 3 ([[VHF]])
| translators = ''see {{Section link||Transmitters}}''
| network = CTV Northern Ontario
| affiliations = [[CTV Television Network|CTV]]
| airdate = {{start date and age|1971|4|1|p=y}}
| location = [[Timmins]], Ontario
| country = Canada
| callsign_meaning = CI Timmins, Ontario
| former_callsigns = CKSO-TV-2 (1971–1980)
| owner = [[Bell Media Inc.]]
| erp = 100 [[kW]]
| haat = {{convert|147.6|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| coordinates = {{coord|48|32|49|N|80|57|9|W|type:landmark}}
| licensing_authority = [[CRTC]]
| website = {{URL|https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca|CTV Northern Ontario}}
}}

'''CITO-TV''' ([[analog television|analog]] channel 3) is a [[television station]] in [[Timmins]], Ontario, Canada, [[owned and operated]] by the [[CTV Television Network]], a division of [[Bell Media]]. The station's studios are located on Pine Street North (near Hendry Avenue) in Timmins, and its transmitter is near [[Ontario Highway 101|Highway 101]] (just west of Connaught Road). It also operates rebroadcasters in [[Kapuskasing]] (channel 10), [[Kirkland Lake]] (channel 11, also serving [[Rouyn-Noranda]], Quebec), [[Hearst, Ontario|Hearst]] (channel 4) and [[Chapleau, Ontario|Chapleau]] (channel 9).

CITO-TV is part of the [[CTV Northern Ontario]] [[television system|sub-system]]. It essentially operates as a ''de facto'' [[semi-satellite]] of [[CICI-TV]] in [[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]], running the same programming as that station at all times (except for certain commercials and regional news inserts during its newscasts).

==History==

CITO was established April 1, 1971, as CKSO-TV-2, originally rebroadcasting [[CICI-TV|CKSO]] in [[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]]. Unlike CKSO and [[CKNY]] in [[North Bay, Ontario|North Bay]], which were established in the 1950s as [[CBC Television|CBC]] affiliates and then reaffiliated with CTV in 1971 when [[J. Conrad Lavigne]] established new CBC stations in those markets; in Timmins, Lavigne's existing station [[CFCL-TV|CFCL]] retained its CBC affiliation and CTV service was provided by a rebroadcast transmitter of CKSO.

Until 1980, CKSO-2 and CFCL aggressively competed with each other for advertising dollars, leaving both in a precarious financial position due to the Timmins market's relatively small size. In 1980, the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC) approved the merger of Cambrian Broadcasting and Lavigne's Mid-Canada Communications into the [[Mid-Canada Communications|MCTV]] [[duopoly (broadcasting)#Canada|twinstick]]. The station's callsign changed to CITO-TV at that time and it began operating as a standalone station.

In 1990, the stations were acquired by [[Baton Broadcast System|Baton Broadcasting]]. Baton subsequently became the sole corporate owner of CTV, and sold CFCL to the CBC in 2002.

==Transmitters==
{| class="wikitable"
! Station
! [[City of licence]]
! [[channel (broadcasting)|Channel]]
! [[effective radiated power|ERP]]
! [[HAAT]]
! Transmitter coordinates
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
! scope = "row" | CITO-TV-1
| [[Kapuskasing]]
| 10 ([[VHF]])
| 17.5&nbsp;kW
| 102.5 m
| {{coord|49|23|28|N|82|21|27|W|type:landmark|name=CITO-TV-1}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
! scope = "row" | CITO-TV-2
| [[Kearns, Ontario|Kearns]]
| 11 ([[VHF]])
| 325&nbsp;kW
| 211.2 m
| {{coord|48|8|8|N|79|33|19|W|type:landmark|name=CITO-TV-2}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
! scope = "row" | CITO-TV-3
| [[Hearst, Ontario|Hearst]]
| 4 ([[VHF]])
| 7.11&nbsp;kW
| 165 m
| {{coord|49|38|50|N|83|30|50|W|type:landmark|name=CITO-TV-3}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
! scope = "row" | CITO-TV-4
| [[Chapleau, Ontario|Chapleau]]
| 9 ([[VHF]])
| 1.55&nbsp;kW
| 131.4 m
| {{coord|47|51|15|N|83|25|8|W|type:landmark|name=CITO-TV-4}}
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
|}

These and many other CTV [[broadcast translator|rebroadcasters]] nationwide were to shut down on or before August 31, 2009, as part of a political dispute with Canadian authorities on paid [[fee-for-carriage]] requirements for [[cable television]] operators.<ref>[http://www.ctv.ca/generic/WebSpecials/pdf/CTVCORP/AppendixB_ListofTransmitters.pdf CTV list of transmitters to be shut down] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111224110406/http://www.ctv.ca/generic/WebSpecials/pdf/CTVCORP/AppendixB_ListofTransmitters.pdf |date=December 24, 2011 }}</ref> A subsequent change in ownership assigned full control of [[CTVglobemedia]] to [[Bell Media]]; as of 2011, these transmitters remain in normal licensed broadcast operation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2011/r110727.htm |title=CRTC renews licences of most English-language television services: New licence terms to bolster funding for original Canadian programs |access-date=June 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005063255/http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2011/r110727.htm |archive-date=October 5, 2012 }}</ref>

On February 11, 2016, Bell Media applied for its regular license renewals, which included applications to delete a long list of transmitters, including CITO-TV-3 and CITO-TV-4. Bell Media's rationale for deleting these analog repeaters is below:

<blockquote>
"We are electing to delete these analog transmitters from the main licence with which they are associated. These analog transmitters generate no incremental revenue, attract little to no viewership given the growth of BDU or DTH subscriptions and are costly to maintain, repair or replace. In addition, none of the highlighted transmitters offer any programming that differs from the main channels. The Commission has determined that broadcasters may elect to shut down transmitters but will lose certain regulatory privileges (distribution on the basic service, the ability to request simultaneous substitution) as noted in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015–24, Over-the-air transmission of television signals and local programming. We are fully aware of the loss of these regulatory privileges as a result of any transmitter shutdown."
</blockquote>

At the same time, Bell Media applied to convert the licenses of [[CTV2 Atlantic]] (formerly ASN) and [[CTV2 Alberta]] (formerly ACCESS) from satellite-to-cable undertakings into television stations without transmitters (similar to cable-only network affiliates in the United States), and to reduce the level of educational content on CTV2 Alberta.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://services.crtc.gc.ca/pub/DocWebBroker/OpenDocument.aspx?AppNo=201600122&_ga=1.139397107.1388147273.1466830064 | title=The Runtime Service cannot communicate with Entitlements Service }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2016/2016-225.htm|title=Notice of hearing – 22 to 24 November 2016 – Laval, Quebec – 28 November to 2 December 2016 – Gatineau, Quebec – Renewal of television licences held by large English- and French-language ownership groups|first=Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|last=(CRTC)|website=crtc.gc.ca|date=June 15, 2016|access-date=April 18, 2018}}</ref>

On July 30, 2019, Bell Media was granted permission to close down an additional transmitter as part of Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2019-268. The transmitter for CITO-TV-2 will be shut down by December 3, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2019/2019-268.htm|title=CRTC Decision 2019-268|date=July 30, 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca CTV Northern Ontario]
*[https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/ontario/ontario-northern/CITO-TV CITO-TV] at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the [[Canadian Communications Foundation]]
*{{RecnetCanada|CITO-TV}}
{{Bell Media}}
{{Ontario TV}}
{{CTV Stations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cito-Tv}}
[[Category:1971 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:CTV Television Network stations|ITO-TV]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1971]]
[[Category:Television stations in Timmins|ITO-TV]]