Branding ICI Saskatchewan Owner Société Radio-Canada | Affiliations Ici Radio-Canada Télé First air date November 8, 1976 | |
Slogan ICI Radio-Canada Télé, c'est ma télé Channels Digital: 13 (VHF)
Virtual: 13.1 (PSIP) | ||
CBKFT-DT, VHF channel 13, is a Ici Radio-Canada Télé owned-and-operated television station located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The station is owned by the Société Radio-Canada arm of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as part of a twinstick with CBC Television outlet CBKT-DT (channel 9), CBC Radio One station CBK (540 AM) and CBC Radio 2 station CBK-FM (96.9 FM). All four stations share studios at the CBC Regina Broadcast Centre at 2440 Broad Street in Downtown Regina, CBKFT's transmitter is located near McDonald Street/Highway 46, just northeast of Regina proper.
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History
CBKFT was licensed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on June 9, 1975 and launched on November 8, 1976 by the CBC as a rebroadcaster of CBWFT in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with reception in both Regina and Saskatoon (though reception in Saskatoon was initially spotty, with the city not receiving CBKFT's complete broadcast schedule at first). In 1985, CBKFT was granted a license with 11 new transmitters and began operating as its own television station separate from CBWFT.
Initially the station was based solely out of Regina, but it now has studio facilities in the Hutchinson Building in Saskatoon; the same building as the now-defunct English language CBC affiliate CBKST, which closed in July 2012.
Transmitters
CBKFT operated 12 analog over-the-air television rebroadcasters broadcasting in Saskatchewan. Due to federal funding reductions to the CBC, in April 2012, the CBC responded with substantial budget cuts, which included shutting down CBC's and Radio-Canada's remaining analog transmitters on July 31, 2012. None of CBC or Radio-Canada's television rebroadcasters were converted to digital.
Analogue-to-digital conversion
On August 31, 2011, when Canadian television stations in CRTC-designated mandatory markets transitioned from analogue to digital broadcasts, CBKFT flash cut its digital signal into operation on VHF channel 13 in order for those repeaters/stations to avoid interference from the Regina and Saskatoon stations. Through the use of PSIP, television receivers will list CBKFT-DT's virtual channel number as 13.1.
CBC had originally decided that none of its rebroadcasters will transition to digital. Also, the CBC had originally planned to not convert any non-originating stations in mandatory markets to digital, which would have forced CBKFT-1 in Saskatoon to sign off on the transition date. On August 16, 2011, the CRTC granted the CBC permission to continue operating 22 repeaters in mandatory markets, including CBKFT-1, in analogue until August 31, 2012, by which time the transmitter had to convert to digital or shut down.