CKNX-TV

CKNX-TV
Wingham, Ontario
Branding	A Wingham
Channels	Analog: 8 (VHF) Digital: allocated 62 (UHF)
Affiliations	A
Owner	CTVglobemedia, Inc. (CTV Limited)
First air date	November 18, 1955
Former affiliations	CBC (1955-1988) independent (1988-1998)
Transmitter Power	260 kW
Height	241.7 m
Transmitter Coordinates	44°5′25″N 81°12′26″W / 44.09028, -81.20722
Website	A Wingham

CKNX, is a television station owned by CTVglobemedia which serves mid-western Ontario, Canada. It is part of the A network. The station broadcasts out of Wingham and has offices in Wingham. A bureau in Owen Sound closed down in late 2004.

History

CKNX was built by W. T. "Doc" Cruickshank. It signed on as a CBC Television affiliate on November 18, 1955 and was located in a former high school along with its sister AM radio station CKNX. After going to air, one of their early identification cards displayed the station's mascot, which was a smiling television camera wearing a large cowboy hat.

On March 8, 1962, the building which accommodated the CKNX radio and television stations caught fire. Although nothing could be salvaged, CKNX-TV was on the air again later that night with the help of nearby stations in London, Barrie, Kitchener, and Toronto. CKNX operations continued as such (with various temporary offices set up in Wingham) until they purchased new equipment and moved into a new building in 1963.

In 1964, the station expanded its coverage to Kitchener in response to CKCO's affiliation with CTV. Staffers were required to be more versatile than ever to better compete, giving them well-rounded knowledge for moving up in the industry. For example, the zany host of the noon cartoon program would often become the serious anchor for the 12:30 newscast.

CKNX disaffiliated from the CBC in 1988 and remained an independent station for another ten years until CHUM Limited purchased the station from Baton Broadcasting. Under the ownership of CHUM, the station joined the NewNet system and was accordingly rebranded The New NX.

The New NX's news program, NewsNow, drew the lowest viewership of all NewNet stations (82,000) which is not surprising, since it was in the smallest NewNet market. News programming aired on CKNX is simulcast from CFPL in London, however CKNX viewers still receive a separate 11 p.m. news feed (Monday - Friday) which originates from the CFPL studios.

A-Channel

On August 2, 2005, CKNX was rebranded "A-Channel", along with all of the NewNet Stations. NewsNow at Noon was discontinued a month before the rebrand.

On July 12, 2006, CTV owner CTVglobemedia announced plans to purchase A-Channel owner CHUM Ltd. for $C1.7 billion, with plans to divest itself of the A-Channel and Access Alberta stations^[1].

On April 9, 2007, it was announced that Rogers Communications filed with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to purchase all of the A-Channel stations, including CKNX, CKX-TV, Access Alberta and several cable channels being put up for sale in the wake of CTVglobemedia's pending acquisition of the CHUM group. ^[2]

On June 8, 2007, the CRTC announced its approval of CTVglobemedia's purchase of CHUM Limited, but added a condition that CTVglobemedia must sell off CHUM's Citytv stations to another buyer while keeping the A-Channel stations (including CKNX), in effect cancelling the planned sale of A-Channel to Rogers Media. ^[3]

Today, CKNX is a semi-satellite of CFPL, with the only difference being local advertising.

All of the CHUM Limited channels (with the exception of Citytv) were taken over by CTVglobemedia on June 22, 2007. On July 26, 2007, CTVglobemedia named Richard Gray the head of news for the A-Channel stations and CKX-TV will report to the CTVgm corporate group, not CTV News, to preserve independent news presentation and management. Gray will oversee the news departments for CKVR, CHRO, CFPL, CKNX, CHWI, CIVI-TV and CKX-TV.^[4]

A

On June 2, 2008, CTVglobemedia announced that A-Channel would become known as A as of August 11, 2008. The "A" soft launch has began in June 2008 in A-Channel's press releases and on the station's local newscasts known as A News.^{[5] [6]}

Presenters

Notable CKNX presenters include Marty Adler (host, Uptight/Marty's Place); Brian Allen (anchor, Insight News); Johnny Brent (host/cohost, M'Lady/Circle 8 Ranch/Focus sports); Marg Brophy (hostess, M'Lady); Fred Burton (Insight sports); Jerry Chomyn (anchor, Insight News); Dave Curzon (host, Cartoon House); Crawford Douglas (Focus news/sports); Brian Elmslie (Insight news/weather); Don Fraser (Insight weather), Murray Gaunt (host, Agri-News); Ernie King (host, Circle 8 Ranch/The Great Outdoors); Jim Moore (host, Reach For The Top/Western Roundup); Anna Meyer (hostess, M'Lady/M'Lady's Matinee/The Anna Meyer Show); Kevin Stewart (host, Agri-News/This Business Of Farming); John Strong (anchor, Focus News/The John Strong Report); Jim Swan (host, East Of The Sun).

Successful political careers were launched by former personalities Murray Gaunt, elected Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament for Huron-Bruce (1962-81) and Crawford Douglas, elected Liberal Member of Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound (1974-79).

One of the founding members of Doc's CKNX team was John Strong who headed the news department for 35 years. For many years his show The John Strong Report brought the only daily TV news show to area homes. John also co-hosted the Barn dance in its early days.

Station Presentation

CKNX-TV logo from 1969

CKNX's BBS logo

The New NX Logo

A-Channel logo

References

External links

• A Wingham
• Canadian Communications Foundation - CKNX-TV History
• Query the REC's Canadian station database for CKNX-TV