CKY-TV

CKY-TV
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Branding	CTV
Channels	Analog: 7 (VHF) Digital: allocated 46 (UHF)
Translators	see below
Affiliations	CTV
Owner	CTVglobemedia, Inc. (CTV Television, Inc.)
First air date	November 12, 1960
Former callsigns	CJAY-TV (1960–1973)
Former affiliations	independent (1960-1961)
Transmitter Power	325 kW
Height	284.2 m
Transmitter Coordinates	49°34′48″N 97°10′3″W / 49.58, -97.1675
Website	CTV Winnipeg

CKY-TV (also commonly known as CTV Winnipeg) is a television station based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and owned by CTVglobemedia. It is part of the CTV Television Network.

The station airs the main CTV schedule at the same time as Toronto's CFTO, with some variations. In order to maintain simultaneous substitution rights with the American network affiliates aired on cable in Winnipeg, several of the station's shows air an hour earlier than on most of the CTV schedule. For example, the network's prime time programming airs from 7 to 10 p.m., instead of 8 to 11, followed by eTalk Daily at 10 and Access Hollywood at 10:30. The latter two programs air at 7 and 7:30 p.m. on most other CTV stations. The station also airs The Ellen DeGeneres Show — which airs on CTV's secondary A system, rather than on CTV, outside of Manitoba and Saskatchewan — instead of Live with Regis and Kelly.

CKY was also the call letters of two Winnipeg radio stations. CKY (AM) was founded in 1923 by Manitoba Government Telephones. In 1948 the station was purchased by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation which changed its call letters to CBW. In 1949 the CKY call letters were reassigned to a new AM station in Winnipeg, owned by Moffat Broadcasting Ltd which also founded CJAY television in 1960 and CKY-FM in 1962.

History

CKY was founded as independent station CJAY on November 12, 1960, joining CTV upon the network's launch on October 1, 1961. When CJAY launched, its broadcast day ran from 5:30 p.m. until around midnight daily. Its local newscasts were originally broadcast from 7:15 to 7:30, and 10:30 to 10:55 weeknights. The early newscast was part of a longer program known as "Panorama 7", which ran from 5:30 to 7:30 and consisted of cartoons and other children's features, a weather report, and news.

On June 1, 1973, the station's call sign was changed to CKY-TV to match Moffat's AM and FM stations, making it one of the only two Canadian TV stations, the other being CKX-TV, with three-letter call signs (incidentally, as of 2007, both stations are now owned by the same company for the first time ever). In 1992 Moffat sold CKY-AM and CKY-FM (subsequently CITI) to Rogers Communications while maintaining ownership of the television station.

CKY's former logo (2001-2005). As of October 2005 logos with the stations' callsigns are no longer used on CTV stations; instead they all use the main CTV logo.

In August 1992, General Manager Vaughn Tozer hired Jim Wicks, a Canadian-American broadcaster to be the main anchor and managing editor. Tozer and Wicks re-organized the newsroom and the on-air team to help accomplish their goal. Within three ratings periods, the newscast had climbed from 3rd place to 1st place, replacing CBWT's 24 Hours as the highest-rated newscast in Winnipeg. At one point the newscast was advertised on billboards throughout the city as Wicks at 6. The on-air chemistry between Wicks and Sports Director Steve Vogelsang was unique in broadcasting, adding to the popularity of the program. Although the personalities have since changed on several occasions, the station's newscast has remained Manitoba's #1 newscast, increasing its lead in recent years due in part to the demise of CHMI's newscasts and budget cuts at CBWT. Currently, CKY has a monopoly on local newscasts weekdays at noon and late night weekends.

In 2001, Moffat Broadcasting was purchased by Shaw Cablesystems, which was not interested in CKY or its sister cable station, WTN. CKY was purchased by CTVglobemedia, while WTN was purchased by Corus Entertainment, moved to Toronto, and became W Network. Now a CTV owned-and-operated station, promos on CKY became similar to the other CTV O&Os.

As of October 3, 2005, the newscasts on CKY were branded as CTV News.

Current CKY-TV facilities on Graham Avenue

On May 15, 2006, the station's studios moved to a new facility near Winnipeg's MTS Centre. This move was mostly caused by recent retail developments in the area, which includes the Polo Park Shopping Centre, and the likelihood that CKY's studios were bought off by developers who would use the space for additional retail opportunities. The recent demolition of Winnipeg Arena and the possible development of a new football stadium to replace Canad Inns Stadium would have likely placed the broadcasting facility in an awkward position of being surrounded by retail developments, making their property more valuable.

Another likely reason for the move is that CKY had more space than it needed. With WTN, 92 CITI FM, and 102 Clear FM moving to new studios in recent years, plus the reduction of local, in-studio programming on CKY-TV since 1991, a new, although smaller, facility suited CKY-TV's needs.

In recent years, CKY has allowed studio space to be rented for third-party productions, including the locally produced film Blue State.

CKY's new studios uses state-of-the-art technology, and virtually nothing was moved from the old studios to the new facility. The existing news set was moved to CFQC, the CTV affiliate in Saskatoon, and some technical equipment was sent to CTV's Quebec City bureau.

Transmitters

Newscast titles

• Panorama 7 (1960-1978)
• The 18th Hour (1978-1988)
• CKY Newshour (1988-1993)
• Channel 5 Newshour (1993-1998)
• CKY5 News (1998-2001)
• CKY News (2001-2005)
• CTV News (2005-present}

Current CKY-TV personalities

• Maralee Caruso & Gord LeClerc (Noon and Six Co-Anchors)
• Susan Tymofichuk (11:30 PM Anchor)
• Sylvia Kuzyk & Jordan Witzel (Weather)
• Shawn Churchill, Leah Hextall & Kevin Olszewski (Sports)
• Kelly Dehn (Crime Watch)
• Eleanor Coopsammy (Consumer Watch)
• Caroline Barghout (Weekend Anchor)
• Joe Olafson (Political Reporter)
• Stacey Ashley (Reporter)
• Jon Hendricks (Reporter)
• Rachel Lagace (Reporter)
• Marni Kagan (Reporter)

Former CKY-TV personalities

• Jeff Bollenbach, former news director and current news director of Global Calgary.
• Bob Burns, former host of CJAY's Teen Dance Party
• Stu Fawcett, former news director and news anchor of CKY Newshour.
• Janet Stewart, co-anchor of CTV News Winnipeg from 2001–November, 2006. (now found on CBC News at Six)
• Bob Swartz, former host of children's variety show Archie and His Friends (1965–1986)
• Shelly Swirski, former anchor CKY News in the mid-1980s.
• Ray Torgrud, former station announcer and former host of Ray Torgrud's World
• 'Cactus' Jack Wells, CJAY sports anchor till 1974
• Paul White, former co-anchor of CKY News during the 1970s and 1980s.
• Peter Young, former CKY-TV sports anchor (1970s)
• Jim Wicks, Anchor and Managing Editor (1992–1994)
• Steve Vogelsang, Sports Anchor
• Barbara-Lee Edwards, Anchor (1995-2001).
• John Sauder, Meteorologist (1995-2007).

References

External links

• CTV Winnipeg
• Canadian Communications Foundation - CKY-TV History
• Query the REC's Canadian station database for CKY-TV