CHCH

CHCH is a television station in Hamilton, Ontario that is part of the CH system.

Related Topics:
Television station - Hamilton, Ontario - CH

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CHCH began broadcasting in 1954 as a CBC affiliate. In 1961, CHCH disaffiliated from the CBC and became an independent station. They wanted to produce a larger amount of local programming, instead of being forced to carry CBC programming. They were the first independent anglophone television station in Canada.

Related Topics:
1954 - CBC - 1961

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

WIC purchased CHCH in 1990, and in 1997 CHCH's signal expanded to cover all of Ontario, although it had been available on cable in many Ontario markets for many years. WIC then rebranded the station OnTV, representing the station's expanded coverage but also to match the naming pattern of its other stations (such as BCTV, ITV, RDTV, etc.) During the OnTV years, the station aired WIC's nightly Canada Tonight newscast.

Related Topics:
WIC - 1990 - 1997 - Canada Tonight

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2000, CanWest purchased WIC and assumed control of its stations. Since a Global station (Toronto's CIII) already broadcasts to Hamilton, CanWest rebranded the station CH on February 12, 2001, starting a secondary television system for its stations in medium-sized markets that wouldn't fit in the Global network.

Related Topics:
2000 - CanWest - Global - Toronto - CIII - February 12 - 2001

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some cablesystems outside of Ontario carry CHCH as a "superstation". CHCH is still available throughout most of Ontario; however, it cannot broadcast to Thunder Bay, Peterborough, Oshawa or Kingston because of complaints made to local cablesystems by other local stations.

Related Topics:
Ontario - Thunder Bay - Peterborough - Oshawa - Kingston

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On June 7, 2004, CHCH-TV celebrated 50 years on the air. On this date at 8:00 pm, which was the official date and time CHCH went on the air for the first time, CH aired a documentary profiling the station history, which was entitled The First 50 Years: A Half Century of CH and it was hosted by CH's Matt Hayes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Notable personalities associated with the station have included Brian Linehan, Jennifer Mossop and Jane Hawtin. The station has also produced a number of important Canadian syndicated series, including The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, Me & Max and Smith & Smith. Hamilton native Martin Short also had his first television appearance on CHCH.

Related Topics:
Brian Linehan - Jennifer Mossop - Jane Hawtin - Syndicated - The Hilarious House of Frightenstein - Me & Max - Smith & Smith - Martin Short

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~