CBWT-DT

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Television station in Manitoba, Canada

title: "CBWT-DT" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1954-establishments-in-manitoba", "cbc-television-stations", "television-channels-and-stations-established-in-1954", "television-stations-in-winnipeg"] description: "Television station in Manitoba, Canada" topic_path: "arts/film" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBWT-DT" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Television station in Manitoba, Canada ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox television station"]

FieldValue
callsignCBWT-DT
logoCBWT-DT 2017.svg
logo_size220px
branding
digital27 (UHF)
virtual6
affiliationsCBC Television
airdate
locationWinnipeg, Manitoba
countryCanada
callsign_meaningCBC Winnipeg Television
former_callsignsCBWT (1954–2011)
former_channel_numbersAnalogue: 4 (VHF, 1954–1958), 3 (VHF, 1958–1964), 6 (VHF, 1964–2011)
ownerCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
sister_stationsCBW, CBW-FM, CKSB-10-FM, CKSB-FM, CBWFT-DT
former_affiliationsParamount Television Network (secondary, 1954–1956)
erp42 kW
haat138.6 m
coordinates
licensing_authorityCRTC
website
::

| callsign = CBWT-DT | city = | logo = CBWT-DT 2017.svg | logo_size = 220px | branding = | digital = 27 (UHF) | virtual = 6 | translators = | subchannels = | affiliations = CBC Television | airdate = | location = Winnipeg, Manitoba | country = Canada | callsign_meaning = CBC Winnipeg Television | former_callsigns = CBWT (1954–2011) | former_channel_numbers = Analogue: 4 (VHF, 1954–1958), 3 (VHF, 1958–1964), 6 (VHF, 1964–2011) | owner = Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | licensee = | sister_stations = CBW, CBW-FM, CKSB-10-FM, CKSB-FM, CBWFT-DT | former_affiliations = Paramount Television Network (secondary, 1954–1956) | erp = 42 kW | haat = 138.6 m | coordinates = | licensing_authority = CRTC | website =

CBWT-DT (channel 6, cable 2) is a CBC Television station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It has common ownership with Ici Radio-Canada Télé station CBWFT-DT (channel 3). The two stations share studios on Portage Avenue and Young Street in Downtown Winnipeg; CBWT-DT's transmitter is located near Red Coat Trail/Highway 2 in Macdonald.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Cbcwinnipeg_building2010.png" caption="CBC Winnipeg Building at 541 Portage Avenue"] ::

Planning for CBWT started in November 1952, when the Government of Canada announced its intention of setting up a television station in Winnipeg. The station was announced by J. R. Finlay at a Cosmopolitan Club meeting at the Marlborough Hotel on September 16, 1953. At the time, the station was projected to become western Canada's first television station (before Vancouver's CBUT), but was delayed. There was an entry for CBWT in the 1953 MTS telephone book. In September 1953, CBC Winnipeg moved into a new 50000 sqft facility at 541 Portage Avenue.

A few months later, on May 31, 1954, CBWT began as a bilingual station on channel 4 with an effective radiated power of 60,000 watts. In the same year KXJB-TV began broadcasting on channel 4 from Fargo, North Dakota, and there were concerns of interference between the two stations. CBWT's first equipment consisted of an RCA Victor TT10AL transmitter and a 196 ft six-section Super Turnstile Type TF-6AM antenna, located atop the station's roof.

One of CBWT's first large mobile production was Ice Revue, broadcast from the Winnipeg Winter Club in March 1956. However, the equipment was different and there were complains of television receivers becoming stuck in the vertical or horizontal hold when the mobile unit switched cameras. Older tube-television sets had a sync generator which was blamed for the reception problem.

On September 30, 1956, the station connected to the Trans-Canada Microwave Relay System, which allowed Winnipeggers to watch CBC Television programming on the same day it was broadcast in Toronto and Montreal. To celebrate this link, CBC Television produced a special one-hour program, Along the Tower Trail, the Winnipeg segment featured a view of the CPR's Marshalling Yards, the Saint Boniface Cathedral, a prairie harvest clip, and a musical piece sung by the Andrew Mynarski School choir. By late 1957, it was decided to move CBWT from channel 4 to channel 3. The changeover occurred in April 1958.

Eye-To-Eye was a weekly local current affairs program broadcast from 10:15 to 11 p.m. every Tuesday and was the predecessor to 24Hours. It debuted on October 20, 1959, and was similar in style to Close-Up on the national network. The first topics covered were: "The Slums of Winnipeg", "Civic Politics – A Sick Joke" and "Interview – Two Young Ladies". Eye-To-Eye was produced by Ken Black and Warner Troyer.

On April 24, 1960, the station became English-only, while French programming moved to the newly launched CBWFT. At the same time two video tape recorders, worth $75,000 each, were installed at the station to replace the kinescope system used previously. The local version of Reach for the Top debuted in 1962 and was hosted by Bill Guest, alternately by Ernie Nairn. The program ran until 1985.

On November 16, 1964, CBWT swapped channels with CBWFT and higher-powered transmitters were installed on a new 1064 ft antenna mast near Starbuck, Manitoba. This enabled reception as far as 113 km away, and improved reception in the towns of Portage la Prairie, Gimli, Carman, Winkler, Morden, Morris, Letellier, Emerson, Altona, and Dominion City. It continues to be the tallest free-standing structure in the province. The move to VHF channel 6 also permitted people in the coverage area to hear the English feed's audio on FM radios tuned to 87.7; this option was no longer available after the station shifted to digital and shut down the analogue transmitter.

There was a large National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET) strike throughout the CBC organization in the spring of 1981, and production of 24Hours was halted. Strike action began at 10:30 p.m. on May 3. Shortly after the Mulroney government came to power in 1984, they made major cuts to the CBC, and as a result, 86 staff members were let go at CBWT. A second round of major cuts in December 1990, had a negative effect on local production, especially on the resources of 24Hours.

On February 27, 1997, CBC Manitoba announced that it would update and expand its studio facilities by 2,700 m2 at a cost of $2.8 million. In 1998, CBC Manitoba's newsroom and studios were expanded into a new building, after essentially using portables and an abandoned church for many years. The new studio featured a window looking down onto Portage. It was one of the first CBC stations to transition to a new digital Betacam SX format. The first television broadcast from the new studio occurred on Monday, September 21, 1998.

Previous programs produced at CBWT include Fred Penner's Place, It's a Living, and Disclosure.

Programming

CBWT is CBC Television's flagship station for the Central Time Zone, airing the main CBC schedule one hour after stations in the Eastern Time Zone. This differs from other Canadian television networks, whose Eastern and Central time zones stations air programs simultaneously.

Country Canada, CountryWide and a local edition of CBC News at Six (formerly the local segment of CBC News: Canada Now from 2000 to 2006 and 24Hours from 1970 to 2000) have been produced at CBWT. In addition, The National has an investigative unit based at the station.

Local programming

Country Canada was one of the longest-running programs in Canadian television history and is broadcast nationally. It began as Country Calendar in 1954. The program name was carried over to a new digital specialty channel called CBC Country Canada, which first launched in September 2001. Spotlight was one of CBWT's first news interview programs, which aired Monday through Saturdays between 7:15 and 7:30 p.m.

3's Company was a local program broadcast in the early 1960s, hosted by Mary Liz Bayer, Bill Guest, and Jose Poneira, and similar to Living Winnipeg. Bayer had become the host of her own show, The Mary Liz Show, one year earlier. The Medicine Show was a local production shown nationally from January 1980 to August 1982. Show Business, hosted by Tom McCulloch, and Ten O'Clock Live, a music program from a local bar, were produced by CBWT in 1981.

In Search of the Perfect Summer was a summertime series produced by Sean Sullivan and was co-hosted by Anne Harding and Laurie Mustard in the 1982 season. It was nominated Best Variety Program on Television in the 1982 Winnipeg Broadcast Awards. Mustard won Best Host/Interviewer for the series.

Between 1983 and 1986, Mustard hosted the Winnipeg edition of a Sunday morning program for kids called Switchback. By 1989, the Winnipeg program was cancelled and amalgamated with the CBKT Regina edition of Switchback, contributing a portion of the program content.

The end of regional non-news programming came in 2000–01, when Breakaway, a program profiling Manitoba towns which had aired since June 1987, was canceled in a round of CBC budget cuts. Co-host Sandi Coleman went on to host the morning program on CBC Radio One Yukon.

CBWT broadcast Living Winnipeg, another regional non-news program, weekdays from January 15, 2007, until the program was cancelled across the network in 2009.

News operation

As of March 2024, CBWT-DT broadcasts 5 hours of locally produced newscasts each week. CBWT airs a 60-minute supper hour newscast from 6 to 7 p.m. CBC Radio One's Information Radio program is also simulcast on CBC Television weekdays from 6 to 7 a.m. CBWT-DT used to produce a 10-minute summary at 11 p.m. on weeknights, however as of March 2024, the station now airs a rebroadcast of the 6 p.m. newscast at 11 p.m.

The first big news story CBWT covered was on June 8, 1954, about one week after the station opened, when the Time Building at 333 Portage Avenue caught fire. The Time Building was across from the Eaton's building.

IMTVAt one time, Western Manitoba Broadcasters (a subsidiary of Craig Media) and CBC Manitoba had an agreement where the Dauphin retransmitter (CBWST 8) would carry a local newscast in place of the Winnipeg news, under the branding of Intermountain Television (IMTV). The program was called IMTV The Report and was broadcast at 5:30 p.m. in the 1980s and 1990s.

News at Noon was CBWT's half-hour news program that ran until January 1985, when the network program Midday took the timeslot. It had been previously called Noon Hour, which was a 60-minute program. Midday ran until 2000, but local news programming has not returned during the noon hour. 24Hours, an hour-long news and current affairs program, had run from 1970 to 2000.

On January 5, 2024, longtime CBC Manitoba meteorologist John Sauder signed off for the final time. Sauder had been with the CBC for 16 years, joining in 2008 from rival broadcaster CKY-TV.

On April 5, 2024, weeknight anchor Janet Stewart announced she would be leaving the television broadcast for a year to host Radio Noon on CBC Radio One. In May 2024, the corporation announced that Brittany Greenslade would host the 6 p.m. broadcast for one year.

Notable current on-air staff

Notable former on-air staff

Notable former on-air staff of IMTV

Technical information

::data[format=table title="Subchannel of CBWT-DT{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=CBWT#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for CBWT|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=June 8, 2024}}"]

ChannelRes.AspectShort nameProgramming6.1
720p16:9CBC Television
::

Analogue-to-digital conversion

CBWT switched from analogue to digital television broadcasting on December 9, 2011, from its Winnipeg transmitter atop the Richardson Building. There had been several delays in the switchover, due to issues involving antenna erection. CBWT's former analog transmitter was located southwest of Winnipeg at . CBWT's digital signal operates on UHF channel 27. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display CBWT's virtual channel as 6.1.

Former transmitters

CBWT operated approximately 50 analogue television rebroadcasters throughout the province of Manitoba (e.g. The Pas and Thompson), the Central Time Zone portion of Northern Ontario (e.g. Kenora), and portions of 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 analogue transmitters on July 31, 2012. None of CBC or Radio-Canada's rebroadcasters were converted to digital.

CBWT began extending its signal using various methods, beginning in June 1962 with CBWBT in Flin Flon and CBWBT-1 in The Pas using kinescope recordings from CBWT. Later on, CBTA in Lynn Lake became part of the Frontier Coverage Package in September 1967. From 1968 onwards, CBWT used the province-wide microwave system to provide live television signals.

At one time, CBWAT in Kenora offered separate local news programming from CBWT, which was discontinued in 1979–80 when CJBN-TV went on the air.

Manitoba

::data[format=table] | author= |title=TV & Cable Factbook |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Warren Communications News |edition=56th |page=B-140 |date=1988 }} | Call sign | Channel | ERP (W) | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | Baldy Mountain (Dauphin) | CBWST | 8 (VHF) | 120,000 | Began operation on June 19, 1960 | | Churchill | CHFC-TV | 8 (VHF) | 8.9 | author= |title=Television Factbook |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Warren Communications News |edition=42nd |pages=985–b, 986-b |date=1972 }} | | Cross Lake | CBWNT | 12 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Easterville | CBWHT-2 | 11 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Fairford | CBWGT-2 | 11 (VHF) | 2,000 | | | Fisher Branch | CBWGT | 10 (VHF) | 27,400 | author= |title=TV & Cable Factbook |date=1967 |publisher=Warren Communications News |edition=37th |location=Washington, D.C. |page=869–b}} https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/Television-Factbook-1967-Page-Range-Guide.htm | | Flin Flon | CBWBT | 10 (VHF) | 68 | Began operation June 8, 1962 | | Gillam | CBWLT | 8 (VHF) | 5 | Began operation October 3, 1969 | | Gods Lake Narrows | CBWXT | 13 (VHF) | 2,400 | | | Grand Rapids | CBWHT | 8 (VHF) | 5 | Began operation November 29, 1968 | | Jackhead | CBWGT-15 | 5 (VHF) | 3,400 | Began operation June 7, 1977 | | Lac de Bonnet | CBWT-2 | 4 (VHF) | 8,400 | Began operation May 27, 1968 | | Leaf Rapids | CBWQT | 13 (VHF) | 260 | | | Little Grand Rapids | CBWZT | 9 (VHF) | 230 | | | Lynn Lake | CBWRT | 8 (VHF) | 8.9 | Began operation as CBTA-TV on September 18, 1967 | | Mafeking | CBWYT | 2 (VHF) | 4,000 | | | Manigotagan | CBWGT-3 | 22 (UHF) | 151 | | | McCusker Lake | CBWUT | 10 (VHF) | 240 | | | Moose Lake | CBWIT-1 | 9 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Nelson House | CBWPT | 11 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Norway House | CBWOT | 9 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Oxford House | CBWVT | 8 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Pickle Lake | CBWDT-6 | 7 (VHF) | 5 | | | Pikangikum | CBWDT-5 | 9 (VHF) | | | | Piney | CBWT-3 | 29 (UHF) | 25,000 | | | Pukatawagan | CBWBT-1 | 11 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Red Lake | CBWET | 10 (VHF) | 570 | | | Snow Lake | CBWKT | 8 (VHF) | 5 | Began operation on February 22, 1969 | | South Indian Lake | CBWQT-1 | 10 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | The Pas | CBWIT | 7 (VHF) | 288 | Formerly CBWBT-1; began operation June 13, 1962 | | Thompson | CBWTT | 7 (VHF) | 296 | Began operation April 1, 1965 | | Wabowden | CBWMT | 10 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Wassagomach | CBWWT | 9 (VHF) | 3,400 | | ::

Northwest Ontario

::data[format=table] | City of licence | Call sign | Channel | ERP (W) | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | Atikokan | CBWCT-1 | 7 (VHF) | 2,800 | Began broadcasting November 3, 1964 | | Big Trout Lake | CBWT-1 | 13 (VHF) | 10 | | | Dryden | CBWDT | 9 (VHF) | 8,900 | Began operation March 26, 1963 | | Ear Falls, Ontario | CBWJT | 13 (VHF) | 10 | | | Fort Frances | CBWCT | 5 (VHF) | 50,500 | Began broadcasting July 30, 1964; also served border regions of north-central Minnesota, including International Falls | | Ignace | CBWDT-2 | 13 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Kenora | CBWAT | 8 (VHF) | 8,000 | Began broadcasting December 5, 1959 | | Osnaburgh | CBWDT-4 | 13 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Red Lake | CBWET | 10 (VHF) | 570 | Began broadcasting on July 27, 1954 | | Sandy Lake | CBWDT-7 | 10 (VHF) | 10 | | | Savant Lake | CBWDT-3 | 8 (VHF) | 8.9 | | | Sioux Narrows | CBWAT-1 | 4 (VHF) | 8.9 | | ::

Northeast Saskatchewan

::data[format=table] | City of licence | Call sign | Channel | ERP (W) | |---|---|---|---| | Cumberland House | CBWIT-2 | 9 (VHF) | 8.9 | | Island Falls | CBWBT-2 | 7 (VHF) | 330 | | Pelican Narrows | CBWBT-3 | 5 (VHF) | 13.2 | ::

References

References

  1. Nash, Knowlton. (1994). "The Microphone Wars: A History of Triumph and Betrayal at the CBC". McClelland & Stewart Inc..
  2. (May 29, 1954). "Winnipeg's TV Station Goes Into Action Starting Monday". Winnipeg Free Press.
  3. (September 16, 1953). "TV To Storm City Homes In Winter". Winnipeg Free Press.
  4. (May 6, 1958). "Winnipeg Is Hub of CBC System". Winnipeg Free Press.
  5. Henry, Ann. (June 1, 1954). "CBWT Makes A Triumphant Debut Here: Two Years Of Plans Pays Off". The Winnipeg Tribune.
  6. Finlay, J. R.. (May 30, 1954). "Television ... Another CBC Service". CBC Times.
  7. (May 29, 1954). "Winnipeg Fears Valley City TV Will Fog Theirs". Bismarck Tribune.
  8. (May 31, 1954). "CBWT-Manitoba's First Television Station goes on the air with RCA Victor". Winnipeg Tribune.
  9. (May 31, 1989). "24Hours LateNight: CBWT's 35th Anniversary Look Back". CBWT (CBC).
  10. (March 14, 1956). "Tv Flip-Flop? Here's an Answer". Winnipeg Free Press.
  11. "CBC Archive – 1956 – Micro-wave of the future". CBC News.
  12. (September 29, 1956). "Opening Show Hops Half A Continent". Winnipeg Free Press.
  13. (November 20, 1957). "CBWT To Switch TV Channel In New Year". Winnipeg Free Press.
  14. (October 20, 1959). "CBWT Turns It's 'Eye-To-Eye' On Manitoba". Winnipeg Free Press.
  15. (April 26, 1960). "Viewers To Get Choice Of Channels This Year". Winnipeg Free Press.
  16. Jager, Manfred. "Reach for the Top Returning to TV". Winnipeg Free Press.
  17. (April 15, 1964). "October Set As Target Date For Change In CBC Channels". Winnipeg Free Press – TV-Radio.
  18. (November 5, 1964). "CBWT Will Switch to Channel 6". Winnipeg Free Press.
  19. (May 4, 1981). "CBC Struck, pickets out in Winnipeg". Winnipeg Free Press.
  20. (December 12, 1984). "CBC Manitoba loses 86 staff jobs in province". Winnipeg Free Press.
  21. MacKenzie, Glen. (January 27, 1997). "CBC to erect new quarters, combine into two buildings". Winnipeg Free Press.
  22. (June 2, 1954). "Here's A Week Of TV Viewing". Winnipeg Free Press.
  23. (February 6, 1961). "February 1961 National Electrical Week". Winnipeg Free Press.
  24. McIlroy, Randal. (May 9, 1981). "Local TV is in 'slow lane'". Winnipeg Free Press.
  25. MacKinnon, Marilyn. (September 27, 1982). "Broadcast awards nominees selected". Winnipeg Free Press.
  26. MacKinnon, Marilyn. (October 6, 1982). "Awards show goes on despite technical snafus". Winnipeg Free Press.
  27. (June 12, 1987). "Coleman new co-host for CBC's Breakaway". Winnipeg Free Press.
  28. (October 28, 1993). "Spirit of Breakaway rises: Coleman starts new series of folksy features". Winnipeg Free Press.
  29. (September 8, 2015). "Program Guide".
  30. "Weekly Schedule". CBC.
  31. MacPherson, Bill. (June 8, 1954). "City's Greatest Fire". The Winnipeg Tribune.
  32. (April 6, 1989). "CRTC Decision 89–114".
  33. (April 6, 1989). "CRTC Decision 89–111".
  34. (July 31, 1984). "Terhoch cautious about noon news". Winnipeg Free Press.
  35. Floyd, Donald. (June 13, 1977). "Tough training pays off for CBC's Murray Parker". Winnipeg Free Press.
  36. Bernhardt, Darren. (January 5, 2024). "CBC's John Sauder calls for low pressure, more relaxation as sun sets on 39-year career".
  37. (May 27, 2024). "CBC MANITOBA ANNOUNCES NEW HOST FOR NEWS AT SIX".
  38. (September 21, 2022). "Former CBC Manitoba host running to be next grand chief of Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs".
  39. "RabbitEars TV Query for CBWT".
  40. CBC (n.d.), "[http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/dtv/Winnipeg_CBC.shtml CBC Television Winnipeg] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-11-21 " at cbc.radio-canada.ca, accessed 2011-10-04, December 9, 2011.)
  41. [http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/media-centre/2012/04/04/ Speaking notes for Hubert T. Lacroix regarding measures announced in the context of the Deficit Reduction Action Plan]
  42. (April 29, 1969). "Microwave Hook-Up Gives North Live TV". Winnipeg Free Press.
  43. . (1988). "TV & Cable Factbook". *Warren Communications News*.
  44. [http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/_files/cbcrc/documents/analogue-tv/analogue-transmitters-emetteurs-analogiques.pdf “Microsoft Word - Analogue transmitters - emetteurs analogiques.docx”] {{Webarchive. link. (January 3, 2018 . [[CBC/Radio-Canada]]. Retrieved November 5, 2019.)
  45. "List of Broadcasting Stations in Canada". ''CRTC''. 1975.
  46. . (1972). "Television Factbook". *Warren Communications News*.
  47. . (1967). "TV & Cable Factbook". *Warren Communications News*.

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1954-establishments-in-manitobacbc-television-stationstelevision-channels-and-stations-established-in-1954television-stations-in-winnipeg