CHOT-DT
 | |
| Gatineau, Quebec/Ottawa, Ontario Canada | |
|---|---|
| Branding | TVA Gatineau-Ottawa |
| Channels |
Digital: 40 (UHF) Virtual: 40.1 (PSIP) |
| Affiliations | TVA |
| Owner | RNC Media |
| First air date | October 30, 1978 |
| Call letters' meaning |
C'est Hull/ Ottawa Télévision |
| Sister station(s) | CFGS-DT |
| Former callsigns | CHOT-TV (1978-2011) |
| Former channel number(s) | 40 (Analog, 1978-2011) |
| Transmitter power | 111.4 kW |
| Height | 358.0 m |
| Transmitter coordinates | 45°30′9″N 75°50′59″W / 45.50250°N 75.84972°W |
| Website | TVA Gatineau-Ottawa |
CHOT-DT is a French language television station serving as an affiliate of TVA in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, and also serves Franco-Ontarians in the neighbouring city of Ottawa, Ontario. It broadcasts a high-definition digital signal on UHF channel 40 from a transmitter at Camp Fortune in Chelsea, Quebec.
Owned by RNC Media, it is sister to V affiliate CFGS-DT and both stations share studios located on Rue Jean Proulx and Rue Buteau in the former city of Hull. This station can also be seen on Vidéotron channel 4 and in high definition channel 604, Rogers Cable on channel 10 and digital channel 610 and in high definition on digital channel 611.
It is the largest TVA station that is not owned and operated by the network. It is also the only large-market major network affiliate in Canada that is not owned by its associated network.
History
The station launched in 1978, following the bankruptcy of the region's earlier TVA affiliate CFVO.
For a time until the late 1990s, CHOT was branded as CHOT 40, referring to the station's channel number over the air. CHOT was one of the last television stations in Canada to use its over-the-air channel number in station branding. It is currently branded as TVA Gatineau-Ottawa.
Cable distribution
The station is carried on channel 10 by both Vidéotron in Gatineau and Rogers Cable in Ottawa.
CHOT is also carried by most of EastLink's cable systems in Northeastern Ontario, one of the only regions in English Canada that carries an affiliate station instead of the national feed of CFTM-DT. It has been available on cable in this region since the early 1980s, long before TVA carriage was mandated nationwide. Predecessor companies Northern Cable and Persona picked up CHOT due to the area's large Franco-Ontarian population, and continued to carry CHOT rather than switching providers.
News
The station airs a 30-minute local newscast every weekday at 6:00pm and a five-minute new brief at 12:25pm. In the past, CHOT had local news on weekends and a 15-minute noon newscast on weekdays, but recent cuts made by RNC Media had these newscasts replaced with Montreal-based TVA network news programs.
Digital television and high definition
After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, which takes place on August 31, 2011,[1] CHOT-TV is required to begin digital broadcasts on its current assigned and analog channel number, 40, however should the station sign-on before the analog shut off date, the station will broadcast on channel 15. However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display CHOT-TV's virtual channel as 40.1.
References
External links
- TVA Gatineau-Ottawa
- Canadian Communications Foundation - CHOT-TV History
- Query the REC's Canadian station database for CHOT-TV
- Query TV Fool's coverage map for CHOT