CBOT-DT
CBOT-DT, virtual channel 4.1 (UHF digital channel 25), is a CBC Television owned-and-operated station licensed to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The station is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as part of a twinstick with Ici Radio-Canada Télé station CBOFT-DT (channel 9). The two stations share studios at the CBC Ottawa Broadcast Centre on Sparks Street in Downtown Ottawa, alongside the main corporate offices of the CBC; CBOT-DT's transmitter is located on the Ryan Tower at Camp Fortune in Chelsea, Quebec, north of Gatineau. On cable, the station is available on Rogers Cable channel 8 and in high definition on digital channel 514, and on Vidéotron cable 6 and in high definition on digital channel 606 in Gatineau. On satellite, it is carried on Bell TV channel 208 and in high definition on channel 1040.
 | |
| Ottawa, Ontario Canada | |
|---|---|
| Branding | CBC Ottawa (general) CBC Ottawa News (newscasts) |
| Slogan | Canada's Public Broadcaster |
| Channels | Digital: 25 (UHF) Virtual: 4.1 (PSIP) |
| Affiliations | CBC Television (O&O) |
| Owner | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
| First air date | June 2, 1953 |
| Call sign meaning | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Ottawa Television |
| Sister station(s) | CBOFT-DT, CBO-FM, CBOQ-FM |
| Former call signs | CBOT (1953–2011) |
| Former channel number(s) | Analogue: 4 (VHF, 1953–2011) |
| Transmitter power | 311.485 kW |
| Height | 426.4 m (1,399 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 45°30′11″N 75°51′1″W |
| Website | CBC Ottawa |
CBOT-DT serves as the default CBC station for the Kingston, Ontario area, after longtime CBC affiliate CKWS-DT switched affiliations to CTV on August 31, 2015. It is also the default feed on CBC's live streaming Internet video service, and the only one available in Canada without registering an account with the CBC.
History
CBOT went on the air for the first time on June 2, 1953, becoming the third television station in Canada. Before the launch of Télévision de Radio-Canada station CBOFT, CBOT aired both English and French-language programs.
During the late 1970s into the early 1980s, CBOT was known as "CBC 4 Ottawa", and its newscasts were known as CBC 4 News. In 1980, CBOT's 6 p.m. newscast was anchored by Ab Douglas, and by Joe Spence at 11:27, following The National. During the mid-1980s, the station was known as "CBOT 4", now "CBC Ottawa".
News operation
CBOT-DT presently broadcasts 10 hours, 40 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week (with two hours each weekday, a half-hour on Saturdays and ten minutes on Sundays). CBOT airs local news programming in the form of a 90-minute newscast from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and a half-hour newscast at 11 p.m. on weekdays. On weekends, the station airs a half-hour 6 p.m. newscast on Saturdays and a ten-minute summary airs on Sundays at 11 p.m.
Notable current on–air staff
Notable former on–air staff
- Rita Celli – former CBC News: Ottawa at Six anchor
- Lloyd Robertson (later anchor of CBC News: The National and the CTV National News; now retired)
Transmitters
CBOT operated six analog television rebroadcasters in Eastern Ontario and included communities such as Pembroke. 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 analog transmitters on July 31, 2012.[1] None of CBC's or Radio-Canada's television rebroadcasters were converted to digital.
Former rebroadcasters
| Station | City of licence | Channel | ERP | HAAT | Transmitter Coordinates | CRTC/Notes |
| CBOT-1 | Foymount | 14 (UHF) | 42.3 kW | 229.2 m | 45°25′48″N 77°18′14″W | 91-638 2011-497 |
| CBOT-2 | Barry's Bay | 19 (UHF) | 8.6 kW | 170.4 m | 45°29′23″N 77°42′56″W | |
| CBOT-3 | Whitney | 9 (VHF) | 0.01 kW | NA | 45°29′18″N 78°12′22″W | |
| CBOT-4 | Maynooth | 51 (UHF) | 1.535 kW | 121.5 m | 45°13′37″N 77°52′29″W | |
| CBOT-5 | McArthur's Mills | 33 (UHF) | 4.286 kW | 125.3 m | 45°5′18″N 77°38′49″W | |
| CBOT-6 | Deep River/ Pembroke |
3 (VHF) | 43.3 kW | 152.2 m | 46°2′40″N 77°28′4″W | 90-1077 |
Digital television
Digital channel
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP short name | Programming[2] | Carrier frequency | Modulation | Symbol rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | 720p | 16:9 | CBOT-DT | Main CBOT-DT programming / CBC Television | 537250 kHz | 8VSB | 6000000 |
Analogue-to-digital conversion
On August 31, 2011, when Canadian television stations in CRTC-designated mandatory markets transitioned from analogue to digital broadcasts,[3] the station's digital signal remained on UHF channel 25. However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display CBOT-DT's virtual channel as 4.1.