CBAFT-DT


CBAFT-DT, virtual and VHF digital channel 11, is an Ici Radio-Canada Télé owned-and-operated station licensed to Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, serving Acadians in the Maritimes and Franco-Newfoundlanders in Newfoundland and Labrador. The station is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as part of a twinstick with Fredericton-based CBC Television station CBAT-DT. CBAFT-DT's studios are located at 165 Main Street in Moncton, and its transmitter is located on Timberline Road, adjacent to the Dieppe border.
On cable, the station is available on Rogers Cable digital channel 601. There is a high definition feed offered on Bell Aliant Fibe TV channel 902. On satellite, it is carried on Bell TV channel 100 and in high definition on channel 1801. For Eastlink subscribers, however, it is only offered in standard definition.
Prior to September 2, 2008, the station was known as Télévision de Radio-Canada Atlantique. It was rebranded to Télévision de Radio-Canada Acadie and later ICI Acadie as part of the public broadcaster's efforts to better reflect the region it serves.

Overview

The station was launched at 6:25 p.m. on December 21, 1959 from Moncton on channel 11. The station slowly added rebroadcasters, such as one serving Fredericton and Saint John in 1973 on channel 5. Radio-Canada later converted CJBR-TV-1 Edmundston, a retransmitter of a former affiliate in Rimouski, Quebec on channel 13, to a rebroadcaster of CBAFT.
The station operates additional news bureaus in Edmundston, Bathurst, Caraquet, Fredericton and Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax, Nova Scotia; St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Unlike all other Radio-Canada stations, programming in the Atlantic region airs one hour later than its scheduled time in the rest of Canada; this noted by the phrase "Une heure plus tard dans les Maritimes", present on nearly all Radio-Canada network promos.

Local programming

In May 2010, it was announced that CBAFT will be exchanging news stories and reporters with Télé Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, the RFO outlet for the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, in an agreement made with France Télévisions, the public broadcaster that oversees RFO. In addition, Télé Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon will also broadcast Le Téléjournal/Acadie to local viewers there, as well as on France Ô, which showcases RFO programming for viewers in Metropolitan France. In consequence, due to Télé Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon's availability on Canadian cable and satellite, the program will be available to viewers across Canada as well. This exchange was following the arrival of the aerial TNT digital television service to Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which offers only RFO and Metropolitan France channels, unlike the local cable system, which offers Canadian and American channels, including CBAFT.

Transmitters

CBAFT had 21 analog television rebroadcasters throughout the Maritimes.
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. None of CBC or Radio-Canada's rebroadcasters were converted to digital.
Transmitters in mandatory markets were required to go digital or be taken off the air by the transition deadline of August 31, 2011. The CBC decided that none of its rebroadcasters would switch to digital. The following CBAFT rebroadcasters were in mandatory markets:
On August 16, 2011, the CRTC granted the CBC permission to continue operating twenty-two repeaters in mandatory markets, including the above, in analogue until August 31, 2012, by which time they must either convert to digital or shut down.

Former transmitters

New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia

Prince Edward Island