CBFT-DT

CBFT

City of license	Montreal, Quebec
Branding	Radio-Canada Montréal
Slogan	Ici comme dans la vie
Channels	Digital: 19 (UHF) Virtual: 2.1 (PSIP)
Translators	see below
Affiliations	Radio-Canada
Owner	Société Radio-Canada
First air date	September 6, 1952
Call letters' meaning	Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Français Télévision
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 2 (VHF) (1952-2011)
Former affiliations	CBC (secondary, 1952-1954)
Transmitter power	250 kW (digital)
Height	300 m (digital)
Transmitter coordinates	45°30′19″N 73°35′29″W
Website	Radio-Canada Montréal

CBFT is the flagship station of Télévision de Radio-Canada, the French language television network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Its studios and master control are located at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal.

On cable, CBFT is seen on Vidéotron channel 4 in the Montreal area, Charter Plattsburgh channel 5 and Comcast Burlington channel 22; it is also seen on direct broadcast satellite throughout Canada.

It was the first permanent television station in Canada, launching on September 6, 1952 at 4 p.m., the channel went on the air with the movie Aladdin and His Lamp, followed by a cartoon, and then a French film, a news segment and a bilingual variety show. (An experimental station VE9EC, had been on the air in Montreal in 1931) The station aired programming in both French (60 percent) and English (40 percent) until January 10, 1954, when CBMT was launched.

Through its translator network, CBFT can be seen in most of Quebec, parts of Ontario, and most of northern Canada (Northwest Territories and Nunavut).

For all intents and purposes, most Radio-Canada affiliates are semi-satellites of CBFT, carrying identical programming, other than commercials and regional news.

Transmitters

Semi-satellites are in bold italics

Station	City of licence	Channel	ERP	HAAT	Transmitter Coordinates
CBFT-1	Mont-Tremblant	11 (VHF)	5.6 kW	502 m	46°13′10″N 74°33′9″W
CBFT-2	Mont-Laurier	3 (VHF)	28.2 kW	155.1 m	46°33′35″N 75°42′16″W
CBFT-3	St.-Michel-des-Saints	7 (VHF)	0.44 kW	208 m	46°35′56″N 73°54′2″W
CBFT-4	Parent	12 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	47°55′21″N 74°37′16″W
CBFT-5	Manawan	5 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	47°13′24″N 74°23′44″W
CBFT-6	Obedjiwan	10 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	48°39′21″N 74°56′17″W
CBFT-7	Wemotaci	6 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	47°54′16″N 73°46′39″W
CBFT-8	Schefferville	9 (VHF)	0.445 kW	129.2 m	54°48′0″N 66°51′7″W
CBFT-9	Mont-St.-Michel	16 (UHF)	10 kW	180.8 m	46°46′23″N 75°18′23″W
CBFT-11	Churchill Falls, Lab.	13 (VHF)	0.009 kW	NA	53°31′41″N 64°0′39″W
CBFT-12	Labrador City, Lab.	11 (VHF)	1.34 kW	4.1 m	52°56′51″N 66°55′0″W
CBFT-13	Fermont	7 (VHF)	0.1 kW	75.6 m	52°49′12″N 67°5′26″W
CBFT-14	La Tuque	3 (VHF)	28 kW	124 m	47°25′25″N 72°45′47″W
CBFAT	Chibougamau	5 (VHF)	0.575 kW	127.6 m	49°52′29″N 74°22′58″W
CBFAT-1	Chapais	12 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	49°46′40″N 74°50′38″W
CBFGT	Chisasibi	9 (VHF)	0.01 kW	25.7 m	53°46′43″N 78°53′24″W
CBFHT	Waskaganish	9 (VHF)	0.006 kW	33.3 m	51°29′14″N 78°44′49″W
CBFI-TV	Inukjuak	9 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	58°27′29″N 78°6′25″W
CBFK-TV	Kuujjuarapik	9 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	55°16′46″N 77°45′1″W
CBFMT	Mistissini	9 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	50°24′53″N 73°52′0″W
CBFP-TV	Povungnituk	9 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	60°2′19″N 77°16′27″W
CBFQ-TV	Kuujjuaq	9 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	58°6′32″N 68°24′37″W
CBFRT	Radisson	8 (VHF)	0.556 kW	128 m	53°45′23″N 77°33′23″W
CBFS-TV	Salluit	9 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	62°12′13″N 75°38′7″W
CBFV-TV	Waswanipi	10 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	49°41′41″N 75°58′7″W
CBFWT	Wemindji	9 (VHF)	0.01 kW	25.1 m	53°0′8″N 78°49′0″W
CBIMT	Îles-de-la-Madeleine	12 (VHF)	8.4 kW	199.7 m	47°23′3″N 61°55′0″W
CBIMT-1	Île-du-Havre-Aubert	16 (UHF)	0.25 kW	104.9 m	47°12′52″N 61°57′11″W

In addition to the transmitters listed above, the Radio-Canada transmitters on the island of Newfoundland (CBFJ-TV St. John's and CBFNT Port au Port) are licensed as transmitters of CBFT, and indeed carried that station's signal until the mid-1990s due to technical issues preventing the network's station in Atlantic Canada, CBAFT Moncton, from reaching the province. Since then they have effectively served as rebroadcasters of CBAFT, although the CBC did not apply to formally transfer those transmitters until 2010. (The status of the two transmitters in Labrador, CBFT-11 and CBFT-12, which would theoretically also fall under CBAFT's mandate but were not included in the amendment application, is not entirely clear.)

In Whitehorse, Yukon, CBFT-15 transmits Vancouver's CBUFT, though still licensed to carry CBFT.

Digital television and high definition

After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, which takes place on August 31, 2011, CBFT will continue digital broadcasts on its current pre-transition and post-transition channel number, 19. However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display CBFT's virtual channel as 2.1.

Transition standards and procedures will vary for CBFT's repeaters; however, the CBC announced that they have no intention to upgrade any of their repeaters to digital.

CBFT has been broadcasting a digital signal over-the-air since March 22, 2005.

See also

• List of Radio-Canada television stations

External links

• Radio-Canada Montréal (French)
• Canadian Communications Foundation - CBFT History
• CBFT at TV Hat
• Query the REC's Canadian station database for CBFT
• Query TV Fool's coverage map for CBFT