CISA-DT

For other meanings of the four-letter initialism, see CISA (disambiguation)

CISA-DT

Lethbridge and Southern Alberta
City of license	Lethbridge, Alberta
Branding	Global Lethbridge
Channels	Digital: 7 (VHF) Virtual: 7.1 (PSIP)
Translators	see below
Affiliations	Global (secondary 1988-2000, primary since 2000)
Owner	Shaw Media (Shaw Television Limited Partnership)
First air date	November 20, 1955
Call letters' meaning	Canadian Independent Southern Alberta
Sister station(s)	CICT-TV
Former callsigns	CJLH-TV (1955-1972) CJOC-TV (1972-1976) CFAC-TV-7 (1977-1990) CISA-TV (1990-2011)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 7 (1955-2011)
Former affiliations	CBC (1955-1976) independent (1976-2000)
Transmitter power	19.7 kW
Height	201.4 m
Transmitter coordinates	49°46′47″N 112°52′18″W
Website	Global Lethbridge

CISA-DT is a Canadian television station serving Lethbridge, Alberta. It is owned by Shaw Media, and is affiliated to their Global Television Network. It is branded as Global Lethbridge and transmits on channel 7 and cable channel 5 in Lethbridge. Its high-definition/digital signal is available on Shaw HD on channel 211.

CISA's programming is similar to CICT-TV, the Global O&O in Calgary. CISA's master control is also based out of CICT, along with all the rest of Shaw's television stations. The station carries the full Global network schedule.

History

CJLH-TV

The station began as CJLH-TV, broadcasting for the first time on November 20, 1955. It broadcast on channel 7 with a power output of 167,000 watts visual and 33,400 watts aural from a 638-foot tower located at what was the city limits of Lethbridge.

The station was a joint venture between local radio station CJOC (the CJ in the call sign) and the Lethbridge Herald (the LH). It was managed by CJOC's owners, Taylor Pearson and Carson, and began life as an affiliate of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's (CBC) television network. Network programs on kinescope arrived within a few days to a week after they went to air live in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or the U.S. networks.

Three months after CJLH went to air, measurement services showed that the station had a potential audience of 9,400 homes, but within a year, that grew to 19,200, and of those, 16,000 had bought TV sets. At the time, CJLH was the only station in the Lethbridge area.

Local programming at the time included:

• Local news, sports and weather
• Channel 7 Spotlight, showcasing area talent
• Remember When, a series of programs hosted by Harry Baalim using slides, pictures and relics to tell the history of Southern Alberta. Many old timers were guests on that show, and
• Home Gardener, featuring many experts in the field demonstrating proper horticultural technique.

These programs (amongst others) earned the station many awards, including seven Liberty Magazine awards in the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1958, the Eastern Time problem the station had in relation to networked programming was eliminated when it was connected to the network and the Calgary time-delay centre. The problem still existed for live sports events, such as hockey and football.

In 1961, CJLH expanded into the Crowsnest Pass area, by opening a repeater station at Burmis on channel 3. In 1967, The Lethbridge Herald sold its 50% holding to Selkirk Holdings Ltd, the successor to Taylor Pearson & Carson. Also that year, an application from CFCN-TV Calgary to open a repeater station in Lethbridge was unsuccessful.

However, a year later in 1968, an agreement was reached between CFCN and CJLH to share space on the CJLH tower and building for technical equipment. On September 3, CFCN went on the air with a repeater station on channel 13. Also in 1968, the station's first 2-inch black and white video tape recorder was installed, and a repeater in Brooks was made operational, transmitting on channel 3 at low power.

CJOC-TV

In 1970, production was increased significantly when they became a two-camera operation. Two years later, in 1972, CJLH became a semi-satellite of CFAC-TV in Calgary, also owned by Selkirk, changed its call sign to CJOC-TV, and continued local production with shows such as

• Time Out
• Ski Reports
• Our Town
• Sunday Hour
• Thought for the Day
• Focus on University
• College Campus
• and numerous specials

In 1974, CJOC went full colour with two colour cameras and three colour 1" VTRs. CFCN moved out of the CJOC building and into its own that year.

CFAC-TV

On September 1, 1975, CFAC disaffiliated from the CBC and became an independent station when CBC put its own station, CBRT, on the air. On the same day, CJOC also disaffiliated from the CBC, and in 1976, switched to the new calls CFAC-TV-7. It added a satellite dish to get a news feed from Global Television. The station took on the same branding as CFAC Calgary, known as 2&7 Lethbridge Television. In 1979, the station increased its power to 167,000 watts video and 33,400 watts audio.

Local programming continued to play an important role at the station, with successful shows such as:

• Sky West, which was syndicated to CHCH-TV Hamilton, BCTV Vancouver and CFCF-TV Montreal. It was also judged best syndicated show in the country at the time.
• We Won’t Let Him Die, which won the CanPro Founders award in 1983
• Kids Belong Together (1990) and Key to Literacy (1992), both shows won the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Gold Ribbon Award for community involvement.

CISA-TV

CISA-TV's last independent logo, before gaining the Global affiliation

In 1989, Maclean Hunter bought Selkirk Communications Ltd., and CFAC-TV-7 was purchased by Western International Communications, and joined the Westcom TV Group. A year later, the station became a full-fledged station once again as CISA-TV.

Through the years, CISA's commitment to local programming has continued to reap both industry awards, making it one of the country's most awarded stations, and audience numbers in its local area.

CISA-TV's first Global logo, used from 2000 to 2006

In 1998, the Griffiths family sold WIC to Shaw Communications and Canwest. In 1999, agreements were lodged with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to split WIC assets between Canwest, Corus Radio and Shaw. The CRTC approved the purchase in 2000: WIC Television was sold to Canwest, and CISA-TV became Global Lethbridge on September 4 that year.

CISA was the last Global station to have its website integrated into the canada.com network. On September 10, 2008, news production for CISA shifted from Lethbridge to Calgary, with the addition of a new virtual set.

Newscasts and other local programming

The station produces newscasts originating from Lethbridge at 6 p.m. (titled News Hour) and 11 p.m. (titled News Final). On weekends, the station's newscasts air at 6 p.m. (titled Evening News) and 11 p.m. (titled News Final).

The station also simulcasts the weekday morning Morning News, the Noon News Hour, and the 5 p.m. Early News from Global Calgary.

On-air staff

+ denotes CICT-TV personnel
Anchors

• Cheryl Oates - News Hour (weeknights at 6 p.m.)
• Tom Roulston - News Hour (weeknights at 6 p.m.) and News Final (weeknights at 11 p.m.)
• Shannon Greer - Evening News (weekends at 6 p.m.) and News Final (weekends at 11 p.m.); also reporter
• + Scott Fee - Morning News and Noon News Hour (weekdays at 5:30 a.m. and noon)
• + Cara Fullerton - Noon News Hour (weekdays at noon); also Morning News reporter and fill-in anchor
• + Linda Olsen - Early News (weeknights at 5 p.m.)
• + Amber Schinkel - Morning News (weekdays at 5:30 a.m.)

Weather team

• Mark Campbell - weather anchor; News Hour (weeknights at 6 p.m.) and News Final (weeknights at 11 p.m.), also host of Scene & Heard
• + Paul Dunphy - (CMOS-endorsed weathercaster) meteorologist; Early News (weeknights at 5 p.m.)
• + Carla Bosacki - weather specialist; Evening News & News Final (weekends at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.)
• + Jordan Witzel - meteorologist; Morning News & Noon News Hour (weekday mornings at 5:30 a.m. and noon)

Sports team

• Marty Baceda - Sports Director; News Hour (weeknights at 6 p.m.) and News Final (weeknights at 11 p.m.)
• Paul Kingsmith - Sports Anchor; Evening News (weekends at 6 p.m.) and News Final (weekends at 11 p.m.)

Traffic

• + Katrina Green - Morning News (weekdays at 5:30 a.m.) (in Global 1)
• + Leslie Horton - Morning News (weekdays at 5:30 a.m.) and Noon News Hour (weekdays at noon)
• + Jim King - Early News (weekdays at 5 p.m.)
• + Pauline Rees - Morning News (weekdays at 5:30 a.m.) (in Global 1)

Reporters

• Quinn Campbell
• Mike McKinnon
• Shannon Greer
• Kimberly Tams
• Ian McDonald - Agriculture reporter
• Elisha Rasmussen - Host of daily Elisha feature.
• + Tomasia DaSilva - CICT-TV business reporter
• + Heather Yourex - CICT-TV Health FYI reporter

Former on-air staff

• Dallas Flexhaug (now at CICT-TV in Calgary)
• Holly Horton (now co-host of TSN's SportsCentre)
• Tracy Nagai (now at CICT-TV in Calgary)
• Quinn Ohler (now at CITV-TV in Edmonton)
• Lisa Ostrikoff (Co-Creator of BizBOXTV.com)
• Vinesh Pratap (now at CITV-TV in Edmonton)
• Jackson Proskow (now journalist with CIII-TV in Toronto)
• Brenna Rose (now at CKND-TV in Winnipeg)
• Amber Schinkel (now at CICT-TV in Calgary)
• Heather Yourex (now at CICT-TV in Calgary)
• Danelle Boivin (now at CKCK-TV in Regina)
• Robin Stickley (now at CHAN-TV in Vancouver)

Transmission

Digital television and high definition

July 27, 2011, the station shut down its Lethbridge analog transmitter and flash cut to digital. They were the first station in Southern Alberta to convert to digital. CISA-DT broadcasts on channel 7. Digital television receivers will display CISA-DT's virtual channel as 7.1, with the use of PSIP.

The following translators will continue to offer the analog signal after CISA's main Lethbridge transmitter is converted to digital.

Alberta Translators

Station	City of licence	Channel	ERP	HAAT	Transmitter Coordinates
CISA-TV-1	Burmis	3 (VHF)	0.409 kW	128 m	49°31′54″N 114°11′41″W
CISA-TV-2	Brooks	3 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	50°32′3″N 111°55′0″W
CISA-TV-3	Coleman	12 (VHF)	0.01 kW	NA	49°34′39″N 114°30′6″W
CISA-TV-4	Waterton Park	12 (VHF)	0.001 kW	NA	49°3′32″N 113°54′23″W
CISA-TV-5	Pincher Creek	9 (VHF)	0.001 kW	NA	49°28′48″N 113°58′1″W

Montana Translators

(All transmitters in Montana are owned either by local governments or television associations.)

Station	City of licence	Channel	ERP
K65BR	Chinook	65	0.07 kW
K12DJ	Conrad	12	0.01 kW
K08IU	East Glacier Park	8	0.01 kW
K63AQ	Sweetgrass	63	0.24 kW
K36DK	Toole	36	1.26 kW

External links

• Global Lethbridge
• Canadian Communications Foundation - CISA-TV History
• Query RabbitEars' station database for CISA-TV
• Query TV Fool's coverage map for CISA
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K65BR
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K12DJ
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K08IU
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K63AQ
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K36DK