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CFPL (A-Channel)
File:Achannelnew.gif
London, Ontario
Channel 10 / Cable 9
Owner CHUM Limited
Founded 1953
Joined A-Channel 2005
Effective Radiated Power (ERP) 325 kW
Callsign Meaning C
Free
Press of
London
Former Affiliations CBC (1953-1988)

Independent (1988-1994)
BBS (1994-1997)
Independent (1997-1998)
NewNet (1998-2005)

A-Channel System
CKNX
(Wingham) 		CFPL
(London) 		CKVR
(Barrie)

CFPL, A-Channel London (formerly known as The New PL) is a television station owned by CHUM Limited which serves the London and Sarnia regions of Ontario, Canada.

CFPL is part of the A-Channel system, and is the flagship station of a mini-system of stations in southwestern Ontario including CHWI in Wheatley, which serves the Windsor and Chatham areas, and CKNX in Wingham, which serves much of Western Ontario north of London. The station broadcasts out of London, Ontario.

History

CFPL was founded by Walter Blackburn, who also owned London's major newspaper, the London Free Press, as well as radio station CFPL on both the AM and FM dials. The television station first came on the air on November 28, 1953, with four hours of programming per day. That night there was a major fire in London, on which CFPL's news program was able to report almost immediately during its first news hour.

CFPL was the second privately owned station in Canada (CKSO-TV in Sudbury, now CICI-TV, was the first). Its news program was the first to be scheduled at 6:00, during "the supper hour," which set the standard for other stations in Canada. CFPL also later became one of the first in Canada to broadcast in colour.

From the day it began broadcasting, CFPL was affiliated with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1964, it became the CBC affiliate for Kitchener as well after CKCO-TV switched to CTV.

CFPL was the CBC's largest private affiliate, but wanted to produce and broadcast more local programming. This caused its relations with CBC to worsen over the years. CBC required affiliates like CFPL to carry a minimum amount of its schedule, and, according to station management, CBC programming was less lucrative by that time. Nonetheless, CFPL was a very successful station, and posted good profits. It finally disaffiliated with CBC and went independent in 1988. CFPL's slogan following disaffiliation was "The fun is here!", but the slogan did not last. With no CBC programming to attract viewers, such as The National and Hockey Night in Canada, ratings plummeted and so did revenues. By the end of 1989, the station was almost bankrupt, but tried to hang on as an independent station for another few years, even though its programming schedule did not have much beyond news to attract viewership.

From 1972 to 1981, the flagship newscast, FYI was anchored by Jack Burghardt. During the 1980s, FYI was anchored first by Eric Sorensen (1981–1984), then Neil Stevens former weather anchor at CBET Windsor. In January 1985, CFPL hired its first female anchor, Kate Young, who co-anchored FYI with Stevens. Despite female news anchors becoming commonplace across Canada and the United States by the mid-1980s, this was a controversial move, and many London viewers were very upset by there being a female anchor. Young continued to anchor the 6 p.m. newscast for the next 17 years, and she became a well-known and respected face in the London community. Tragically, her co-anchor Stevens was killed in a car crash near Alvinston, Ontario early on July 17, 1987. Al McGregor was appointed as Young's co-anchor in 1988, a post he held for the next 10 years. Throughout the 1980s, the sports anchor was Pete James, and the weather forcaster was Jay Campbell.

In 1992, amid poor ratings and low revenues, the station was sold to Baton Broadcasting. In 1994 the various Baton stations, including CFPL, merged to form first "Ontario Network Television", then renamed Baton Broadcasting System. Baton greatly increased CFPL's news department, hiring dozens of people and rebranding the newscast as News Now. While Baton focused much of energy on news programming, it cut much non-news local programming from many stations, including CFPL. The long-time lifestyles program One O'Clock Live was cancelled in early 1997, for example.

In 1997 Baton sold CFPL and some of its other television stations to CHUM Limited. Under CHUM, CFPL joined the NewNet system and was accordingly rebranded The New PL in September 1998. This was not done without controversy. In April 1998, CHUM fired news co-anchor Al McGregor, which generated harsh criticism of the station's new owners. News director George Clark replaced him as co-anchor for some time, but he left the station in early 2001. In October 2002, Kate Young moved on to a community relations position at the station, and reporter Kathy Mueller replaced her as anchor at 6 p.m.. Dan MacLellan joined the station from CKEM (A-Channel Edmonton) at that time, and became her co-anchor. Today, they continue to co-anchor the 6 p.m. newscast, now known as A-Channel News at 6, along with Norman James with sports, Jay Campbell with weather, and Julie Simpson with the Health and Home mini-program at 6:30.

In February 2005, CHUM announced plans to consolidate the master control departments for CFPL, CKVR, CHRO, CHWI and CKNX in the CHUM-City Building in Toronto, as well as consolidating the traffic and programming departments at CFPL in London, resulting in the loss of approximately 13 staff members from CFPL. On June 3, 2005, at approximately 10:00 am, the London master control signal came to an end, as the new consolidated master control took to air.

On August 2, 2005, CHUM rebranded all of the NewNet stations including CFPL as A-Channel. News Now at Noon was cancelled a month earlier.

Slogans

  • 1980: You Turn Us On, London
  • 1985-1986: It's on TV-London!
  • 1988: The Fun is Here!
  • 1990: We're Your 10
  • Now: London's News Leader

Programs produced in the past

Programs produced today

First production date shown in parentheses

  • AgVision - Saturdays at 8 :00 a.m., Sundays at 1:30 p.m.
  • Inquiry - Saturdays at 6:30 p.m., Sundays at 9 :00 a.m. (c. 1977)
  • A-Channel Morning (Formerly New Day) - Weekdays at 7 :00 a.m. (October 5, 1999)
  • A-Channel News (Formerly News Now) - Daily at 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. (1993)
  • A-Channel This Week (Formerly The People's Business) - Sundays at 6:30 p.m.
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