The Baton Broadcast System (BBS), often referred to as the Baton Broadcasting System^[1], was a Canadian system of television stations located in Ontario and Saskatchewan. It was owned by Baton Broadcasting, and was essentially a sub-system within CTV during the 1990s. Following the acquisition of CTV in 1997, the remnants of BBS were integrated into CTV itself. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Terrestrial television (also known as over-the-air, OTA or broadcast television) was the traditional method of television broadcast signal delivery prior to the advent of cable and satellite television. ... A television system is a Canadian term for a group of television stations which shares common ownership, branding and programming, but is not considered a full television network. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government - Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (Latin: The Strength of Many Peoples) Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Gordon Barnhart - Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 14 - Senate seats 6 Confederation September 1, 1905 (Split from NWT) (9th (province)) Area  Ranked... The Baton Broadcasting System (BBS) was a Canadian system of television stations located in Ontario and Saskatchewan. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... A television system is a Canadian term for a group of television stations which shares common ownership, branding and programming, but is not considered a full television network. ... This article is about a television transmitting location or company. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government - Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Motto: Multis E Gentibus Vires (Latin: The Strength of Many Peoples) Capital Regina Largest city Saskatoon Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Gordon Barnhart - Premier Lorne Calvert (NDP) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 14 - Senate seats 6 Confederation September 1, 1905 (Split from NWT) (9th (province)) Area  Ranked... The Baton Broadcasting System (BBS) was a Canadian system of television stations located in Ontario and Saskatchewan. ... This article is about the Broadcast Television Network CTV, for the broadcasting television company see CTVglobemedia. ...

BBS was the successor to two provincial systems also owned by Baton, the Saskatchewan Television Network (STN) and Ontario Network Television (ONT).

History

Ontario Network Television: 1991-1994

ONT logo, 1991-1994

ONT was initiated in 1991, consisting of eight CTV affiliates - seven owned by Baton (CFTO, CJOH, CHRO, and the MCTV stations) and Electrohome's CKCO. Initially providing 10.5 hours of common programming each week, this was soon expanded to 35 hours. At this point CTV was only providing 40 hours of programming a week, of which only 12 were in primetime. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... CFTO-TV (now identifying as CTV Toronto) is a television station, licensed to, and serving Toronto, Canada, and surrounding areas. ... CJOH-TV (known on-air as CTV Ottawa) is a television station serving Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and the surrounding region. ... CHRO-TV (A-Channel Ottawa; formerly known as The New RO) is a television station serving the National Capital and Ottawa Valley regions of Ontario, Canada. ... CTV Northern Ontario, formerly known as MCTV, is a system of four television stations in Northern Ontario, Canada, owned and operated by the CTV Television Network. ... Electrohome is perhaps best known as one of Canadas largest manufacturers of television sets in its heyday between 1949 and 1984, and continues to be a popular brand in the Canadian market. ... CKCO (operating as CTV Southwestern Ontario since 2005) is a television station based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. ...

While it was a secondary affiliation, and not a separate network from CTV, some claimed ONT was a first step towards Baton becoming a separate network. Indeed Baton sometimes bid against CTV for the rights to new U.S. series. However, Baton's president at the time, Douglas Bassett, contended it was merely a "marketing vehicle" to compete with Global's CIII-TV, a single station which served almost all of Ontario. ^[2] Douglas Graeme Bassett, O.C., K.St. ... Global Television Network (more commonly called Global TV or just Global) is a Canadian English language privately owned television network. ... CIII-TV is a television station owned by CanWest Global that serves most of the Canadian province of Ontario. ...

In 1993, Baton acquired two independent stations, CFPL and CKNX, and launched a third (CHWI). These stations replaced CKCO within ONT. CFPL-TV (A-Channel London; previously known as The New PL) is a television station owned by CTVglobemedia, which serves the London and Sarnia regions of Ontario, Canada. ... CKNX (formerly known as The New NX) is a television station owned by CHUM Limited which serves mid-western Ontario. ... CHWI, A-Channel Windsor (formerly known as The New WI) is a television station owned by CHUM Limited. ...

In addition to the CTV affiliates and independent stations, some ONT, and later BBS, programming may have aired on Baton's CBC affiliates, part of twinstick operations in northern Ontario. In the rest of Canada, Baton sublicensed its programming to individual stations, usually CTV affiliates. Even the ONT brand was seen from time to time in the rest of Canada, mainly through Baton-produced Toronto Blue Jays games. CBC Television is a Canadian English language television network. ... A twinstick, in Canadian broadcasting, is an informal term for two television stations, broadcasting in the same market, which are owned by the same company. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) a. ...

The BBS years: 1994 - 1997

CFTO BBS logo.

In 1994, Baton received a report from a consulting company that suggested, among other things, that a new national brand be created as a "backup" if the company's acquisition spree failed to gain control of CTV. Thus the Baton Broadcast System was born. A "BBS" logo was created for the system, adapted from the CFTO "multicoloured iris" logo with the station call letters positioned beneath. In contrast, ONT was simply a secondary brand and did not replace individual station logos. Black body spectrum as a function of wavelength. ... Black body spectrum as a function of wavelength. ... This article is about the Broadcast Television Network CTV, for the broadcasting television company see CTVglobemedia. ... CFTO-TV (now identifying as CTV Toronto) is a television station, licensed to, and serving Toronto, Canada, and surrounding areas. ...

BBS replaced ONT in fall 1994, with the addition of four Baton-owned CTV affiliates (and possibly two associated CBC affiliates) in Saskatchewan that had been jointly branded as the "Saskatchewan Television Network" since the late 1980s.

Programming included U.S. series such as Law & Order, Home Improvement and Ellen, the soap opera Family Passions, a Saturday morning block of mainly Disney cartoons branded as BBS Master Control, news and talk programming such as Sunday Edition and The Dini Petty Show, and sports programming such as Blue Jays games, which were again syndicated to other Canadian stations. This article is about the original television series. ... This article is about the television series. ... For the syndicated television talk show, see: The Ellen DeGeneres Show. ... The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television... Family Passions was the first hour long soap opera produced in Canada. ... Saturday morning is the block of animated television programming during Saturday mornings. ... Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... For the band, see Cartoons (band). ... Sunday Edition was a Canadian television newsmagazine series, which aired on stations owned by the Baton Broadcasting System (and subsequently CTV) from 1988 to 1999. ... The Dini Petty Show was a Canadian daytime talk show, which aired on stations affiliated with the Baton Broadcasting System from 1989 to 1996. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) a. ...

Rebranding to CTV

By late 1997, Baton Broadcasting had become the sole corporate owner of CTV, acquiring several other CTV affiliates in the process, including the aforementioned CKCO. The same consultants that had suggested the introduction of BBS also acknowledged that the CTV brand would be far more valuable. As a result, Baton immediately introduced new station logos that incorporated the CTV name, and replaced the BBS logo with CTV throughout its programming and promotions, even though this programming did not air network-wide. The BBS name was completely discontinued by the end of the year, and Baton itself changed its corporate name to CTV Television Inc. the following year.^[2]

BBS continued to operate until 2001 only in the sense that CTV maintained a separate stream of programming not part of the CTV network service; the "old" CTV's affiliation agreements, which limited network service to 40 hours a week, remained in force. For instance, CHAN (then known as BCTV) was Vancouver's CTV affiliate but carried only 40 hours of CTV programming,^[3] while CTV-owned independent station CIVT (VTV) carried the remainder (although at no point did CIVT use "BBS" branding). CHAN-TV is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, broadcasting over-the-air on channel 8, and available via cable providers in the area on channel 11. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ... CIVT-TV (also known internally as CTV British Columbia or CTV 9) is a Canadian television station in Vancouver, British Columbia which broadcasts on channel 32 (cable channel 9 in most areas). ...

Other affiliates such as CKY, NTV, and to a lesser extent CFCF, usually acquired additional programming, as they had from BBS; however they were required to pay extra to do so (whereas the base 40 hours was part of a traditional network arrangement whereby affiliates instead received airtime payments). Series would sometimes switch back and forth between network and non-network status, and in limited cases alternate programming was supplied to affiliates in case a non-network program (e.g., Who Wants to Be a Millionaire) moved to a network timeslot. CKY-TV (also commonly known as CTV Winnipeg) is a television station based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and owned by CTVglobemedia. ... CJON-TV is a Canadian television station broadcasting on channel 6 (cable channel 5) in St. ... CFCF redirects here. ... In the United States, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (also known simply as Millionaire) is a television game show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 (originally lump sum; now annuitized) for correctly answering 15 successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. ...

In September 2001, CIVT became the Vancouver CTV owned and operated station. As well, CTV had just acquired the two largest remaining affiliates; hence CTV's network licence from the CRTC became unnecessary, and the largely artificial distinction between network and non-network programming was eliminated entirely at this point. In this sense, CTV as it presently operates could be seen as an enlarged BBS by another name, rather than the direct successor to the "original" CTV; nevertheless this, too, is a technicality of little significance.

Baton's independents and newly-disaffiliated CHRO were sold to CHUM Limited, becoming NewNet stations; however CTVglobemedia, Baton's successor as a corporate entity, reacquired them (among others in the A-Channel system) from CHUM in 2007 as a result of a buyout of CHUM Limited. Baton's CBC affiliates were later sold to the CBC, and became repeaters of other stations. Brandon, Manitoba CBC affiliate CKX, also acquired from CHUM, presently remains in the CTVgm fold. CHRO-TV (A-Channel Ottawa; formerly known as The New RO) is a television station serving the National Capital and Ottawa Valley regions of Ontario, Canada. ... This article is about the history of the CHUM Limiteds former assets, for the current ownership see CTVglobemedia. ... The New Net, alternately known as NewNet, is a network of six local television stations owned by CHUM. Many of the stations are former CBC affiliates. ... “Baton Broadcasting” redirects here. ... A-Channel, previously known as the NewNet, is a Canadian English language privately owned television system owned by CTVglobemedia. ... Brandon Manitoba, a city in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. ... CKX is a television station in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, affiliated with CBC Television. ...

List of BBS stations

Affiliations listed are those in effect during their participation in BBS.

• Kitchener, Ontario - CKCO (CTV) ^[4]
• London, Ontario - CFPL (Independent)
• North Bay, Ontario - CKNY (CTV), CHNB (CBC)
• Ottawa, Ontario - CJOH (CTV)
• Pembroke, Ontario - CHRO (CTV)
• Prince Albert, Saskatchewan - CIPA (CTV), CKBI (CBC)
• Regina, Saskatchewan - CKCK (CTV)
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - CFQC (CTV)
• Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - CHBX (CTV), CJIC (CBC)
• Sudbury, Ontario - CICI (CTV), CKNC (CBC)
• Timmins, Ontario - CITO (CTV), CFCL (CBC)
• Toronto, Ontario - CFTO (CTV)
• Wheatley, Ontario - CHWI (Independent)
• Wingham, Ontario - CKNX (Independent)
• Yorkton, Saskatchewan - CICC (CTV), CKOS (CBC)

, The City of Kitchener (IPA ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. ... CKCO (operating as CTV Southwestern Ontario since 2005) is a television station based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. ... Nickname: Location of London in relation to Middlesex County and the Province of Ontario Coordinates: , Country Canada Province Ontario County Middlesex County Settled 1826 as a village Incorporated 1855 as a city Government  - City Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best  - Governing Body London City Council  - MPs Sue Barnes (LPC) Glen Pearson... CFPL-TV (A-Channel London; previously known as The New PL) is a television station owned by CTVglobemedia, which serves the London and Sarnia regions of Ontario, Canada. ... North Bay ( , time zone EST) is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada (2006 population 53,966). ... CKNY (also commonly known as CTV Northern Ontario) is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in North Bay, Ontario. ... CHNB is a former Canadian television station, which broadcast in North Bay, Ontario. ... This article is about the capital city of Canada. ... CJOH-TV (known on-air as CTV Ottawa) is a television station serving Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and the surrounding region. ... Pembroke (population 13,490 in the 2001 Canadian census) is a city at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley in eastern Ontario, Canada. ... CHRO-TV (A-Channel Ottawa; formerly known as The New RO) is a television station serving the National Capital and Ottawa Valley regions of Ontario, Canada. ... Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prince Consort to Queen Victoria Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. ... CIPA-TV (also commonly known as CTV Prince Albert) is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. ... CKBI is a former Canadian television station, which broadcast in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on VHF channel 5. ... Nickname: Motto: Floreat Regina (Let Regina Flourish) Location of Regina in the SE quadrant of Saskatchewan Coordinates: , Country Province District Municipality of Sherwood Established 1882 Government  - City Mayor Pat Fiacco  - Governing body Regina City Council  - MPs Dave Batters Ralph Goodale Tom Lukiwski Andrew Scheer  - MLAs Joanne Crofford Doreen Hamilton Ron... CKCK-TV (also commonly known as CTV Regina) in Regina, Saskatchewan was the first privately-owned television station in Western Canada. ... Saskatoon is a city located in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. ... CFQC-TV (also commonly known as CTV Saskatoon) is a Canadian television station, serving Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. ... Nickname: Motto: Naturally Gifted Coordinates: , Country Canada Province Ontario District Algoma District Incorporated 1887 (town), 1912 (city) Government  - City Mayor John Rowswell  - Governing body The Corporation of the City of Sault Sainte Marie  - MPs Tony Martin  - MPPs David Orazietti Area  - City  276 sq mi (715 km²) Elevation  630 ft (192... CHBX (also commonly known as CTV Northern Ontario) is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Sault Ste. ... CJIC, broadcasting on channel 2, was a private affiliate of CBC Television in Sault Ste. ... Greater Sudbury (2001 census population 155,219) is a city in Northern Ontario. ... CICI (also commonly known as CTV Northern Ontario) is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. ... CKNC is a former Canadian television station, which broadcast in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. ... Timmins, with a population of 42,997 (2006), is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. ... CITO (also commonly known as CTV Northern Ontario) is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Timmins, Ontario. ... CFCL-TV was a Canadian television station, which was the CBC Television affiliate in Timmins, Ontario. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Diversity Our Strength Image:Toronto, Ontario Location. ... CFTO-TV (now identifying as CTV Toronto) is a television station, licensed to, and serving Toronto, Canada, and surrounding areas. ... Wheatley is a small town in Southwestern Ontario, within the municipality of Chatham-Kent. ... CHWI, A-Channel Windsor (formerly known as The New WI) is a television station owned by CHUM Limited. ... Wingham (2001 census population 2885) is a community located in the Canadian province of Ontario at a Latitude of 43°53 North and a Longitude of 81°18 West. ... CKNX (formerly known as The New NX) is a television station owned by CHUM Limited which serves mid-western Ontario. ... Yorkton is a city in the south-east of Saskatchewan, Canada, near the Manitoba border. ... CICC (also commonly known as CTV Yorkton) is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. ... CKOS is a former Canadian television station, which broadcast in Yorkton, Saskatchewan on VHF channel 5. ...

Footnotes