Télé-Québec: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Provincial public broadcaster in QuebecCanada}}

| callsign = Télé-Québec

| branding = Télé-Québec

The '''{{lang|fr|italic=no|Société de télédiffusion du Québec}}''' ({{IPA-|fr|sɔsjete də teledifyzjiɔ̃ dy kebɛk|lang}}; {{lang-langx|en|'''Quebec Television Broadcasting Corporation'''}}), branded as '''{{lang|fr|italic=no|Télé-Québec}}''' ({{IPA-|fr|telekebɛk|lang}}) (formerly known as '''{{lang|fr|italic=no|Radio-Québec}}'''), is a [[Television in Canada|Canadian]] [[Canadian French|French-language]] [[public television|public]] [[educational television|educational]] [[television network]] in the province of [[Quebec]]. It is a provincial [[Crown corporation]] owned by the [[Government of Quebec]]. The network's main studios and headquarters are located at the corner of de Lorimier Street and [[René Lévesque Boulevard|East René Lévesque Boulevard]] in [[Montreal]].

Télé-Québec is equivalent to [[Ontario]]'s [[TVOntario]] and their French counterpart [[TFO]], and [[British Columbia]]'s [[Knowledge Network]], and similar to the American Public Broadcasting Service ([[PBS]]) and its affiliated state networks, in that it is somewhat modest in scope, runs mostly educational or cultural programming, and does not try to compete with privately owned television networks or with the [[Ici Radio-Canada Télé]] network owned and operated by the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]. However, unlike TFO and the anglophone educational networks, it does runruns commercials during its programming.

All programming on Télé-Québec is in French, although there are a few shows and movies that are presented in the original language (predominantly English), with French subtitles.

Télé-Québec is one of the partners in the [[TV5 Québec Canada]] and [[TV5Monde]] consortiums. It also had a 25% stake in the French-Canadian arts specialty channel, {{lang|fr|italic=no|[[Ici ARTV]]}}, which it sold to the CBC in 2010.

However, it never got beyond the planning stages until February 22, 1968, when the [[Daniel Johnson Sr.]] administration created a new public broadcasting agency, "Radio-Québec", under the auspices of the [[Ministry of Education, Recreation and SportsHigher Education (Quebec)|Ministry of Education]]. Shortly afterward, the first Radio-Québec program, a radio program on the history of Canada called ''{{lang|fr|En montant la rivière''}}, was produced. Produced later that year was its first television program, ''{{lang|fr|[[Les Oraliens]]''}}, where space aliens taught kids how to properly pronounce French words and phrases properly.

In 1969, a new law was passed by the [[National Assembly of Quebec]], creating {{lang|fr|italic=no|l'Office de radio-télédiffusion du Québec}} ("Quebec Office of Radio and Television Broadcasting"), where Radio-Québec was placed.

Radio-Québec began broadcasting on its own on September 1, 1972, as a cable channel, which broadcast evenings on [[Community channeltelevision in (Canada)|community channels]] in Montreal and Quebec City, then expanded in 1973 to [[Hull, Quebec|Hull]], Gatineau and Sherbrooke. As a cable network, Radio-Québec was generally on the air weeknights from 8 pm to 10 pm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=161389.0 |title=Radio Discussions |access-date=5 November 5, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708214324/http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=161389.0 |archive-date=July 8, 2012 }}</ref> The network of over-the-air transmitters was launched on January 19, 1975, with the sign-ons of '''CIVM-TV''' in Montreal and '''CIVQ-TV''' in Quebec City, making its programming available to an even wider audience. In its early days after the terrestrial network began, Radio-Québec would provide week-delay videotapes of its programming line-up to cable systems in communities not served by a Radio-Québec station. Some Radio-Québec programs were also seen on most [[Ici Radio-Canada Télé|Radio-Canada]] stations, not only in Quebec, but throughout Canada as well; this arrangement continued into the 1980s.<ref>[http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,156292.0.html Western British Columbia ''TV Guide'' listings at Radio-Info.com: "Retro: Vancouver/Victoria/Seattle Wed, Nov 9, 1977", November 6, 2009]; listings for CBUFT included ''Les Oraliens'' and ''[[Les 100 tours de Centour]]''. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723114802/http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,156292.0.html |date=July 23, 2011 }}</ref>

In 1977, Radio-Québec opened its third station, '''CIVO-TV''' in Hull, serving the greater [[Ottawa]] area—the station was built after acquiring the facilities of a failed [[TVA (Canadian TV network)|TVA]] affiliate, [[CFVO-TV]].<ref>[http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/index3.html?url=http%3A//www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/television/histories.php%3Fid%3D180%26historyID%3D195 Canadian Communications Foundation: CFVO-TV]. Note: This article contradicts with the [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/index3.html?url=http%3A//www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/television/histories.php%3Fid%3D107%26historyID%3D125 CCF's page for Télé-Québec], which states that the closedown of CFVO-TV and its conversion to CIVO-TV happened in 1976.</ref> That same year, ''{{lang|fr|[[Passe-Partout]]''}} premiered.

In 1979, Radio-Québec's agency was restructured as a provincial crown corporation, {{lang|fr|italic=no|Société de radio-télévision du Québec}} ("Quebec Radio and Television Broadcasting Corporation"). The network had also adopted the slogan, ''{{lang|fr|L'autre télévision''}} ("The other television"). From about 1980 until at leastto 1985, the Radio-Québec theme song that played when the station concluded its broadcast day was sung nightly by pop singer [[Veronique Beliveau]] who was also at the time the official face on television for the [[Simpsons (department store)|Simpsons]] department store chain in Quebec.<ref>{{cite news|title = Quebec's Veronique Beliveau eyes the English market 'Une femme superchic'|newspaper = [[The Globe and Mail]]|location = Toronto|page = S7|last=Lacey |first=Liam|quote=We start by talking about her reputation in Quebec, where Beliveau has been a household face and name for the past 13 years: she is the official face of the Simpsons department store chain on television, and for the past five years she has been the voice that sings the Radio-Quebec theme song as the station ends its broadcast day|date = 5 June 5, 1985}}</ref>

On January 1, 1985, Radio-Québec began providing its programming to its stations and cable systems via satellite, using [[Anik (satellite)|Anik C-3]]. Also that year, the CRTC grantedpermitted Radio-Québec permission to show commercials during some of its programming, initially for a two-year trial run. This authorization became permanent—by the 2002–03 fiscal year, Télé-Québec's revenues from advertising would account for 45.8% of its total revenue.

In 1994, the Quebec government announced budget cuts for Radio-Québec, in which its budget was reduced by $10 million. In 1995, Radio-Québec president Jean Fortier announced that the network was virtually bankrupt. As a result, over 150 staffers were laid off (out of over 750 people employed), with plans for further layoffs to trim the employee count to 300 staffers. Programming produced in-house would either be cancelled or transferred to independent companies. In addition, the network would adopt the "Télé-Québec" name the following year, in 1996,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-0-72-1968-12712-11/index_souvenirs/arts_culture/radio_quebec_uhf|title=CBC Archives|date=10 April 10, 2013|work=cbc.ca|access-date=5 November 5, 2015}}</ref> with the crown corporation renamed as "{{lang|fr|italic=no|Société de télédiffusion du Québec"}}. A proposal for the new Télé-Québec to carry strictly educational programming was never carried out. Instead, it retained its mixed educational-entertainment schedule.

Since August 17, 2018, the children's programs arehave been branded as ''{{lang|fr|Squat''}} for youths and ''{{lang|fr|Coucou''}} for preschoolers, each with its own website and mobile app.

In 2018, Vincent Brousseau-Pouliot's English Language Arts Network (ELAN) filed an intervention to CRTC licence renewals for the service, seeking that Télé-Québec be required to devote 20% of its programming and budget to programs of interest to an anglophone, [[Indigenous peoples in Quebec|indigenous]], and other visible minority communities of Quebec. The proposal called for at least 10% of this quota to be put towards English-language programming.<ref name="2018-12-04"/> The CRTC declined the request, stating that it was beyond the scope of licence renewal, and "should be the subject of a policy proceeding in which broadcasters as a whole are considered.".<ref name="2018-12-04">{{Cite web|url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2018/2018-450.htm|title=CIVM-DT Montréal and its transmitters – Licence renewal|publisher=CRTC|date=December 4, 2018-12-04|access-date=December 4, 2018-12-04}}</ref>

On June 12, 2008, Télé-Québec launched an HD simulcast of its Montréal station CIVM-TV called "{{lang|fr|italic=no|Télé-Québec HD}}". It signed on over the air on channel 27 ([[Virtual channel|PSIP]] 17.1) from [[Olympic Stadium (Montreal)|Olympic Stadium]] in Montreal in January [[2009 in Canadian television|2009]], making CIVM-DT the first educational television station in Canada to broadcast digitally. After the [[DTV in Canada|analogue shutdown and digital conversion]] in Canada, scheduled for August 31, 2011, CIVM-DT will movemoved to channel 26.

A digital terrestrial television transmitter requested and authorized for construction in Quebec City for CIVQ-TV did not sign on until August 2010,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-167.htm|title=A group-based approach to the licensing of private television services|last=Government of Canada|first=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)|date=2010-03-March 22, 2010|website=crtc.gc.ca|access-date=February 1, 2019-02-01}}</ref> weeks before the September 25, 2010, deadline to sign on or file an extension.<ref>[http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2008/db2008-268.htm Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2008-268, 25 September 2008, Société de télédiffusion du Québec, CIVM-DT Montréal - New transmitter in Québec]</ref> That transmitter broadcasts from [[Édifice Marie-Guyart]] in downtown Quebec City on channel 25 ([[Virtualvirtual channel|PSIP]] 15.1). After the digital conversion in 2011, CIVQ moved its digital signal to channel 15.

Télé-Québec intended onto convertingconvert all of its transmitters to digital by the digital transition deadline of August 31, 2011, including its transmitters that are not required to transition by this deadline.

{| class="wikitable sortable" class="wikitable"

! scope="col" | '''Station'''

! scope="col" | '''[[City of licence]]'''

! scope="col" | '''[[ChannelDigital (broadcasting)terrestrial television|ChannelRF]] (digital)'''<ref name="TQC-Digital">[http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwapj/DTV_PLAN_Dec08-e.pdf/$file/DTV_PLAN_Dec08-e.pdf Industry Canada: "DTV Post-Transition Allotment Plan", December 2008] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226060102/http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwapj/DTV_PLAN_Dec08-e.pdf/$file/DTV_PLAN_Dec08-e.pdf |date=February 26, 2009 }}</ref>

! scope="col" | '''[[effective radiated power|ERP]]'''

! scope="col" | '''Transmitter Coordinates'''

! scope="row" | '''CIVA-DT'''

| 12.1

| {{convert|201.1 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

|- style="verticalbackground-aligncolor: top; text-align: left#DFEBF6;"

! scope="row" | '''CIVA-DT-1'''

| 8.1

| {{convert|219.6 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

! scope="row" | '''CIVB-DT'''

| 22.1

| {{convert|460.5 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

|- style="verticalbackground-aligncolor: top; text-align: left#DFEBF6;"

! scope="row" | '''CIVB-DT-1'''

| [[Mont Grand-Fonds]]{{efn|Broadcast from [[Mont Grand-Fonds]]; serving [[La Malbaie]] and [[Baie-Saint-Paul]].}}

| 31.1

| {{convert|508.0 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

! scope="row" | '''CIVC-DT'''

| 45.1

| {{convert|398.1 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

! scope="row" | '''CIVF-DT'''

| [[Baie-Trinité, Quebec]]{{efn|Also covers [[Baie-TrinitéComeau]].}}

| 12.1

| {{convert|148.2 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

! scope="row" | '''CIVG-DT'''

| 9.1

| {{convert|218.9 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

| Signed on Fall {{dts|1982|11|5}}

! scope="row" | '''CIVK-DT'''

| [[Carleton-sur-Mer|Carleton]]{{efn|Signal also covers [[Campbellton, New Brunswick]]}}

| 15.1

| {{convert|459.0 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

|- style="verticalbackground-aligncolor: top; text-align: left#DFEBF6;"

! scope="row" | '''CIVK-DT-1'''

| [[Port-Daniel–Gascons|Gascons]]{{efn|Signal also covers the [[Acadian Peninsula]].}}

| 32.1

| {{convert|200.9 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

|- style="verticalbackground-aligncolor: top; text-align: left#DFEBF6;"

! scope="row" | '''CIVK-DT-2'''

| [[Percé, Quebec|Percé]]

| 40.1

| {{convert|405.4 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

| Signed on in {{dts|1984}}

|- style="verticalbackground-aligncolor: top; text-align: left#DFEBF6;"

! scope="row" | '''CIVK-DT-3'''

| 35.1

| {{convert|424.5 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

| Signed on in {{dts|1984}}

|- style="verticalbackground-aligncolor: top; text-align: left#bdbdff;"

! scope="row" | '''CIVM-DT'''

| 17.1

| {{convert|170.6 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

! scope="row" | '''CIVO-DT'''

| 30.1

| {{convert|358.0 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

! scope="row" | '''CIVP-DT'''

| [[Chapeau, Quebec|Chapeau]]{{efn|Signal also covers [[Pembroke, Ontario]].}}

| 23.1

| {{convert|98.6 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

! scope="row" | '''CIVQ-DT'''

| [[Quebec City]]{{efn|Broadcasts from [[Édifice Marie-Guyart]].}}

| 15.1

| {{convert|191.4 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

! scope="row" | '''CIVS-DT'''

| 24.1

| {{convert|598.3 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

! scope="row" | '''CIVV-DT'''

| [[Saguenay, Quebec|Saguenay]]{{efn|Broadcast from [[Mount Valin]]; was licensed to [[Chicoutimi]] prior to 2002.}}

| 8.1

| {{convert|593.8 |m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

Télé-Québec (and its predecessor, Radio-Québec) was also assigned channel 2 in [[Rivière-du-Loup]], channel 10 in Lithium Mines, and channel 21 in [[Mont-Laurier]]. As of 2009, service has yet to begin in these communities; in addition, it had later lost its channel 2 slot at Rivière-du-Loup, after that channel was reallocated to Quebec City ([[CFAP-DT|CFAP-TV]]) and Rimouski ([[CJBR-DT|CJBR-TV]]). It is also unknown if the Lithium Mines transmitter was replaced by, or provided secondary service of, CIVA-TV, the Télé-Québec outlet serving nearby Val-d'Or.

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVM-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVF-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVK-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVP-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVO-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVQ-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVB-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVA-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVV-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVG-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVS-TVDT}}

* {{RecnetCanada|CIVC-TVDT}}