Canterbury Television

CTV – Canterbury Television
Current CTV logo
CountryNew Zealand
Broadcast areaCanterbury
Headquarters12 Venture Place
Christchurch
Programming
Picture format16:9
Ownership
OwnerStar Media
Sister channelsVTV Visitor Television
History
LaunchedJune 1991
Former namesCHTV, NOW TV
Links
WebsiteCTV [dead link]
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital (Ceased 16 December 2016 11:59pm NZDT)Freeview Channel 40
Canterbury
Analogue (Ceased 28 April 2013 2:00am NZST)UHF Channel 48, 687.25 MHz (later channel 44 655.25 MHz) from Sugarloaf
The CTV building in 2004

Canterbury Television was an independent television station broadcasting in Canterbury, New Zealand.

The name is synonymous with regional television in New Zealand as it was the name of the first regional broadcaster to operate in New Zealand. CTV produced and screened more than twenty hours of locally based programming every week. It also screened overseas programming from Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera. It was broadcast from the Sugarloaf transmitter on the Port Hills. The transmitter, on UHF channel 48, was an NEC 2kW transmitter and the radiated EIRP was 25kW.

On 22 February 2011 Christchurch was hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake and the CTV Building collapsed killing 16 staff members and destroying all of CTV's equipment. On 18 April 2011 CTV resumed service in a new base location at the Mainland Press building in the Christchurch suburb of Harewood.

As of 18 March 2013, CTV commenced digital free-to-air transmissions on Freeview logical channel 40. CTV was also on Vodafone Channel 199. The station ceased broadcasting on Friday, 16 December 2016 at midnight. CTV now operates as a web-based platform as of 19 December 2016 under the Star Media brand.

History

In 1999, yet to be signed New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra performed on CTV. The appearance led to her being signed by Universal Music Group New Zealand.

In 2002, NowTV (formerly known as CHTV) and CTV merged, headquartered into the NowTV Building.

In 2006, CTV was the chief sponsor of the Canterbury United soccer team.

Today in Canterbury, a nightly news programme, started in March 2008.

In late 2008 CTV gained popularity with the New Zealand professional wrestling promotion Impact Pro Wrestling airing IPW Ignition weekly. The first episode premiered on 5 October 2008.

In March 2009, CTV started screening Graham Kerr's Kitchen and Nick Stellino's Cucina Amore, half-hour cooking programmes from the 1990s.

In September 2010, the CTV Building had received superficial damage in the 4 September earthquake, but was "given a clean bill of health" by structural engineers, according to the owners.[1] Nevertheless, it collapsed in the February 2011 earthquake, resulting in the greatest single source of loss of life in that earthquake. The building had been built around 1986 (although reports of the building's construction date vary: Chip Le Grand of The Australian said – possibly confusing it with the older CHTV3 building – 1960;[2] a 1 March 2011 NZPA report said 1991 or shortly before;[3] and a 4 March 2011 New Zealand Herald editorial said 1972[4]).

On 18 April 2011, CTV was back on air at 5.30 pm for the first time since February's earthquake.[5] The station began with a two-hour broadcast of news and then another hour of interviews with people involved in the earthquake recovery. Shows would screen nationwide on Māori Television the day after each CTV broadcast.[5]

On 18 March 2013, CTV joined Freeview, broadcasting from Sugarloaf, Christchurch on Channel 40. They extended their reach to South Canterbury on 1 June 2013, broadcasting from Cave Hill, Timaru.

CTV was bought by Star Media in August 2015 and relocated to the company's premises in Middleton.

2011 Christchurch earthquake

The CTV Building post-earthquake (24 February 2011)

The six-story CTV Building[1] located at 249 Madras Street, on the Cashel Street corner (43°31′58″S 172°38′33″E / 43.532751°S 172.6424°E / -43.532751; 172.6424), collapsed in the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake[6] and CTV lost transmission. CTV's main studios were destroyed and the building's lift cavity, the main part of the structure left upright, caught fire. On 23 February, police decided that the damage was not survivable, and rescue efforts at the building were suspended. Initially more than 100 people were believed to have died in the building. Fire-fighting and recovery operations resumed that evening.[7] Of the 166 confirmed dead by 12 March 2011, 94 were recovered from the CTV building.[8][9] Many of the dead and missing were faculty and students at the King's Education school for English language, located on the third floor of the CTV building.[10] King's drew students from Asia and elsewhere.[11] The school was attempting to provide as much information as possible to families.[12]

The Port Hills transmitters were understood to be undamaged. CTV's sister channel VTV (Visitors Television) also ceased broadcasting because of the quake.

CTV's website was still functioning immediately after the earthquake, but was later replaced with this statement:

The building that housed the operations of Canterbury Television was destroyed in the earthquake of February 22, 2011. Many of our staff are missing and lives have been lost. The thoughts and heartfelt sympathies of those who remain go out to the families and friends of our missing colleagues, and to all in Christchurch who are missing or have lost a loved one in this tragedy.[13]

A coronial inquest into the CTV building's collapse reported back to the Government in December 2012, one month later than expected,[14] finding the building's design was deficient and should not have been approved.

Past presenters

  • Sue Wells – host of Susan Sells
  • Phil Gifford – Co-host of 'Gifford and Balani'
  • Jo Giles – host of 'Shopping with Jo' and 'In Depth' (died in the 2011 Canterbury earthquake)
  • Jim Hopkins – host of The Knackered Chef, Jim Hopkins Tonight and A Smattering of Ominions

References

  1. ^ a b Chapman, Kate (2 March 2011). "CTV building's owners welcome collapse inquiry". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  2. ^ Le Grand, Chip (28 February 2011). "Demolition work at CTV tower an issue for quake inquiry". The Australian. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  3. ^ "CTV building owners welcome inquiry, death toll now at 155". The New Zealand Herald. 1 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Editorial: Quake work needs limits and balance". The New Zealand Herald. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  5. ^ a b "CTV back on air". kiwinewsonline.co.nz. 19 April 2011. Archived from the original on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  6. ^ "More bodies expected to be pulled from CTV building". 3news.co.nz. 22 February 2011. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  7. ^ "Christchurch quake toll 75, dozens missing". Stuff.co.nz. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  8. ^ Morgan, Jared (12 March 2011). "Christchurch earthquake death toll still not clear". The Press. stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  9. ^ Madden, James; Callick, Rowan (5 March 2011). "'We don't use the word dead' – Japan goes in where others give up hope". perthnow.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  10. ^ Steven Joyce (24 February 2011). "Govt expresses grave concern for Kings Education missing". www.beehive.govt.nz. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  11. ^ "Iconic Christchurch CTV building becomes a tomb Archived 1 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine". The Seattle Times. 25 February 2011.
  12. ^ Post 22 February 2011 earthquake update Archived 10 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine. King's Education.
  13. ^ CTV website Retrieved on 24 February 2011 ≈11:55 (UTC)
  14. ^ "CTV coronial inquest restarts 13 months on". 3 News NZ. 29 October 2012. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Canterbury Television.
  • CTV, Canterbury Television
  • The Story of CTV on the Close Up show http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/story-ctv-5-49-video-4039315
  • Impact Pro Wrestling – IPW: New Zealand Pro Wrestling's Leading Promotion
  • 3News, "One of the saddest scenes – Canterbury TV – Video", 23 February 2011
  • "The Story of CTV" www.stuff.co.nz, 28 February 2011
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