CFCL-TV
| Timmins, Ontario Canada | |
|---|---|
| Channels | Analog: 6 (VHF); also heard on 87.7 MHz on the FM broadcast band |
| Branding | MCTV CBC |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | CBC, Radio-Canada |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| Sister stations | CITO-TV |
| History | |
| First air date | June 21, 1956 |
| Last air date | October 27, 2002 |
| Call sign meaning | Conrad Lavigne (original owner) |
| Technical information | |
| ERP | 100 kW |
| HAAT | 174.6 m (573 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 48°32′49″N 80°57′9″W / 48.54694°N 80.95250°W Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed. |
| Translator(s) | see § Translators |
| Links | |
CFCL-TV (channel 6) was a television station in Timmins, Ontario, Canada, that has operated since June 21, 1956, as a bilingual affiliate of the CBC Television and Radio-Canada networks, broadcasting on VHF channel 6 with an effective radiated power of up to 100,000 watts. The station, owned initially by J. Conrad Lavigne Enterprises Ltd., served a remote area of Northern Ontario, producing up to 28 hours of local live programming weekly from modest facilities, including news, music, cooking shows, and community events tailored to English and French audiences as well as diverse ethnic groups. Despite early skepticism about its viability in a sparsely populated region, CFCL-TV quickly grew its audience, reaching 16,000 viewers by late 1956 and covering approximately 150,000 people through rebroadcasters like CFCL-TV-1 in Kapuskasing and CFCL-TV-2 in Kirkland Lake.
Founded by J. Conrad Lavigne, a former nightclub performer who had launched CFCL-AM radio in 1951 as Ontario's first French-language station, CFCL-TV pioneered innovations such as Canada's initial VHF rebroadcaster and an extensive private microwave network spanning over 2,000 miles by 1972, which facilitated CBC program distribution in isolated communities. Ownership changed hands multiple times amid economic challenges: acquired by Mid-Canada Communications in 1980, sold to Baton Broadcasting (later CTV Inc.) in 1990, and ultimately transferred to the CBC in 2002, which converted it into a rebroadcaster of Toronto's CBLT-DT, ending all local operations. Notable programming included bilingual newscasts, children's shows like "Ruff & Reddy," and cultural series such as "Northern Neighbors," while experiments like underground broadcasting for miners in 1957 highlighted its role in connecting remote audiences.
