SD&G – If you still watch CTV Ottawa on an old TV set through an antenna on channel 8, your days are numbered.
In its licence renewal application, Bell Media has asked the CRTC for permission to shut down just over 40 analog transmitters across the country.
That includes one of the largest in terms of power – the 260,000 watt CJOH-TV-8 Cornwall retransmitter. The site doesn’t transmit a high definition signal.
Bell Media had promised to keep the transmitters on the air through 2017 as part of its deal to buy Astral Media.
The broadcaster argues that the transmitters are costing more to operate than they’re worth in viewership.
Bell Media’s TV licence expires at the end of August.
The CRTC is accepting comments on the proposal here (the application is 2016-0012-2) until Aug. 15, 2016.