UPDATE: Friday, October 2 — Westman Communications Group has promised to feed the CBC Manitoba (CBWT) signal to CKX’s former spot on the dial, channel 6. Because the station carried CBC programming up until its closure, viewers will still be able to enjoy their favourite syndicated programming, but that won’t include any local Brandon content. To watch clips of the final newscast, click here.
Original story follows below.
It’s almost hard to keep track of all of the developments surrounding Brandon’s CKX-TV, but we’ve reported on all of them as best we can. Now here’s another one — the station will cease operations as of tomorrow.
After originally being put up for sale by CTV, sold to Shaw Communications for one dollar, put back up for sale again, and then sold to Bluepoint Investment Corporation for another dollar, Bluepoint has pulled out.
The latest buyer was to take ownership December 31 pending CRTC approval.
39 people currently work at the station, which will close Friday after the 6 p.m. newscast, a memo to staff read.
No one at Bluepoint returned our call for comment Thursday evening.
———
Local reaction to the decision to shut down the station — which first went on the air in 1955 — has been mixed with shock and tears.
Viewers posting on the website eBrandon.ca have been saying…
Truly a sad day,the end of an era. I remember growing up on the farm as a child and watching the evening news and good ole Ron Thompson on the weather. This really dates myself but just the other day I was looking at my CKX-TV Superman Fan Club member card I had from my childhood. Another black mark against progress.
Awful awful awful news. A mix of anger, shock, confusion and worry. Not just from a personal standpoint, but in the big picture local media diversity is going to take a humungeous blow without CKX.
How will the CBC television signal be transmitted in Brandon? Will there be Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night?
In response to the question about CBC access.. My understanding based on past conversations is that this means 17% of people in this market will lose all access to CBC. In addition to not having local news, they will not get Hockey Night in Canada, The National, and CBC’s other programming. The other 83% will have access to non-local CBC through other affiliates available through their cable provider.
CBC may try to find other ways to get a signal to that 17% (namely CBC Winnipeg), but having a Winnipeg station will never be the same as having a station embedded in and integrated in our community, covering the issues that are important to us. Just brutal. It’s been a couple hours since I heard and I’m still completely shocked.
as a former employee,and i know there are a lot reading this….let us show our support for the current employees and our support for a local TV station ….by showing up at the parking lot of CKX tomorrow night at 6pm. Please there are hundreds of us, let us come and show our respects!
