TORONTO – New no longer, CHUM Television’s “Newnets” will cease to be on Tuesday, August 2nd.
As previously reported by www.cartt.ca, CHUM Television’s local stations The New VR (Barrie/Toronto), The New RO (Ottawa/Pembroke), The New PL (London), The New WI (Windsor), The New NX (Wingham) and BC station The New VI (Victoria/Vancouver) will be renamed A-Channels, effective Tuesday, August 2nd, 2005.
(As well, on the same day, the recently acquired A-Channels in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary will become Citytvs)
According to the company the local mandate of each station will remain unchanged, even if some of the programming won’t. Each station will “continue to serve their viewers with locally-focused programming and strong community involvement, with an increased emphasis on their own local daily morning shows and evening news programs. Viewers will also see a new look and style as the stations share a common name, creative elements, and programming specifically produced and acquired for the group,” says CHUM’s press release today.
Viewers will notice the following changes:
"A-Channel Morning" – Ottawa, London (Windsor/Wingham) and Victoria: "A Channel Morning" viewers in Ottawa and London will see a fresh look and new features and a highly localized "enriched" television screen. The enriched screen will provide simultaneous and continuous streams of "information at a glance", giving viewers "up-to-the-minute" information including date, time, current weather conditions, the day’s forecast, traffic flow and news headlines, says the release.
A-Channel (Barrie/Toronto) will continue to feature Citytv’s "BT-BreakfastTelevision" starting at 6 a.m., but with more frequent local updates. A-Channel (Barrie/Toronto) is in the process of adding additional news bureaus in Vaughan and Markham, as part of expanded coverage in York Region, including exclusive, real time information for commuters from VIVA, the expanded transit system serving York Region.
"A-Channel News at 6" and "A-Channel News at 11": Resources have been expanded for its newly named and creatively formatted local newscasts, says the company. “With a new approach and fresh ideas, each local newscast remains focused on the issues of the day and the effect they have on the lives and families in their individual communities,” says the release.
"A-Channel News" Victoria/Vancouver will launch "A-Channel News at 5", a two-hour comprehensive evening newscast.
A new A-Channel web site (www.Achannel.ca) will also go live on August 2nd to support the new television brands. Visitors to the A-Channel homepage area will get "at a glance" information about major programming initiatives, special events and news. Navigation areas within the site make it easy for viewers to access information relevant to their own market with localized program schedules, show information, extended news coverage (including weather and lottery numbers) as well as information on your favorite on-air personalities, community events, message boards, contest and promotions.
A-Channel Fall Programming (premiering in September) will include more popular fare, too, with "Supernanny," the hit series starring Jo Frost as the ‘miracle worker’ nanny; the addition of "Hope and Faith", the hit sitcom starring Kelly Ripa and Faith Ford; "Hot Properties," a new comedy about four women in the Manhattan real estate market; and "Just Legal", a new dramatic series from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Returning shows include "America’s Funniest Videos"; "7th Heaven", now celebrating its 10th season; "Everwood", a family drama starring Treat Williams and Gregory Smith; and "Monk", starring Tony Shaloub as a obsessive-compulsive detective.
