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By Troy Gillard

end of an era

10 years since Red Deer’s TV station went off the air

Aug 31, 2019 | 8:00 AM

It’s been 10 years since Red Deer’s first, and so far only, local television station went off the air.

Screens went dark on CHCA-TV on Aug. 31, 2009 after 62 years of broadcasting.

In 1955, the Central Alberta Broadcasting Co. Ltd., owner of CKRD-AM, applied for a television licence but was denied.

Two years later, Fred Bartley’s CHCA (The “CA” representing “Central Alberta”) Television Ltd. received a television licence on August 1. The station hit the air on Dec. 11 as a basic CBC affiliate.

In September 1965, CHCA-TV became CKRD-TV and the following year moved downtown, next door to its sister radio station.

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CKRD Radio and Television studios, on Gaetz Avenue, north of 53 Street, 1967. (Caption: Michael Dawe, Photo: Waskasoo Camera Club)

The station was sold to Henry Flock and Gordon Spackman in 1969 and again to Medicine Hat-based Monarch Broadcasting in 1976 and in 1978 was authorized to increase its power from 13,200 watts to 56,000 watts.

CKRD-TV, popularly known as RDTV, moved to new studios and offices on Bremner Avenue in 1981.

The exterior of the CHCA television studios on the Divide Hill east of Red Deer, 1963. (Caption: Michael Dawe, Photo: Red Deer and District Archives P4075)

Several more ownership changes came starting in 1989 when it was purchased by Allarcom, which merged with WIC in 1991 before being purchased by Canwest in 2000.

On September 5, 2005, the station disaffiliated from the CBC and changed its call letters back to the original CHCA.

The station remained on the air until Canwest announced on July 22, 2009 it would be closing the following month.

The new CKRD Radio and Television stations on Bremner Avenue in Red Deer, 1979. (Caption: Michael Dawe, Photo: Red Deer and District Archives P4069)

The station went off the air for good on August 31, 2009, three days after airing its final newscast.

The history of the TV station is in the process of being preserved after City Council approved $55,000 over two years to have old tapes from CHCA/RDTV digitized and added to the municipal archives.