OMNI Television
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OMNI Television is a Canadian television brand owned and operated by Rogers Communications. It is used for the company's conventional television stations, which are licensed either as multicultural or religious stations. "OMNI" is not an acronym, however press references to the brand are generally in all-caps.
The two OMNI-branded multicultural TV stations are CFMT (OMNI.1, Channel 47 in Toronto, Ontario) and CJMT (OMNI.2, Channel 69 in Toronto). CFMT airs programming targeted to Toronto's European and Caribbean language communities, while CJMT airs programming in Asian and African languages. Five nights a week, news is aired in Cantonese, Mandarin, English (for the South Asian edition), Portuguese, and Italian. On weekends, magazine programs air in at least 20 additional languages. The news programming consists of both Canadian news translated into the language, and news feeds from countries in which the language is natively spoken. Both stations also air considerable English language commercial programming, including the nightly soap opera Metropia.
Rogers also owns two religious TV stations, namely CHNU (OMNI.10, Channel 66 in Vancouver, British Columbia) and CIIT (OMNI.11, Channel 35 in Winnipeg, Manitoba). Both are religious stations which were acquired in 2005 from Trinity Television, which used the NOWTV brand. CIIT was launched on February 6, 2006; after Rogers had already bought Trinity Television.
While there is certainly a difference in the nature of service of multicultural and religious stations, both classes of stations can air many of the same types of programmes. CHNU had previously aired many of the same types of syndicated sitcoms and multicultural programs aired regularly on the OMNI stations in Toronto, and the Toronto stations carry some religious teaching programs.
There are no plans to change the programming on any of the stations to match the others' programs — indeed, Vancouver already has multicultural station CHNM, while the Toronto area has religious station CITS, and both would likely seek reprisals should the OMNI stations intrude further on their territorial format turf. Indeed, both stations filed interventions with the CRTC opposing Rogers' acquisition of the NOWTV stations. However, the rebrand will likely allow cost savings for promotions and for the acquisition of the general-entertainment programs all of the OMNI stations have used to generate most of their revenues.
At least one OMNI-produced program, the interview series The Standard, produced and aired nightly by CHNU, is available in all three areas served by OMNI stations.
[edit] OMNI Television Stations
| Call Sign | Analog Channel | Digital Channel | City/Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFMT | 47 | 64 | Toronto |
| CJMT | 69 | 44 | Toronto |
| CHNU | 66 | -- | Fraser Valley Regional District/Surrey/Vancouver |
| CIIT | 35 | -- | Winnipeg |
[edit] External link
| Broadcast television networks and systems in Canada |
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English networks/systems: CBC | CTV | Global | CH | Citytv | A-Channel |
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French networks: Radio-Canada | TQS | TVA |
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Multi-language networks/systems: OMNI | APTN |
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Provincial educational networks: TVO · TFO · ACCESS · SCN · Knowledge Network · Télé-Québec |
| See Also: Local Canadian TV Stations | Local American TV Stations (K) | Local American TV Stations (W) | North American TV | Canadian networks | American networks | Mexican networks | Superstations | List of local television stations in North America | Local Mexican TV Stations | List of American Over-The-Air Networks | Template:Insular Areas TV | List of Canadian Over-The-Air Networks |
