CKST-DT, virtual channel 11 (digital UHF channel 17) is a Citytv owned-and-operated station located in Saskatoon. It is one of two stations that simulcasts Citytv Saskatchewan. It is the second oldest Citytv station, behind sister station CHAB-DT in Moose Jaw/Regina, and it predates CITY-TV by a year, when it opened in 1971.
History[]
The CBC years[]
As early as 1967, attempts for a CBC station in Saskatoon were underway. CFQC, the CBC station at the time, wished to change to CTV. However, the federal government declined an application for a new CBC station in Saskatoon.
Eventually, the CRTC finally approved a new station for the city, when CFQC became a full time CTV affiliate. However, throughout its 41-year history, it was not a stand-alone station, but a repeater for CBK(R)T(-DT). CBKST was ultimately launched at 5:30 pm on October 17, 1971.
Like most local CBC stations, it aired its own commercials and newscasts. The station's studios were located in the fifth Floor of the CN Towers (Now the Towers at Midtown since 2006). It was temporarily knocked off the air, when a several-tonnes chunk of concrete block fell off the office and hitting the mall, killing one person.
Budget cuts in 1990 drew back the stations staff and cancelled its evening newscast. In the early 2000s, it moved to its studios to the Hutchinson building, a few blocks away from the CN towers, and shared its facilities with then-sister station CBKFT.
In 2002, the CBC purchased Prince Albert based station CKBI from CTVglobemedia (Parent company of CTV), and became a rebroadcaster of CBKST. Also, according to that year's edition (and in previous editions), CBKST had ties to the network's longest running import Coronation Street, which in May 31st, 1971 it purchased 1,144 episodes from Grenada Television (Now ITV Grenada). Even after transfer to digital and Citytv, it still aired episodes from there until 2015, and again since 2017.
The fall of CBKST, and the rise of CKST-DT[]
In 2011, the CBC originally planned to close down both CBKST and CBKFT-1 by August 31, 2011. This was due to Saskatoon being a mandatory digital market designated by the CRTC. The CBC did not wish to convert these two into digital, however they were kept on the air. The following year, the federal government handed the CBC budget cuts, and the company decided to close its 620 analog transmitters, including CBKST. Fortunately, the CRTC denied that decision, and told the CBC to sell all their 620 transmitters.
On July 1, 2012, the CRTC approved CBKST to be sold to Rogers, and become a Citytv station on August 1. On that day, it moved networks, converted to digital, and changed its call sign to CKST-DT. All of CKST’s rebroadcasters became either CTV or Global. It was the only Citytv station throughout the entire province until CHAB dropped its Global affiliation during digital transition, being a Citytv station in the progress.