This article is about the television channel in Alberta. For the American infomercial channel, please see Access Television Network.

Access (styled ACCESS) is a Canadian English language privately owned educational television channel in the province of Alberta. It is owned by CTVglobemedia.

The channel is a "satellite-to-cable undertaking" ^[1] with two terrestrial transmitters, CJAL-TV (channel 9) in Edmonton, where the channel's main studios are located, and CIAN-TV (channel 13) in Calgary. Access is also available throughout Alberta on cable, on the Bell ExpressVu satellite service on Channel 267, and on Star Choice Channel 351.

Access airs a variety of educational and informative programs along with entertainment programs all of which include children's programs, documentaries, feature films, talk shows, dramas, comedies and more. Since August 2008, Access has officially been considered part of the A system during selected primetime hours, although it has retained the "Access" name, and its educational mandate limits the amount of A programming it can air.

Programming

Access produces, promotes and delivers television-based multimedia learning opportunities to learners of all ages, in partnership with Alberta Learning, educational institutions and educators. Many of the programs, including all of the dramas, are connected to and promote formal courses of study offered by the province's universities and colleges or the formal learning objectives of Alberta Learning.

History

Access was launched on June 30, 1973 by the Alberta government through the Alberta Educational Communications Corporation (AECC). At this time Access was only available through cable and not over-the-air.

On January 9, 1984, AECC was granted a licence from the CRTC for a television station in Calgary (CIAN) and on December 1, 1986, AECC was granted another licence for a television station in Edmonton (CJAL) to rebroadcast the programs from CIAN.

In 1993, the Government of Alberta undertook a re-evaluation of all provincially-funded activities, and announced that it would not provide direct funding for Access beyond 1994.

In 1995, Access was privatized and sold to Learning and Skills Television of Alberta Limited (60% owned by CHUM Limited) and in February 2005, CHUM Limited acquired the remaining 40% interest in Learning & Skills Television of Alberta Ltd. (and renamed it access media group), giving the company 100% of its shares including Access.

On July 12 2006, CTVglobemedia announced that it would make a friendly takeover bid to buy CHUM Limited.^[2] Due to CTVgm's plans to keep CTV and Citytv, Rogers Communications was expected to purchase Access (along with CHUM's A-Channel stations, CKX-TV in Brandon, Canadian Learning Television and SexTV: The Channel) as announced on April 9, 2007, pending Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approval (and approval of CTV's purchase). With the CRTC electing to force CTV to sell the Citytv stations instead, the Rogers deal was rendered void and as such CTV retained Access along with CHUM's A-Channel stations, CKX-TV in Brandon and all of CHUM's specialty channels, and sold the Citytv stations to Rogers. The takeover transaction was finalized on June 22, 2007.

Station presentation

<gallery perrow="3"> Image:Access Logo 1.jpg|Access logo from the 1970s Image:Access TV Alberta-3.gif|Access logo from the 1980s and 1990s. Image:ACCESS TV former logo.gif|Former logo used during the early 2000s Image:Access Television.png|Former logo, 2006-2008. </gallery>

References

See also

• List of Canadian television channels

External links

• Access