Definition
As the term "television system" has no set legal definition, and as most audiences and broadcasters usually refer to groups of stations with common branding and programming as "networks" regardless, the distinction between the two entities is often not entirely clear, and indeed the term is rarely discussed outside the Canadian broadcasting enthusiast community. In the latter regard, however, a group of Canadian stations is currently considered a "network" if it satisfies at least one of the following:
- it operates under a network licence (either national or, in the case of Quebec where the majority of Canada's francophones reside, provincial) issued by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Five such networks currently operate: CBC, Radio-Canada, TVA, APTN, and V (a provincial network in Quebec).
- it has at least near-complete national over-the-air coverage of Canada's major population centres. Two additional station groups meet this criterion: CTV and Global.
If the group of stations does not match at least one of these criteria, it would then be classified as a "system".
In current practice, a television system may be either:
- a small group of stations with common branding, such as Citytv, CTV Two, or Omni, or
- a regional group of stations within a larger network, such as CTV Atlantic, CTV Northern Ontario, or CBC North, which are legally licensed as multiple stations but effectively act as a single station for programming, branding, and advertising sales purposes.
Note that a single originating station serving multiple markets within the same province or region is neither a network nor a system; it is merely a station. For example, independent station CHCH-DT Hamilton has rebroadcasters in various parts of Ontario but carries the same newscasts and advertising, targeting Hamilton and surrounding areas, province-wide.
Systems are differentiated from networks primarily by their less extensive service area — while a network will serve most Canadian broadcast markets in some form, a system will typically serve only a few markets. As well, a system may or may not offer some classes of programming, such as a national newscast, which are typically provided by a network.
Finally, with regards to "primary" systems, the amount of common programming on participating stations may be variable. While Citytv and CTV Two generally have programming and scheduling practices similar to networks (with variations required for specific stations licensed under educational or ethnic formats), the programming and scheduling of Omni, CTS, and Joytv stations often differs greatly between stations, with the system sometimes serving mainly as a common format and brand positioning, but providing limited common programming.
Television systems should not be confused with twinsticks, although some individual stations might be part of both types of operations simultaneously.
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