CHRO
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| CHRO (NewNet) | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Pembroke, Ontario (also serving Ottawa, Ontario) | ||
| Channel 5 (Channel 43 Ottawa) Cable 6 | ||
| Owner | CHUM Limited | |
| Founded | 1961 | |
| Joined NewNet | 1998 | |
| Signal Radius | 662 kW (total) | |
| Former Affiliations | CBC (1961-1991) | |
| Former Callsigns | CHOV (1961-1977) | |
| NewNet System | ||
| CKVR (Barrie) | CHRO (Pembroke) | CHWI (Windsor) |
CHRO or The New RO is a television station owned by CHUM Limited which serves the national capital region of Ontario. It is part of the NewNet system.
While the station is licensed to Pembroke, Ontario, its main studios are located in Ottawa, Ontario, and the Ottawa and Pembroke transmitters are licensed to air some separate advertising targeted to their specific communities.
CHRO was originally a CBC-affiliate owned by Ottawa Valley Broadcasting, who sold it in 1977 to J. Conrad Lavigne's Mid-Canada Communications, which became part of the MCTV system in 1980.
In 1990, Baton Broadcasting acquired the MCTV stations. Due to CHRO's cable carriage in the Ottawa market, this was deemed an ownership conflict for Baton, who already owned Ottawa's CJOH, and would therefore have a twinstick in competition with the CBC's CBOT. However, the station's carriage in Ottawa was also deemed essential to the its survival, since Pembroke was too small a market to support the station on its own.
Thus, CHRO was disaffiliated from the CBC, becoming a CTV affiliate. The CRTC also ordered strict controls on CHRO's programming, so that Baton could not gain unfair audience advantage in Ottawa by airing shows at different times on CHRO and CJOH. Baton eventually became the sole corporate proprietor of CTV.
In 1997, CHRO was one of several stations transferred to CHUM in exchange for the ATV stations in the Maritime provinces. CHRO did not have an over-the-air transmitter in Ottawa until it became a CHUM station.
Both CBC and CTV added rebroadcast transmitters of their Ottawa stations in Pembroke when CHRO was disaffiliated from their networks.
After being acquired by CHUM, CHRO was re-branded to The New RO.