Shaw Spotlight (formerly Shaw TV) is the name of locally based community channel services operated by cable TV provider Shaw Communications. The channels are available only to Shaw Cable subscribers and are produced in communities throughout western Canada. Each station runs programming produced by staff and/or volunteers. Most stations broadcast a variety of programming, including community interest segments, studio shows, city council meetings, sports,

community bulletin board A community bulletin board (CBB) is a digital signage system via cable television for public, educational, and government access to keep communities up to date of events listings, weather and other news. The electronic bulletin board concept is ...

messages, and

public service announcements A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. In the UK, they are generally called a public information film (PIF); in Hong Kong, ...

. Some programs are aired only locally, while others are aired throughout a province or region.

Shaw Direct Shaw Direct is a direct broadcast satellite television distributor in Canada and a subsidiary of the telecommunications company Shaw Communications. As of 2010, Shaw Direct had over 900,000 subscribers. It broadcasts on Ku band from two commu ...

airs many of the features and shows from "Shaw TV" on channel 299 (or channel 2 depending on the line-up). This channel is not branded as "Shaw TV" but as "Shaw Direct TV". It also airs selected other features relating to Shaw Direct programming such as a PPV (Pay-Per-View) movie preview show called "Movie Loft" and regional news for areas where a local station is not carried (notably CBC Newfoundland & Labrador). In April 2017, Shaw announced that it would shut down its Shaw TV community channels in Calgary,

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, and

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

on August 15, 2017, under new policies allowing television providers that also own terrestrial stations in "metropolitan" markets to redirect funding from their community channels to support the news operations of the terrestrial station (in this case, the

Global Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989 * ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015 * Bruno ...

stations owned by sister company

Corus Entertainment Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian mass media company. Formed in 1999 as a spin-off from Shaw Communications, it has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. It is headquartered at Corus Quay in Toronto, Onta ...

). In late 2018, Shaw TV channels began rebranding as "Shaw Spotlight", as reflected by new on-air graphics, website and social media accounts.

Communities with a Shaw Spotlight community channel

* Campbell River, British Columbia * Castlegar, British Columbia * Courtenay-Comox-Powell River, British Columbia * Cranbrook, British Columbia *

Dryden, Ontario Dryden, originally known as New Prospect, is the second-largest city in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located on Wabigoon Lake. It is the least populous community in Ontario incorporated as a city. The City of Dryden had ...

Fort McMurray, Alberta Fort McMurray ( ) is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It is located in northeast Alberta, in the middle of the Athabasca oil sands, surrounded by boreal forest. It has played a significan ...

Fort St. John, British Columbia Fort St. John is a city located in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The most populous municipality in the Peace River Regional District, the city encompasses a total area of about with 20,155 residents recorded in the 2016 Census. Located ...

Kamloops, British Columbia Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the South flowing North Thompson River and the West flowing Thompson River, east of Kamloops Lake. It is located in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, ...

Kelowna, British Columbia Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''ki ...

Kenora, Ontario Kenora (), previously named Rat Portage (french: Portage-aux-Rats), is a city situated on the Lake of the Woods in Ontario, Canada, close to the Manitoba boundary, and about east of Winnipeg by road. It is the seat of Kenora District. The hist ...

Lethbridge, Alberta Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 101,482 in its 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains contribute to ...

Medicine Hat, Alberta Medicine Hat is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River. It is approximately east of Lethbridge and southeast of Calgary. This city and the adjacent Town of Redcliff to the northwest are withi ...

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians ...

Nanaimo, British Columbia Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "Hub City," which was ...

Port Alberni, British Columbia Port Alberni () is a city located on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The city lies within the Alberni Valley at the head of the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. It is the location of the head offices ...

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada, after Saskatoon and Regina. It is situated near the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because ...

Prince George, British Columbia Prince George is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, with a population of 74,004 in the metropolitan area. It is often called the province's "northern capital" or sometimes the "spruce capital" because it is the hub city for ...

Red Deer, Alberta Red Deer is a city in Alberta, Canada, located midway on the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. Red Deer serves central Alberta, and key industries include health care, retail trade, construction, oil and gas, hospitality, manufacturing and education ...

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as th ...

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is at the St. Mary's River on the Canada–US border. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay. The Ojibwe, the indigenous Anishinaabe inhabitants ...

* Squamish/Whistler, British Columbia *

Thompson, Manitoba Thompson (population 13,678) is the largest city in the Northern Region of Manitoba and is situated along the Burntwood River, north of Winnipeg. Originally founded in 1956 as a mining town, it now primarily serves as the "Hub of the North", ...

Thunder Bay, Ontario Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Community-specific programming

Alberta

Lethbridge

* ''go! Southern Alberta'' - News and information about events and activities in Southern Alberta. * Live sports including WHL Hockey and Canada West University Football until 2016-17. * farm.tv - agricultural events in Southern Alberta. * SACPA - Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs. * A Public Education - stories from the Public Education Board and Schools in South Western Alberta.

British Columbia

Cranbrook/Castlegar

* Shaw TV – Daily programming rotation that focuses on local community events and issues. * ''go! Kootenays'' - News and information about events and activities in the West and East Kootenays. * ''Ice Chips'' - informnation about Kooteany Ice * Russian programming (West Kootenay viewing area) * Live sports including WHL Hockey and Canada West University Football until 2016-17. * Cranbrook City Council - Tape coverage of local City Council meetings. * Sparwood City Council - - Tape coverage of local City Council meetings. * Castlegar City Council - Tape coverage of local City Council meetings. *

Nelson City Council Nelson City Council is a unitary local authority. It has its headquarters in Nelson. History Nelson City Council was created in 1992. Local governance of Nelson began with Nelson Province in 1853, which covered the entire upper South Island ...

- Tape coverage of local City Council meetings. *

Trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...

City Council - Tape coverage of local City Council meetings. *

Grand Forks Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...

City Council - Tape coverage of local City Council meetings.

Kamloops

* ''go! Kamloops'' - News and information about events and activities in Kamloops. * Live sports including WHL Hockey and Canada West University Football until 2016-17.

Kelowna

* ''go! Okanagan'' - News and information about events and activities in Kelowna. * Live sports including WHL Hockey and Canada West University Football until 2016-17. *

Kelowna City Council Kelowna City Council is the governing body of the city of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The council consist of the mayor and eight elected city councillors who represent the city. Municipal elections are held every four years across the Provin ...

- Taped coverage of local City Council meetings. *

Lake Country Lake Country is a district municipality with a population of approximately 15,000 in the Okanagan Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a part of the Central Okanagan Regional District, and of the Kelowna metropolitan area. The city ...

City Council - Taped coverage of local City Council meetings. *

Peachland Peachland is a district municipality in the Okanagan Valley on the west side of Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1899 by John Moore Robinson, although the region had long been home to the Okanagan people. Peachland ...

City Council - Taped coverage of local City Council meetings. *

Penticton Penticton ( ) is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan and Skaha lakes. In the 2016 Canadian Census, its population was 33,761, while its census agglomeration The ce ...

City Council - Taped coverage of local City Council meetings. * Vernon City Council - Taped coverage of local City Council meetings.

Nanaimo

Shaw Cable also operates a separate channel for the residents in Nanaimo,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, also on channel 4. Nanaimo's Shaw TV content contains programming from Port Alberni, Comox Valley, Cowichan Valley, Campbell River, Powell River and Victoria who all also produce their own programmin

Victoria

* Shaw TV South Vancouver Island can be found on channel 4 for Shaw Cable subscribers. It is available from Saltair to Victoria and on some of the Southern Gulf Islands. * Shaw's program ''go! Island'' (formerly ''The Daily'') was a long-running news magazine in Victoria. The show aired everyday on Channel 4 at 6pm. The show ended in early October 2016. * ''Voice of BC'' with Vaughn Palmer. The show airs every Thursdays at 7 PM

Manitoba

Thompson

go! Thompson - Daily programming rotation that focuses on local community events and issues City Council, Norman Northstars Games, City Beat, Northstars Show, Rec 411, School Board, High School Sports

Ontario

Hamilton

Although Shaw provides cable service in parts of the Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton market, regional monopolies in the region are also held by Cogeco and

Source Cable Source Cable (formerly known as Southmount Cable Limited) is one of three main cable television service providers for the city of Hamilton, Ontario. The other two are Rogers Cable (in the former Mountain Cablevision / Shaw territory) and Cog ...

. The three companies jointly operate a single community channel for Hamilton known as Cable 14, so there is no Shaw TV channel proper in the region.

Kenora

In addition to Shaw Spotlight Kenora, Shaw Cablesystems also owned and operated

CJBN-TV CJBN-TV, VHF analogue channel 13, was a Global- affiliated television station licensed to Kenora, Ontario, Canada. The station was owned by Shaw Communications under its cable systems unit, and was not part of the Shaw Media unit which was ...

, a Global station in Kenora.

Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie City Council The Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario is run by a city council of 10 Councillors, representing five Ward (electoral subdivision), wards, and a mayor. Prior to the 2018 Ontario municipal elections, 2018 m ...

– Live or taped coverage of local City Council meetings every 2nd Monday. * OHL Hockey – Live coverage of Soo Greyhounds hockey. Both home (Produced by Shaw Cable live from the

Essar Centre The GFL Memorial Gardens, formerly the "Essar Centre", is a 4,928 seat sports and entertainment centre in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. It opened on September 29, 2006, replacing the now demolished Sault Memorial Gardens. The new b ...

) and away games (Produced by either Rogers or Cogeco). * ''The Northview'' – Wilderness scenes and sounds from throughout the Northern Ontario/Lake Superior region (Tourism information about the Sault and Algoma). * ''go! Sault Ste. Marie'' – News and information about events and activities in Sault Ste. Marie. * Shaw TV Messages – Message rotation that focuses on local community events. * TAMI - Weekly local soap opera

Saskatchewan

Prince Albert

* Prince Albert City Council – Live and taped coverage of local City Council meetings. * Timberline Music Show - Canadian singer songwriters perform original country music, hosted by Larry Krause * Lit Happens - Local showcase of the literary talent of Prince Albert

Saskatoon

Branded as Telecable Ten from 1978 until the late 1980s, the station offered much the same programming as today's Shaw TV, with the exception of greater coverage of local events (including complete Saskatoon Exhibition entertainment performances) and volunteer-made TV series and talk shows. On-air personnel on Shaw TV Saskatoon has included numerous former newscasters and hosts from CFQC-TV. * The Community Producers - A daily programming block with local stories and features produced by volunteers and community groups. * Connect - A weekly interview show exploring topics and issues relevant to the community, hosted by Randy Pshebylo * Cooked! With Shack - Cooking show hosted by Shack, a local radio personality * Lit Happens - A weekly show focusing on the literary arts scene in Saskatchewan, hosted by local storyteller Danica Lorer * Punch TV - The best of Saskatchewan's artists, writers, and other creative types who love comics, anime, pop culture and more *

Saskatoon City Council Saskatoon City Council is the governing body of Saskatoon, the largest city in the central Canadian province of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered ...

– Live broadcast of local city council meetings. * Live sports including high school sports and other local tournaments such as the annual

Bedford Road Invitational Tournament The Bedford Road Invitational Tournament (BRIT) is one of the most prestigious, and largest boys high school basketball tournaments in all of Canada. It takes place every January at Bedford Road Collegiate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The curren ...

* Other long-running special event coverage such as the Saskatoon Exhibition Parade and local Remembrance Day services

Moose Jaw

* Moose Jaw This Week - Long-running weekly local talk/interview show, hosted by Lyle Johnson

Sports

Shaw TV provides local sports coverage. It provided live network sports coverage until the end of the 2016-17 Western Hockey League season. In terms of network coverage, Shaw was in a partnership with the

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...

from 2003-04 through 2016-17 to all subscribers across the network in Western Canada known as

WHL on SHAW WHL may refer to: *Western Hockey League (1925–26), final iteration of the Western Canada Hockey League major pro ice hockey league *Western Hockey League (founded 1966 as CMJHL), a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the ...

. The schedule usually consisted of random games before the December holiday break, with a regular game of the week on Friday nights plus select Saturday and mid week games. In the playoffs, Shaw will select one series per round to cover. Play-by-play broadcasters for the 2012–13 season include Dan Russell and Peter Loubardias. Russell is in his ninth year as play-by-play announcer. Bill Wilms and

Jeff Odgers John Jeffrey Odgers (born May 31, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played over 800 games in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and the Atlanta Thrashers. Mainly an en ...

provide colour commentary, with Andy Neal responsible for hosting duties. In 2006, Shaw added

Canada West The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...

Football as a sports property with a game of the week package known as Krown Produce Canada West Football on Shaw. Shaw carried the Hardy Cup Championship until 2011, when the conference elected to broadcast the game on TSN. The Hardy returned to Shaw from 2013 - 2016. The Shaw TV production produced and presented the Hardy to 10.2 million households in the 2015 season on Global TV nationally.

Jim Mullin Jim Mullin is a Vancouver-based broadcaster, producer and promoter. In June 2019, he was elected as President of Football Canada, the governing body for gridiron football at the amateur level. He was re-elected to the position for a second term ...

was responsible for the play-by-play broadcast duties from 2006 until the series end in 2016. Colour announcers included former Saskatchewan Huskies quarterback

Laurence Nixon Laurence is an English and French given name (usually female in French and usually male in English). The English masculine name is a variant of Lawrence and it originates from a French form of the Latin ''Laurentius'', a name meaning "man from ...

, former

Hec Crighton Trophy The Hec Crighton Trophy (sometimes referred to as the Hec Crighton Award) is awarded annually to the most outstanding Canadian football player in U Sports. The trophy is named after the late Hec Crighton - teacher, coach, referee, and author of t ...

winner and

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

running back

Jesse Lumsden Jesse Lumsden (born August 3, 1982) is a Canadian Olympic bobsledder and a retired Canadian football player, who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders. Career Football Lumsden is the son of former CFL fullba ...

, Saskatoon-based broadcaster Wray Morrison, Krown Countdown U analyst Gord Randall and former CFL player

Daved Benefield Daved Benefield (born February 16, 1968) is a former professional American football player who played thirteen seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for five different teams. He also was a backup at linebacker and defensive end for the Sa ...

. Andy Neal handled the hosting duties. It was announced before the start of the 2012 season that Canada West had renewed their agreement with Shaw for another three seasons. In 2009, Shaw broadcast provincial curling championships for men and women in Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. In 2013, Rogers Sportsnet obtained the rights for Manitoba's and Alberta's playdowns. It was announced by

Curl BC Curl BC is the provincial sport governing body responsible for the development, promotion and organization of curling in British Columbia, Canada. Curl BC is also responsible for the championship system that declares provincial representation at C ...

prior to Shaw's coverage in 2013 that the broadcast rights for BC will move to Sportsnet for 2014. In 2012, Shaw broadcast the CIS Final Eight Women's Basketball Championship a.k.a. The

Bronze Baby The Bronze Baby trophy is awarded to the winning team of the U Sports women's basketball championship, contested among competing Canadian universities. The trophy features a figure that is a replica of a statue that was in the grounds of Dunfermli ...

from the

University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...

and shared the feed with

NBA TV Canada NBA TV Canada is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). It is a Canadian version of NBA TV, broadcasting programming focused on the National Basketball Association, and its Canadian franc ...

. All of Shaw TV's network sports coverage ceased with the CRTC-approved closure of the Shaw TV channels in Calgary, Edmonton, Alberta and Vancouver, British Columbia, and the renaming to Shaw Spotlight.

Controversies

Some concern has been raised about the company putting business interests over public-access/community interests, and has led one community group to consider creating an alternative, independent local public-access service in Vancouver.

References

External links

* {{Sports television in Canada Canadian community channels Shaw Communications