Baton Broadcasting System

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The Baton Broadcasting System (BBS) was a Canadian system of television stations located in Ontario and Saskatchewan. It was owned by Baton Broadcasting. BBS was the successor to two prior (but less publicized) efforts, the Saskatchewan Television Network (STN) and Ontario Network Television (ONT).

Most BBS stations maintained primary affiliation with one of Canada's major networks. Although BBS stations shared some programming as a distinct station group, including the soap opera Family Passions and sports programming such as Toronto Blue Jays games, BBS was a supplementary affiliation and not a separate television network. Most BBS stations were primary affiliates of CTV. However, some BBS stations were private affiliates of the CBC as twinstick operations with CTV stations in the same markets (eg. MCTV).

In communities where a Baton-owned CBC station was the sole station in the market, Baton disaffiliated the stations from the CBC. CFPL and CKNX became independents, but CHRO was reaffiliated with CTV. CHWI was opened by Baton in 1993 as an independent station.

The BBS brand was suggested by a consulting company, as a so-called "backup" for Baton Broadcasting if its acquisition spree failed to gain control of CTV. A logo was created for the system, adapted from the CFTO "multicoloured iris" logo with the station call letters positioned beneath.

Baton acquired control of additional stations in Alberta in the late 1990s, which may have briefly used the BBS name. However, the BBS brand was abruptly discontinued in late 1997, when Baton Broadcasting became the sole corporate owner of CTV, immediately branding its stations and its former BBS programming with the "CTV" name.

BBS continued to operate until 2001 only in the sense that CTV maintained a separate stream of programming not part of the CTV network service, i.e. CHAN was Vancouver's CTV affiliate but carried only 40 hours of CTV programming, while CIVT caried the rest (although at no point did CIVT use "BBS" branding). CIVT became the CTV affiliate in September 2001, at which point the largely artificial distinction between network and non-network programming was eliminated entirely.

Baton's CBC affiliates and independents were all sold either to CHUM Limited, becoming NewNet stations, or to the CBC itself, becoming repeaters of other stations. CTV no longer owns any stations that are affiliated with other Canadian networks, although its Atlantic Satellite Network carries programming shared with CHUM's Citytv and A-Channel systems to the point that it may be considered a de facto semi-affiliate of those systems.

For a fuller history of Baton Broadcasting Inc., see the CFTO station page.

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