Télévision Laurentienne

Télévision Laurentienne ("Laurentian Television"; often shortened and branded on-air as TVL) is a Canadian French-language terrestrial television network, owned by Central International Media Inc.. Headquartered in Montreal, the network is the only francophone network in Canada to broadcast terrestrially in all Canadian provinces since the 2012 closedown of the CBC / Radio-Canada rebroadcaster network. TVL's English-language counterpart is the Central Television Network.
==History==
The network's roots traces back in 1957, when Joseph Alexandre de Sève and his company, Télé-Métropole, founded CHTR-TV channel 11 in Montreal, becoming Canada's first and largest privately owned francophone television station. Originally it relied primarily on kinescopes from RTL, and also from Télé Monte Carlo for programming, but it wasn't long before it made its own set of programming. Le Grand Journal originally began as CHTR's evening newscast before the title became the network's flagship newscast in 1987.
The network's expansion began in 1959 when it began transmissions on its Quebec City station, CFCQ-TV (channel 4). Subsequently the expansion into nationwide Canada began in 1963 with the launch of CJTL-TV 11 in Vancouver and CHOT-TV 13 in Ottawa. The network opened its Toronto station, CFRA-TV 36 in 1967; CFRA became the network's first television station located in the UHF band. de Sève died in 1968, the city government renamed the street in front of CHTR's studios rue Alexandre de Sève in his honour.
Central International Media Inc. purchased Télé-Métropole, including TVL, in 1998; becoming sisters with the Central Television Network. Many of TVL's network operations were transferred to the Maison de Télévision Central in René Lévesque Boulevard East, but some of it still remain in Rue Alexandre de Sève, including CHTR's studios/newsroom and master control.
==Stations==
TVL's stations are mainly in Canada, although the flagship station is CHTR-DT in Montreal.
==Programs==
===General===
*Le Grand Journal – flagship news program, most-watched francophone broadcast TV news in Canada.
*Pouvoir et Politique – Sunday weekly morning news/public affairs program.
*Le Jeu Télévisé Interdit (The Forbidden Game Show)
*Mask Singer Canada
Category:Quebec
Category:Montreal
Category:Quebec City
Category:Fictional television networks
Category:Central Television Network
Category:Central International Media Inc.
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1958
Category:Télévision Laurentienne