Editing CHWI-DT (section)

==The Baton years==
In May 1992, [[Baton Broadcast System|Baton Broadcasting]] agreed to purchase two television stations in southwestern Ontario: [[CFPL-TV]] in [[London, Ontario|London]] and [[CKNX-TV]] in [[Wingham, Ontario|Wingham]] from [[Blackburn Radio|The Blackburn Group]]. For Baton, the transaction gave the company additional regional muscle as it sought to compete with the [[CIII-DT|Global Television Network]].<ref name="Wind920512">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-baton-strikes-deal-to-b/158736356/ |date=May 12, 1992 |page=C6 |title=Baton strikes deal to buy two struggling TV stations |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref> Three months later, Baton applied to the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC) to build a third television station, primarily a rebroadcaster of CFPL-TV, near [[Wheatley, Ontario|Wheatley]] to serve [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]] and [[Chatham, Ontario|Chatham]]. The new Wheatley transmitter, on channel 16, would air up to {{frac|6|1|2}} hours of locally-oriented programming a week, including a local newscast, produced from London for the Windsor–Chatham area.<ref name="Wind920812">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-another-local-tv-news-p/158736395/ |date=August 12, 1992 |pages=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-local-tv-news/158736407/ A4] |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=Another local TV news program? |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref> The new station, given the call sign CHWI-TV, would be an affiliate of Baton's regional [[Ontario Network Television]] system and carry [[Toronto Blue Jays]] baseball.<ref name="Wind920822">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-james-woods-convincing/50265790/ |date=August 22, 1992 |page=64 |title=James Woods convincing as communist witchhunter |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref> This influenced the decision to set up the main transmitter at Wheatley, which was outside the {{convert|80|km|mi|adj=on}} protection radius from Detroit where the [[Detroit Tigers]] had blackout rights; [[CBET-DT|CBET]] (channel 9), located in Windsor proper, was affected by the blackout rules.<ref name="Wind970329">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-blackout-may-disappoint/158737114/ |date=March 29, 1997 |page=A4 |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=Blackout may disappoint ball fans: Toronto supporters could balk at Tigers if they refuse to allow |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref>

The news component was the portion that attracted the most interest. Windsor had been without a local television newscast since December 1990, when the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC) discontinued the local news on CBET. In a letter to the CRTC, Windsor mayor [[Mike Hurst (politician)|Mike Hurst]] supported the Baton bid; though he expressed concern over the signal strength that CHWI-TV would provide Windsor from Wheatley, he called it a starting point for the restoration of local television news service.<ref name="Wind921007">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-batons-tv-plan-backed/158736464/ |date=October 7, 1992 |page=C9 |first=Paul |last=McKeague |title=Baton's TV plan backed by Hurst |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110070554/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-batons-tv-plan-backed/158736464/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The local programming proposed by Baton included a 6 p.m. newscast on weeknights; a half-hour news and community affairs program in midday; and two weekly public affairs shows.<ref name="Wind921008">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-baton-sees-joint-effort/158736485/ |date=October 8, 1992 |page=C7 |first=Paul |last=McKeague |title=Baton sees joint effort with CBC |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref>

The CRTC approved the construction of CHWI-TV on January 26, 1993, days after the Wheatley transmitter site was approved by [[Romney Township, Ontario|Romney Township]] officials; Baton promised to have the station operational by January 1994. For the company, it was a return to Windsor; Baton had been forced to sell channel 9, previously private commercial station CKLW-TV, to the CBC in 1975, but held on to the CKLW radio stations until 1985.<ref name="Wind930127">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-baton-promises-local-tv/158736532/ |date=January 27, 1993 |pages=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-baton-promises/158736551/ A4] |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=Baton promises local TV news within a year |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="Wind850330">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-crtc-gives-its-nod-to-o/158758627/ |date=March 30, 1985 |page=A3 |title=CRTC gives its nod to old rocker's sale |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110070553/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-crtc-gives-its-nod-to-o/158758627/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In spite of the 1994 projections, Baton was able to speed construction,<ref name="Wind930710">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-chwi-ahead-of-schedule/50265800/ |date=July 10, 1993 |page=F3 |title=CHWI ahead of schedule |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110070607/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-chwi-ahead-of-schedule/50265800/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Transmitter testing began September 1, providing Windsor with a similar picture quality to the Global repeater at [[Stevenson, Ontario|Stevenson]], and a Grade-A contour in areas such as Chatham and [[Leamington, Ontario|Leamington]].<ref name="Wind930909">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-new-tv-station-debuts-o/50265856/ |date=September 9, 1993 |page=C6 |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=New TV station debuts Oct. 18 |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110070609/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-new-tv-station-debuts-o/50265856/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[Image:CHWI-TV logo 1990s.png|thumb|left|150px|CHWI-TV logo from 1993 to 1994. The [[trillium]] symbol was also rolled out at CFPL-TV and CKNX-TV and symbolized the three stations.{{r|Wind931015}}]]
CHWI-TV began broadcasting on October 18, 1993.<ref name="Wind931019">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-glitches-aside-news-no/50265924/ |date=October 19, 1993 |page=C6 |title=Glitches aside, News Now shows promise |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110070757/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-glitches-aside-news-no/50265924/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The local newscasts at 6 and 11 p.m., originally titled ''News Now'' like that of CFPL-TV, debuted the same day from a separate studio in London. In Windsor, the station had offices at Goyeau Street and Riverside Drive, housing a studio for inserts into the newscasts, and 14 people in the newsroom, plus two more in Chatham.<ref name="Wind931015">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-jumping-in-with-both-fe/50265867/ |date=October 15, 1993 |pages=C1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-jumping-in-with/50265886/ C3] |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=Jumping in with both feet |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110070811/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-jumping-in-with-both-fe/50265867/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In its first ratings survey, CHWI's ''News Now'' came in third, just behind CBET with the news from [[CKCO-DT|CKCO]] in [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]].<ref name="Wind931223">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-canadian-channels-gain/155195749/ |date=December 23, 1993 |page=C7 |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=Canadian channels gain viewers |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref> CKCO, which had been the main source of television news coverage about Windsor after the 1990 CBET cuts and maintained a news bureau there, soon cut back its presence in light of the entrance of CHWI, the 1994 relaunch of local news by CBET, and a cooperative ad sales relationship between Baton and the CBC;<ref name="Wind941215">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-ckco-cutting-back-winds/158736953/ |date=December 15, 1994 |page=B11 |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=CKCO cutting back Windsor bureau |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref> in late 1995, the news bureau was closed altogether.<ref name="Wind951102">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-ckco-closing-news-opera/158760582/ |date=November 2, 1995 |page=A3 |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=CKCO closing news operation |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref> By late 1994, CHWI was second at 6 p.m. to the [[CBLT-DT|CBC Toronto]] early evening news,<ref name="Wind950110">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-channel-9-newscasts-mak/131535040/ |date=January 10, 1995 |page=B5 |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=Channel 9 newscasts make big comeback |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref> and by early 1997 it had almost as many viewers as CBET's 5:30 p.m. ''Windsor Evening News''.<ref name="Wind970301">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-local-news-shows-winnin/158737136/ |date=March 1, 1997 |page=B4 |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=Local news shows winning battles |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110070833/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-local-news-shows-winnin/158737136/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Windsor, Ontario (21782203991).jpg|right|thumb|alt=A street scene in downtown Windsor. At left is a tall, 34-story condominium building with various communications antennas on top|[[Victoria Park Place]] ''(left)'' has housed CHWI's Windsor retransmitter since 1995.]]
Reception from the Wheatley transmitter site proved to be an issue in the Windsor city centre, and many television antennas in this area were aimed northwest toward [[Southfield, Michigan]], where most Detroit TV stations have their towers. In August 1994, Baton applied to the CRTC for authority to build a rebroadcaster on channel 6 atop the [[Victoria Park Place]] condominium, which already housed the [[microwave transmission]] link between Windsor and London. The proposed service was directional toward the southeast to avoid signal coverage in Detroit.<ref name="Wind940812">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-chwi-reaching-out-to-it/158736904/ |date=August 12, 1994 |page=C6 |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=CHWI reaching out to its viewers |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110070836/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-chwi-reaching-out-to-it/158736904/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The new transmitter went on—using channel 60 instead of 6—on July 26, 1995, providing the core Windsor area with coverage despite an [[effective radiated power]] of 580 watts.<ref name="Wind950815">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-chwi-tv-aims-to-improve/51793806/ |date=August 15, 1995 |page=B6 |title=CHWI-TV aims to improve image downtown |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref> Later, in 2000, the Windsor transmitter was authorized to increase its power tenfold to 5,800 watts.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2000/db2000-390.htm |date=September 15, 2000 |title=Decision CRTC 2000-390 |publisher=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission |access-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-date=September 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220919130101/https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2000/DB2000-390.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1997, Baton conducted a round of layoffs at its Ontario stations. Three employees were dismissed at CHWI-TV, while the station lost its shared midday show with CFPL.<ref name="Wind970212">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-windsor-star-chwi-jobs-cut-as-baton/158760464/ |date=February 12, 1997 |page=A9 |first=Ted |last=Shaw |title=CHWI jobs cut as Baton streamlines network |newspaper=The Windsor Star |location=Windsor, Ontario, Canada |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 10, 2024 }}</ref>