SASKATOON -- While the technology used at the CFQC’s first sign-on 65 years ago looks vintage now, at the time it was cutting edge.
Doug Podiluk started at the station in 1976, not long after dazzling colour was introduced.
He worked many jobs in this building including the art department, in studio, audio tapes and finished his career here in 2019.
"Finally, I was back in graphics except everything was computerized by the time I got back into graphics," Podiluk says.
Even with all those changes, some things remained constant.
"Everybody's still working together, that hasn't changed. You still have all these people working to get the news on the air. It takes a team which has always been the case."
Photographer Chad Hills has been here since 1998 and has also seen big changes - and shrinking equipment.
"Not only was the camera larger back in the day and heavier, but the tripod, the batteries, everything associated with it was just at a larger scale than what we're dealing with now,” Hills says.
Before all editing was done on the computer, various types of tapes were used including Betatapes.
"We had to straight cut edit so we needed all the material between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. We would have to run up the stairs as fast as we could to get it to the operator upstairs to get it ready to air," Hills says.
Now, instead of tapes, tiny SD cards are used with much smaller cameras.
Video journalists at CTV Saskatoon such as Laura Woodward use portable camera kits. They allow reporters and photographers to move faster than ever and control every aspect of their story.
Gone are the days of rushing back to the newsroom with a tape. Now reporters can edit and file a story from the field using an iPad.
Despite the technological changes over the past six-and-a-half decades, the people using the equipment continue to work hard to reflect what’s happening in their community everyday.
