Medicine Hat, AB – June 3, 2025 – CHAT TV has been a cornerstone of local broadcasting in Southeastern Alberta since 1957 and has served as a vital source of news, community connection, and cultural storytelling for Medicine Hat and the surrounding region for over 6 decades.

As an independent, small-market station, CHAT TV was deeply embedded in the community, offering daily newscasts, special programming on elections, natural disasters, and public health events, and showcasing local culture through segments like “Week in Review,” “Tigers Time Out,” “News at Noon”, “Homegrown”, “Taste of the Town” and “Our Town”. They provided a valuable platform for local businesses and non-profits to share their stories and reach audiences through cost-effective advertising and community partnerships.

As an independent, small market station, it was always committed to its responsibility within our community and region. It provided daily newscasts and invested in and supported local events and causes.

Broadcasters and those who regulate them can’t lose sight of the vital role that local television news plays, particularly in small markets. Local content for our region is essential to staying informed and connected. The necessary airtime and appropriate staffing levels need to be granted to ensure that local content can be broadcast. Additionally, small, local markets must be able to keep up with trends by providing high-definition broadcasts and online broadcast opportunities.

In both 2017 and 2022, the Chamber of Commerce proudly voiced our support for CHAT TV to the CRTC, emphasizing the station’s role in delivering local news, supporting charitable causes, and celebrating the unique lifestyle of Southeastern Alberta. Their commitment to innovation, including the launch of chatnewstoday.ca, demonstrated their dedication to evolving with the needs of the community.

The loss of CHAT TV is a significant one. It underscores the urgent need to support local media and ensure that small markets are not left behind in the digital age. We thank the entire CHAT TV team for their unwavering dedication and the legacy they leave behind.

The closure marks the end of an era for local journalism in the region, as CHAT TV was not only a media outlet but a community partner whose staff lived, volunteered, and worked alongside the people they served. The Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce expresses our deep appreciation for the decades of service CHAT TV has provided to our region. CHAT TV was more than just a broadcaster—it has been a trusted voice, a community builder, and a vital link in keeping our citizens informed and connected.

Lisa Dressler
Executive Director
Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce

Please direct all media inquiries to:

Lisa Dressler

c/o Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce

(403) 527-5214 ext.225

The Chamber of Commerce is a member-driven, volunteer-led organization, proudly representing the interests of businesses in our region, and working diligently to stimulate a strengthened and vibrant economy through our connections, support and influence. For over 125 years, the Chamber has stood for promoting business, monitoring government and championing managed growth in the local economy. The Chamber represents close to 900 businesses in our region and is aligned with both the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC), which represents over 24,000 businesses, and the Canadian Chambers of Commerce (CCC), which represents over 200,000 businesses. With the largest and most influential business organizations locally, provincially, and federally, the Chamber network is the most unified, valued and influential business network in Canada and works together to shape policy and programs that will make a difference to businesses in our region.