Ontario’s Niagara Region is getting a new local television station starting Feb. 7. Niagara is the 12th largest television market in Canada, and previously had not had a dedicated service.

The Category 2 digital channel, Niagara News TV, is being carried exclusively by Cogeco digital, and will reach 57,000 homes on channel 556. It will initially span Port Colborne to Niagara-on-the-Lake, but will grow to include neighboring communities.

Initially, NNTV will air a nightly newscast on Monday to Friday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m, covering local issues and events, with additional content from Canadian Press and CNN. Outside the 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. block, the channel will air local weather information and digital feeds, including celebrity, business and international news feeds, says NNTV spokesperson Steve Stunt.

The news team is lead by Kim Rossi, Krissy Vann, Annie Silvester, with sports being handled by Ryan McKinty and legendary Canadian broadcaster Rick Hodge. Hodge began his career in 1974 doing sports for CHUM-FM and spent two decades co-hosting Toronto’s top morning show on CHUM. Hodge has also worked with CFRB 1010 and EZ Rock.

“It’s very regional content,” says Stunt. “We’re still going to talk about some sports things happening in Toronto because we’re close to that, and Buffalo because we’re close to that, but it’s really the first time a business owner here in Niagara can use that power of TV, and they’ve never had that opportunity before.”

Stunt adds that once the initial block of programming is running smoothly, NNTV will start expanding its content offering through the day.

The channel is being launched by the Peninsula Broadcasting Corporation. The station’s website is launching Monday.

From Media in Canada.