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Today's global economy has created new technologies which makes instantaneous communication possible, bridging geographical distance and bringing people closer together. For many local and regional companies, world markets are virtually at their doorstep.
The Okanagan has seen a steady increase in advanced technology companies and users over the past four years and as a result, improvements in broad band copper wire, improved switching systems, use of cable and fibre optics has increased the speed and capacity.
Penticton's communication systems also includes local newspapers, four radio stations, and a cable T.V. operation that offers cable and satellite programming as well as regional television broadcaster. There are also two cellular phone systems covering all of the Okanagan Valley on a single cell.
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Newspapers
- The City's daily newspaper, the Penticton Herald - reports international, national, regional, and municipal news as well as providing a regional prospectus on the weekend. The Herald has an aver-age total, Audit Bureau of Circulation verified, paid circulation of 9,833 papers of which approximately 7,745 are circulated within the City.
- The Penticton Western - is a free twice weekly publication that is published in Penticton and serves 11 communities from Princeton to Osoyoos. It concentrates on local news, events and supports a large flyer distribution.
- A smaller free local paper, The Penticton Weekly News is also published every Friday and distributed to local businesses. The publication has also recently increased their distribution.
- Other papers available from most news stands and libraries in the city are the Globe and Mail, Financial Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Vancouver Province, Vancouver Sun, USA Today and some international papers.
Radio
- CBC - FM 93.7 services all of the Okanagan from 6:00 am to 5:00 am with talk shows, music and current affairs and then switches to provincial and national focus.
- CKOR - AM 800 services the South Okanagan and Similkameen 24 hours a day with gold hits, adult soft contemporary music, and 27 newscasts a day.
- CJMG - FM 97 services the South Okanagan 24 hours a day with programming tailored to the 18 -34 age group with a pop/adult mix sound and 12 newscasts a day.
- CIGV - FM 100.7 services the entire area north to Sicamous, east to Big White and Grand Forks, south to Omak, Washington, and west to Princeton 24 hours a day with a country music format. It also supplies daily news to Penticton Online, the internet media. Reception is available from stations in other southern BC centres and United States with cable hook-up, (22 channels of FM radio).
Television
- Shaw Cable, the local cable station, offers television reception from Penticton, Kelowna, Edmonton, Seattle, and Vancouver. Basic service consists of 25 regular Canadian and American channels including a community channel. Pay for view and specialty channels including movie and sports channels can be ordered.
- CHBC is the regional television station, broadcasts throughout the Okanagan Valley with an estimated viewing audience of a quarter million. Reporting coverage extends over Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Salmon Arm and their outlying areas.
Telecommunications
Telus is one of the newest entrants on the national scene and was created in January 1999, when Alberta-based Telus Corporation and BC-based BC TEL joined in a merger. It is the second largest Communications company in Canada, providing local, long distance and wireless services to British Columbians. TELUS also provides voice, data and video transmissions, telephone terminal equipment, business systems and BC's most extensive public and private mobile radio network.
Unitel, Sprint and RSL Com provide voice and data network services for both residential and business customers also. They continue to offer new products and services which allow all British Columbians to enjoy more services and competitive long distance prices in the marketplace. The phone companies provide a range of data and voice network services including: Hyperstream/frame relay, Datapac (a packet-switched data network), ISDN services, Wide Area Telephone Service, video conference, 800 service, remote call forwarding and Custom Calling Services, internet connections plus many others.
Telus Mobility and Cantel offer cellular and communication services, as well as paging and data services in Penticton and throughout the Okanagan Valley. These services offer businesses in Penticton links to the rest of Canada, the United States and to international networks. As with other Canadian telecommunication companies, all phone rates fall under Federal regulation by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
Internet Providers
Internet providers in the valley offer state of the art connections and services to the internet. Competitive rates and a variety of plans for connections as well as e-mail accounts:
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