ating ▁rival ▁applic ants ▁Johnny ▁Lomb ardi ▁and ▁Leon ▁K oss ar . ▁His ▁company , ▁Mult iling ual ▁Television ▁( T or onto ) ▁Ltd ., ▁had ▁been ▁producing ▁mult iling ual ▁television ▁programs ▁since ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁I ann uz zi ▁initially ▁owned ▁ 3 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁station , ▁and ▁other ▁invest ors ▁included ▁Jerry ▁Graf stein ▁( who ▁was ▁also ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁invest ors ▁that ▁helped ▁launch ▁C ITY - TV ▁( channel ▁ 7 9 , ▁now ▁on ▁channel ▁ 5 7 ) ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 2 ), ▁Raymond ▁Mor iy ama , ▁Steve ▁St av ro , ▁Gar th ▁Dra bin sky ▁and ▁Nat ▁Taylor . ▁The ▁call ▁letters ▁CF MT ▁were ▁derived ▁from ▁" Can ada ' s ▁First ▁Mult iling ual ▁Television ", ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁mult icult ural ▁television ▁station ▁in ▁Canada . ▁English ▁language ▁programming ▁was ▁limited ▁to ▁one - third ▁of ▁the ▁station ' s ▁broadcast ▁hours , ▁with ▁French ▁language ▁programming ▁account ing ▁for ▁ 7 % ▁and ▁programming ▁in ▁about ▁two ▁dozen ▁other ▁languages ▁providing ▁the ▁remaining ▁ 6 0 %. ▁The ▁station ▁was ▁originally ▁going ▁to ▁broadcast ▁on ▁U H F ▁channel ▁ 4 5 , ▁but ▁instead ▁moved ▁to ▁channel ▁ 4 7 ▁for ▁technical ▁reasons . ▁The ▁station ▁first ▁signed ▁on ▁the ▁air ▁on ▁September ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁broadcast ing ▁ 2 4 ▁hours ▁a ▁day , ▁seven ▁days ▁a