CTV News Channel (Canada)
CTV News Channel | |
---|---|
CTV News Channel logo | |
Launched | September 30, 1997 |
Owned by | Bell Media |
Picture format |
1080i (HDTV) (2012-present) 480i (SDTV/16:9 letterbox) (1997-present, has aired in 16:9 letterbox since 2012) |
Slogan | CTV News's 24 Hour Cable Channel |
Country | Canada |
Broadcast area | National |
Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
Formerly called |
CTV News 1 (1997–1999) CTV Newsnet (1999–2009) |
Sister channel(s) |
CTV CTV Two CP24 Business News Network |
Website | CTV News Channel |
Availability | |
Satellite | |
Bell TV |
Channel 501 (SD) Channel 1562 (HD) |
Shaw Direct |
Channel 391 (SD) Channel 94 (HD) |
Cable | |
Available on most Canadian cable systems | Check local listings, channels may vary |
IPTV | |
Bell Aliant |
Channel 235 (SD) Channel 422 (HD) |
Bell Fibe TV |
Channel 501 (SD) Channel 1501 (HD) |
MTS |
Channel 141 (SD) Channel 1141 (HD) |
Optik TV |
Channel 9801 (SD) Channel 801 (HD) |
SaskTel |
Channel 16 (SD) Channel 316 (HD) |
VMedia | Channel 62 (HD) |
Zazeen | Channel 47 (HD) |
CTV News Channel is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel that is owned by Bell Media (a wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Canada). The 24-hour channel broadcasts national and international news headlines, breaking news, and information. CTV News Channel is headquartered at 9 Channel Nine Court in the Agincourt neighbourhood of Scarborough in the city of Toronto.
Revenue
According to the Canadian Communication's Monitoring Report - Broadcasting System 2014, there were 8.4 million subscribers to the channel and revenue of $26 million. [1]
History
In September 1996, CTV Television Network Ltd. (a division of CTV) was granted a broadcast licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for CTV N1, a national English language specialty television service that would broadcast "news, weather and sports reports, as well as business, consumer and lifestyle information",[2] in a 'headline news' format on a 15-minute news wheel.[2]
The channel was launched on September 30, 1997 as CTV News 1. Under the terms of this licence, the channel broadcast news and information on a 15-minute wheel, beginning a new cycle every 15 minutes using a pre-recorded, server-hosted configuration. Not long after its launch, however, it began covering more breaking news. CTV News 1 used news segments from CTV National News and local CTV and BBS affiliates.
The channel began with its news anchors sitting at a desk which would periodically, while the anchor was not speaking, spin in a circle to change the background in front of which the anchor sat. This gimmick was criticized, and soon abandoned. The channel included a large on-screen news ticker that provided news updates, weather, sports scores, stock trading data, among other information.
On September 8, 1999, the channel was renamed CTV Newsnet,[3] after the launch of then-sister channel, CTV Sportsnet.
CTV sought amendments to the channel's condition of licence that had restricted it to a 15-minute news wheel, in order to allow greater coverage of breaking news, longer-form news-oriented discussion and other programming. These requests were met with mixed decisions from the CRTC. On April 7, 2005, the CRTC removed the condition mandating a 15-minute news cycle, substituting new but much more liberal conditions including the allowance of a small percentage of airtime devoted to long-form discussion programming.[4]
On August 22, 2005, CTV Newsnet unveiled a new, full screen format with a considerably smaller news ticker broadcasting only news headlines, and revamped its late afternoon and primetime programming, with increases to its anchor, reporting and production teams, and a greater emphasis on general news from the main anchor desk, eliminating sports and business coverage. The network hoped to capitalize in part on the lockout which had nearly eliminated news programming on CBC Television (outside Quebec) and CBC Newsworld.
Before the 2005 format change, sports segments were co-branded with TSN, and business news with Report on Business Television (now Business News Network). These channels are owned by the same companies as CTV and Newsnet. Earlier in the network's history, weather reports were provided by The Weather Network, which is independently owned, and sports segments were once co-branded with Headline Sports, and then later by CTV Sportsnet, which CTV owned before it acquired TSN.
CTV Newsnet was renamed CTV News Channel on May 26, 2009, at the time no channel format or schedule change had occurred.[5] On September 10, 2010, Bell Canada (a minority shareholder in CTVglobemedia) announced that it planned to acquire 100% interest in CTVglobemedia for a total debt and equity transaction cost of $3.2 billion CAD.[6] The deal, which acquired CRTC approval, was approved on March 7, 2011[7] and closed on April of that year, CTVglobemedia was renamed Bell Media on April 1, 2011.
On October 3, 2011, CTV News Channel unveiled a new weekday programming lineup, which added three new news segments to the schedule (Direct, Express and National Affairs) and introduced four new news anchors.[8]
On December 19, 2011, CTV News Channel underwent a major overhaul which consisted of a new logo, new on-air presentation designed by Troika Design Group, and a newly renovated studio set as the channel began production in high definition for the first time. An HD feed was launched on the channel's co-owned Bell Fibe TV service in February 2012.[9] The set still consists of the traditional CTV newsroom background.
For many years, the network has aired the CTV National News at 10 pm Eastern—or 11 pm Atlantic, when the newscast begins its nightly run across the network (it airs at 11 pm local time over the air). It is repeated every hour until 2 am Eastern, or 11 pm Pacific.
Programs
Current programming
- Power Play, Canadian public affairs television show hosted by Don Martin, airs weekdays
- CTV National News, anchored by Lisa LaFlamme weekday evenings, and Sandie Rinaldo weekend evenings
- Question Period, interview and panel discussion show on Canadian politics which airs at 5 pm daily, hosted by Robert Fife
Notable current on–air staff
Anchors
Reporters
- Peter Akman - Toronto correspondent
- Todd Battis - Halifax bureau chief
- Geneviève Beauchemin - Montreal bureau chief
- Janet Dirks - Calgary bureau chief
- Avis Favaro – medical specialist
- Merella Fernandez – Toronto correspondent
- Vanessa Lee - Montreal correspondent
- Jill Macyshon - Winnipeg bureau chief
- Richard Madan – Ottawa correspondent
- Victor Malarek – Toronto correspondent
- Glen McGregor - Parliamentary correspondent
- Melanie Nagy - Vancouver bureau chief
- Joyce Napier - Ottawa bureau chief
- Craig Oliver – chief political correspondent
- Lloyd Robertson – chief correspondent (semi-retired; also the voice-over of CTV News Channel)
- Omar Sachedina – Toronto correspondent
- Katie Simpson - Ottawa correspondent
- Mercedes Stephenson - Ottawa correspondent
- John Vennavally-Rao - Toronto correspondent
Foreign correspondents
- Daniele Hamamdjian - London bureau chief
- Janis Mackey Frayer – Beijing bureau chief
- Joy Malbon – Washington, D.C. correspondent
- Martin Seemungal – Middle East bureau chief
- Tom Walters - Los Angeles bureau chief
- Paul Workman – Washington, D.C. bureau chief
Notable former on–air staff
- Steve Chao - former Far East and Asia bureau chief
- Tom Kennedy – former London bureau chief
- Dan Matheson
- Roger Smith – former Ottawa bureau chief (retired)
- Seamus O'Regan
CTV News Channel HD
On December 19, 2011, CTV News Channel began broadcasting in high definition, although a dedicated HD feed was not launched until February 16, 2012. It is available on the co-owned Bell TV and Bell Fibe TV service, Telus Optik TV, and Rogers Cable.
References
- ↑ http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/policymonitoring/2014/cmr4.htm
- 1 2 "Decision". CRTC. 1996-09-04.
- ↑ CTV News 1 changes its name to CTV Newsnet The Record 1999-08-18
- ↑ CRTC 2005
- ↑ CTV news release 25 May 2009 Archived May 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Bell Canada (2010-09-10). "Bell to acquire 100% of Canada's No.1 media company CTV". CNW Group. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
- ↑ CRTC approves BCE's purchase of CTVglobemedia Archived June 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ CTV News Channel Invests In New Programs, Anchors; Revamps Format, Starting Today
- ↑ CTV News Channel Unveils New On-Screen Look Broadcaster Magazine 2011-12-19