1952
CBC engineers from Toronto were in Vancouver to look over potential television transmitter sites. It was said the initial costs in Vancouver would be around $1,000,000 and that contracts would be let in three months. The engineers said the transmitter would be at least as powerful as CBFT Montreal and would give coverage of up to 80 miles. (CBFT Montreal and CBLT Toronto had gone on the air in September)

1953
The CBC announced plans for a $1,000,000 TV studio and transmitter development in Vancouver. The plan would include two buildings downtown and a transmitter on the North Shore Mountain. Engineers felt the CBC-TV signal would reach the east coast of Vancouver Island as far north as Comox, as well as Nanaimo and Victoria, and could put a strong signal at least to Chilliwack in the Fraser Valley. The CBC would take over two buildings, only blocks from their existing radio studios in the Hotel Vancouver. The transmitter site, 1,400 feet above the harbour across from downtown, would have a 270 foot tower, putting the antenna three times as high as the CBLT Toronto facility. A channel had not yet been decided upon but the Vancouver-New Westminster area had channels 6, 8, 10, 14, 30 and 36 available. The CBC had opened the country's first television stations last September - CBFT Montreal and CBLT Toronto - and in addition to Vancouver, had plans at this point for stations in Ottawa, Halifax and Winnipeg.

Around the same time, Rogan Jones, president of KVOS-TV in Bellingham, Washington, was talking about his soon to open station and how it would use Canadian talent to quite an extent. Jones had just received a licence from the Federal Communications Commission and work on channel 12 was to begin immediately. Bellingham was about 30 miles from Vancouver and KVOS was expected to put a satisfactory signal into the area.

The Department of Transport came out with a national assignment of television channels for Canada. The CBC's Vancouver station would operate on channel 2 and could have a maximum video power of 100,000 watts.

The CBC applied to the municipality of Burnaby (adjacent to Vancouver) for permission to put up a TV and FM transmitter on Burnaby Mountain. The original plans for a tower at North Shore were scrapped due to protests from local residents. Burnaby Council approved the application in principle but it would have to go to a public hearing because part of the land involved was in a park area. CBC regional director Kenneth Caple said equipment could not be designed until the location was definite.

KVOS-TV in Bellingham, WA, signed on the air May 1. Manager Rogan Jones said he had originally planned on a low power, low cost TV station. However, his chief engineer stumbled upon some war surplus transmitting equipment at bargain prices, so they were able to construct a high-powered station. Jones said that of the slightly over one million people expected to be encompassed by KVOS-TV's grade B (good) signal contour, at least 880,000 would be Canadians. Vancouver would be within that range. Victoria was not expected to receive as good a signal. Three half hour shows a week of the homemaker-kitchen school type variety would be filmed in Vancouver and broadcast from KVOS. CJOR sportscaster Jack Short would give a weekly 15-minute description of horse-racing on film from a Vancouver track. Jones had other programs in mind for Vancouver viewers as well. It was estimated that there were 9,000 TV receivers in Vancouver and another 3,000 around Victoria, with antennas all aimed in the direction of KING-TV in Seattle, which had been putting a reasonable signal into these areas for some time.

Eight lots on Burnaby Mountain, outside Vancouver city limits, were leased to the CBC for $1,000 a year for a TV transmitter site. Burnaby council finally approved the application when no protests were voiced at a public hearing. The lease would run for 20 years but rent could be reviewed every five years.

The CBC's Ken Caple said there were no plans for the CBC to broadcast the coronation on TV from a temporary transmitter on Little Mountain, in the centre of the city. Liberal MP Art Laing had proposed the idea.

The channel for CBC Vancouver was changed from 6 to 2 which meant reception of Seattle's KING-TV channel 5 would not be ruined in the area. The CBC said this removed one of the obstacles to getting ahead with construction in Vancouver.

Plans for the development of a national TV network composed of privately-owned and CBC stations were tentatively agreed to in June. Present licensees agreed to carry a minimum of 10 1/2 hours of CBC-produced programs weekly.

A temporary antenna would be used to allow CBC Vancouver TV to start service with kinescope recordings prior to the completion of studio facilities. CBUT expected to be engaged in preliminary operations in November. It would operate with a temporary power of 5,000 watts video and 3,000 watts audio. The temporary antenna would be on the roof of the transmitter building on Mt. Seymour. Canadian Marconi would supply the transmitter, studio and mobile equipment. The mobile unit would be fitted with two camera channels, monitoring and production equipment and a microwave link. The temporary antenna would be replaced by a 12-stack directional high gain antenna, and effective radiated power would increase to around 100,000 watts in the direction of maximum radiation.

On December 16, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation opened CBUT Television. CBUT was the first TV station in western Canada. The station operated on channel 2 and was on the air in the early going from 5-6 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to midnight. The opening broadcast featured special launch ceremonies from at 6 p.m., followed by a CBC newscast at 7 p.m.

Ross Whiteside, a radio engineer with CBC Vancouver for four years, was named technical director of CBUT as of October.

1954
William Inglis joined CBUT as a producer from CBU-AM.

1955
At the end of its first year, CBUT upped its power from 2500 watts to 100kw V and 1500w to 60 Kw A. This was made possible by the erection of 265' tower on the station's site at the 2700' level on Mt. Seymour.

1956
Robert H. Buhr became regional sales manager for CBC British Columbia.

1957
At this time, CBUT was operating on channel 2 with an effective radiated video power of 47,600 watts and an audio ERP of 25,400 watts. The transmitter was located on Mt. Seymour.

William Inglis returned to CBU Radio.

1962
CBUT opened its first rebroadcaster at Courtenay, operating on channel 9 as CBUT-1.

1966
In May, CBUT-2 Chilliwack (channel 3) commenced operations.

The CBC Television Network began broadcasting in colour in September.

Robert H. Buhr left the CBC (BC) where he had been regional sales manager.

1968
L.T. Jackson was news director. Bob McGall was named director of CBC British Columbia as of July 1. He succeeded Kenneth P. Caple who retired at the end of May.

1972
On December 13, the CRTC approved the CBC's application to change the channel of the yet-to-be-launched transmitter CBUBT-5 in Radium Hot Springs from 82 to 75, and to increase power for yet-to-be-launched CBUCT-2 Creston from 5 watts to 42 watts. Two days later, the CRTC approved new transmitters at Fruitvale, Erie, and Salmo (CBUAT-3, -4, and -5, respectively). These would rebroadcast CBUAT Trail. A transmitter for Mount Baker, to rebroadcast CBUBT Cranbrook, was approved on December 20.
 
1975
On November 24, CBUT moved to the new CBC Vancouver Broadcasting Centre at 700 Hamilton Street.  It was a time of decentralizing at the CBC and there was a need for a lot of studios. Most of the studios were underground, with five storeys above ground. The top two floors were filled with technical systems.

1976
The CBC (Radio-Canada) opened its French-language television station – CBUFT.

1979
CBUT was authorized to increase effective radiated video power from 47.6 to 50 kw as the result of changes to the antenna.

1981
With CHEK-TV Victoria’s switch to the CTV network, CBUT opened transmitters at Sooke and Mount McDonald.

1988
Ron Jacques was appointed regional sales manager and Helen fisher was named business development co-ordinator.

Anchorman Bill Good Jr. left CBUT after 11 years. He moved on to open-line work at CKNW-AM.

1993
Douglas Elphick was named sales manager. He had been general sales manager at CKPG-TV in Prince George.

2000
At this time, CBUT Vancouver operated the following transmitters: CBUT-16 Alert Bay, CBUDT Bonnington Falls, CBUT-4 Bowen Island, CBUT-34 Brackendale, CBUT-8 Campbell River, CBUBT-1 Canal Flats, CBUAT-2 Castlegar, CBUT-2 Chilliwack, CBUT-25 Chilliwack, CBUAT-7 Christina Lake, CBUT-20 Coal Harbour, CBUT-1 Courtenay, CBUBT-7 Cranbrook, CBUCT-1 Crawford Bay, CBUCT-4 Crescent Valley, CBUCT-2 Creston, CBUBT-4 Donald Station, CBUAT-4 Erie, CBUBT-8 Fernie, CBUBT-9 Fernie, CBUAT-3 Fruitvale/Montrose, CBUBT-2 Golden, CBUT-37 Grand Forks, CBUT-31 Greenwood, CBUT-23 Harrison Hot Springs, CBUT-21 Holberg, CBUT-6 Hope, CBUBT-3 Invermere, CBUT-36 Madeira Park, CBUT-32 Midway, CBUT-27 Mount McDonald, CBUBT-14 Moyie, CBUCT Nelson, CBUCT-6 New Denver, CBUT-30 Phoenix, CBUT-3 Port Alberni, CBUT-17 Port Alice, CBUT-19 Port Hardy, CBUT-18 Port McNeill, CBUBT-5 Radium Hot Springs, CBUT-33 Rock Creek, CBUT-26 Ruby Creek, CBUAT-5 Salmo, CBUT-35 Sechelt, CBUCT-5 Slocan, CBUT-28 Sooke, CBUBT-10 Sparwood, CBUBT-6 Spillimacheen, CBUT-5 Squamish, CBUT-14 Tahsis, CBUHT-4 Tête Jaune, CBUAT Trail, CBUAT-6 Trail, CBUWT Whistler, CBUCT-3 Winlaw, and CBUT-13 Woss Camp.

2004
On November 12, CBUT was awarded a transitional digital television licence for operation  from Mount Seymour on channel 58S with an effective radiated power of 15,600 watts.

On December 12, CBUT-DT began broadcasting CBC’s transitional high definition digital signal on channel 58.

2005
On February 28, Global’s CHBC-TV Kelowna was given approval to disaffiliate from the CBC and CBUT was given approval to replace CHBC-TV and its transmitters with its own repeaters: Kelowna (channel 45C average ERP of 8,200 watts), Penticton (ch 17B AERP 1,500 watts), Vernon (ch 18B AERP 1,824 watts), Oliver (ch 6 AERP 115 watts), Salmon Arm (ch 3 AERP 55 watts), Enderby (ch 26A AERP 886 watts), and  Braeloch (ch 15LP transmitter power of 100 watts) and Celista (ch 5LP transmitter power of 2.65 watts). Once these transmitters are operational, CHBC-TV can complete its disaffiliation from the CBC.

On February 28, CHBC-TV Kelowna and CFJC-TV Kamloops disaffiliated from the CBC, being replaced in Kelowna and surrounding Okanagan area by CBUT’s new rebroadcasting transmitters.  No new transmitters were authorized for Kamloops, with viewers having to rely on cable and satellite feeds of CBC Vancouver.

2009
On May 12 the CRTC renewed CBUT's licence, including the following rebroadcast transmitters: CBUT-DT Vancouver, CBUAT Trail, CBUAT-2 Castlegar, CBUAT-3 Fruitvale/Montrose, CBUAT-4 Erie, CBUAT-5 Salmo, CBUAT-6 Trail, CBUAT-7 Christina Lake, CBUBT-1 Canal Flats, CBUBT-10 Sparwood, CBUBT-13 Field, CBUBT-14 Moyie, CBUBT-2 Golden, CBUBT-3 Invermere, CBUBT-4 Donald Station, CBUBT-5 Radium Hot Springs, CBUBT-6 Spillimacheen, CBUBT-7 Cranbrook, CBUBT-8 Fernie, CBUBT-9 Fernie, CBUCT Nelson, CBUCT-1 Crawford Bay, CBUCT-2 Creston, CBUCT-3 Winlaw, CBUCT-4 Crescent Valley, CBUCT-5 Slocan, CBUCT-6 New Denver, CBUDT Bonnington Falls, CBUGT Fort Nelson, CBUHT-1 Purden Lake/Sinclair Mills, CBUHT-3 McBride, CBUHT-4 Tete Jaune, CBUHT-5 Valemount, CBUIT-1 Bella Bella, CBUIT-3 Bella Coola, CBUIT-4 Hagensborg, CBRG-TV Princeton, CBUJ-TV Blue River, CBUO-TV Bamfield, CBUPT Pemberton, CBUT-1 Courtenay, CBUT-10 Sayward, CBUT-12 Gold River, CBUT-13 Woss Camp, CBUT-14 Tahsis, CBUT-16 Alert Bay, CBUT-17 Port Alice, CBUT-18 Port McNeill, CBUT-19 Port Hardy, CBUT-2 Chilliwack, CBUT-20 Coal Harbour, CBUT-23 Harrison Hot Springs, CBUT-25 Chilliwack, CBUT-26 Ruby Creek, CBUT-27 Mount McDonald, CBUT-28 Sooke, CBUT-3 Port Alberni, CBUT-30 Phoenix (Greenwood), CBUT-31 Greenwood, CBUT-32 Midway, CBUT-33 Rock Creek, CBUT-34 Brackendale, CBUT-35 Sechelt, CBUT-36 Madeira Park, CBUT-37 Grand Forks, CBUT-38 Kelowna, CBUT-39 Braeloch, CBUT-40 Penticton, CBUT-41 Vernon, CBUT-42 Oliver, CBUT-43 Salmon Arm, CBUT-44 Enderby, CBUT-45 Celista, CBUT-46 Revelstoke, CBUT-4 Bowen Island, CBUT-5 Squamish, CBUT-6 Hope, CBUT-7 Ucluelet, CBUT-8 Campbell River, CBUT-22 Tofino and CBUWT Whistler. 

On December 4, the CBC held an open house to show off its revamped Vancouver headquarters at 700 Hamilton Street. The renovations took four years and $65 million to complete. The corporation considered selling the building and constructing a new facility, but that would have cost $100 million or more. It also would have been difficult to find a new location as central as the existing facility. The old building was still there, but it was kind of hidden behind a new wing in front. The new 25,000-square-foot space housed all local news gathering operations - TV, radio, English, French, and internet.

Johnny Michel was CBC Vancouver's managing director.

                      Written by Bill Dulmage, Gord Lansdell - Updated July, 2010