1960
CHAN-TV channel 8 began broadcasting on October 31 at 4:45 p.m. It was Vancouver's first independent television station. Studios were temporarily established at Richards and Davie Streets until the main studios in Burnaby were completed. The transmitter was on Burnaby Mountain. Initially, the signal was poor. Although it reached all of downtown Vancouver, it was inferior to the signals of the CBC's CBUT and KVOS-TV of Bellingham, Washington, across the border in the U. S.
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| Ray Peters |
1961
On October 1, CHAN-TV joined the new CTV Television Network. Ray Peters became Managing Director of CHAN-TV.
1962
CHAN's Burnaby studio complex finally opened.
1963
Frank Griffiths, a local entrepreneur, purchased an interest in Vantel Broadcasting Co. Ltd., owner of CHAN-TV and CHEK-TV Victoria.
1968
On June 13, the CRTC denied an application for a share transfer by British Columbia Television Broadcasting System Ltd. (CHAN-TV, CHAN-TV-1 Chilliwack, CHAN-TV-2 Bowen Is., CHAN-TV-3 Squamish) of 371,887 class B, 447,000 class A non-voting and 46,738 preferred shares. The Commission would not authorize a transfer that would increase the participation of any person or party in the ownership, management or control of more than one company licenced to operate a CTV affiliate. Famous Players Canadian Corp. Ltd. was a shareholder in two member stations of CTV (CHAN, as well as CKCO Kitchener). If this application had been approved, Famous Players would have increased its ownership in CHAN.
1969
On March 21, British Columbia Television Broadcasting System Ltd. was authorized to transfer 1,900 class A common and 2 class B common shares in Derston Investment Co. Ltd. (a shareholder in British Columbia Television Broadcasting System Ltd.) to Western Broadcasting Co. Ltd.
On April 17, Famous Players had its application to transfer its broadcasting operations into a new corporation - Teltron Communications Ltd., denied. Famous Players Canadian Corp. was a controlled subsidiary of Paramount International Films Inc. The application was denied because effective ownership of Teltron would have remained essentially the same as before. Famous Players had interests in Television de Quebec Ltee, Central Ontario Television Ltd., British Columbia Television Broadcasting System Ltd., and numerous cable companies.
On July 23, the transfer of 20,905 common shares of Canastel Broadcasting Corp. Ltd. from Associated Television Corp. Ltd. to Selkirk Holdings Ltd. and 25,655 common shares in Canestel from Associated to Western Broadcasting Co Ltd. was approved. Canestel had substantial interests in CHAN-TV Vancouver, CHEK-TV Victoria and CJCH-TV Halifax. The portion of the application regarding CHAN and CHEK was approved. The CJCH portion of the application was deferred.
During 1969 and 1970, CHAN extended its coverage to the Fraser Valley with re-broadcast transmitters. CHAN-TV service was extended to the Okanagan Valley in 1970.
Although the station was a charter member of the CTV Network and carried its full range of programming, CHAN-TV’s reputation throughout the province stems from News programming. It was a bold move to devote a full hour to local news in the late sixties. CHAN-TV extended service to the Okanagan Valley.
1972
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| Ernie Swan |
The CRTC approved new transmitters for CHAN-TV at Prince George (CIFG-TV), 100 Mile House (CITM-TV), Williams Lake (CITM-TV-1), and Quesnel (CITM-TV-2). The Caribou Region began receiving CHAN service.
All this expansion of service which now reached most of the populated area of Mainland B. C. was due to the Engineering knowledge of Ernie Swan and his hard work, which earned him the Honour of entering the CAB Hall oif Fame.
1973
Former All-Canada Television VP Don Smith joined CHAN as VP Sales.
1975
Re-broadcasters were added to serve the Northwest Coast.
CHAN-TV adopted the un-official call sign BCTV.
While the CRTC commended BCTV for its program production and extension of service to many areas of the province, the station was now expected to apply for rebroadcasters in the East and West Kootenays. The company would provide CTV service to Vancouver Island through CHEK-TV in Victoria, now a CBC affiliate. This would happen when the CBC opened its own station on Vancouver Island. The CRTC approved two CHEK rebroadcast transmitters for Vancouver Island.
1976
The Kootenays began receiving the BCTV signal.
1976-77
Eleven rebroadcast transmitters on Vancouver Island would change program source from CHEK-TV to CHAN-TV to provide CTV service as CBC rebroadcasters commence operations in the same area. They would revert to CHEK-TV when that station became a CTV affiliate.
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| Don Smith |
1977
Don Smith was appointed executive vice president.
BCTV low power rebroadcast transmitters were approved for Cranbrook/Kimberley, Mount Thompson, Creston, Moyie and Fernie.
1979
BCTV appointed Tak Negoro assistant vice president of engineering, effective October 1. He had been with Hoyles, Niblock in Vancouver and Montreal for the past 15 years. Negoro succeeded Ernie Rose who retired.
In December, CHAN-TV's full programming was now transmitted via Anik B satellite to all of British Columbia, the Mackenzie region of the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon.
1982
Western Broadcasting obtained control of BCTV. News continued to be the station's corner-stone. The station converted the newsroom to a studio. In ten short years during the 80’s, the news staff grew from 6 to 86. Not coincidentally, the audience surveys saw similar gains. The 6 pm “News Hour” was Canada’s most-watched local newscast, second in North America, with an audience of 640,000 viewers. As part of the Westcom TV Group, BCTV also produced a week-day national newscast “Canada Tonight”, seen on Westcom’s Alberta and Ontario stations.
Don Smith was apponted President of Westcom Group.
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| Jack Webster |
1987
Long-time radio-TV talk show host Jack Webster ended his daily show on May 1 with a 90-minute review of his nine years on TV. The 68 year old would continue to work at BCTV on news, public affairs and special events. On May 2, Webster was inducted into Canada's News Hall of Fame.
Lloyd Colthorpe retired after 27 years with BCTV.
Don Smith was president of BCTV.
1989
On September 28, the CRTC approved Maclean-Hunter Ltd.'s $606 million purchase of Selkirk Communications, and the subsequent transfer of Selkirk's interest in BCTV to Westcom TV Group (WIC), giving Westcom 100% of BCTV. Westcom in effect acquired the 41% of BCTV not already held, from MH Acquisitions Inc.
Tony Parsons was appointed news director. He would also continue to host The Early News and News Hour.
1992
BCTV made an out of court settlement with newsman Robert Malcolm, a 20 year employee who was replaced as 11:30 p.m. anchor in September of 1991. He stayed on until a heart attack in February of this year.
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| Frank Griffths |
1994
Frank Griffiths passed away at the age of 77 on April 7…the day he was to be inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame
1995
BCTV began carrying NBA Vancouver Grizzlies basketball games.
1996
Don Smith retired. WIC appointed Barry Duggan president and CEO of BCTV. He joined the company in 1992 to head up RDTV in Red Deer and was last president of WIC's CITV-TV in Edmonton.
1997
Barry Duggan resigned as president and CEO of BCTV Vancouver, where he succeeded Ron Bremner a short time earlier. Art Reitmeyer, who was in charge of WIC's CITV Edmonton and CKRD-TV Red Deer, succeeded Duggan, and Jim Bagshaw, who was in charge of CICT-TV Calgary, became president and CEO of all of WIC's Alberta TV operations.
BCTV's 28-year veteran program director Dorothy Steward, retired at the end of February.
Westcom TV announced plans to cut 95 jobs as part of "restructuring" following the licensing of new competitors in B.C. and Alberta. Following the elimination of 46 positions already, 51 would be cut at BCTV in Vancouver and Victoria; another 44 would be lost at WIC's four Alberta stations. CEO Art Reitmayer said the jobs would be phased out gradually and he hoped most affected workers would take early retirement or buyouts.
BCTV Vancouver replaced its sports team of Bernie Pascall, John McKeachie and Barrie Houlihan with Squire Barnes, Barry Deley (was with RDTV Red Deer), Keith Wells (from ITV Edmonton and CHEK Victoria) and Jay Janower (was in BCTV's newsroom). BCTV president Art Reitmayer said the station was determined to achieve the same excellent ratings for sports as it receives for news.
1998
The Griffiths family holdings in WIC Western International Communications Ltd. were sold, subject to CRTC approval, to Shaw Communications Inc. and CanWest Global Communications Corp.
1999
Following months of negotiation, agreements were filed with the CRTC on the split of WIC assets between CanWest Global, Corus Radio (formerly Shaw Radio), and Shaw Communications.
2000
Following an April hearing in Vancouver, in July, the CRTC announced the approval of the purchase of WIC Television by CanWest Global, which included BCTV Vancouver, conditional on CanWest Global divesting CKVU-TV Vancouver.
The change in ownership resulted in an unprecedented network shuffle in the Vancouver market, which would see CHAN-TV taking over the Global Network, CIVT-TV assuming the CTV Network and CKVU-TV becoming an independent CHUM station effective September 1, 2001.
2001
On January 30 it was announced that Kevin Newman would be leaving ABC “World News Tonight” and returning to Canada to anchor a new national supper hour newscast originating from the CHAN-TV studios.
On May 16 an announcement was made that CHAN-TV news anchor Bill Good would be leaving to host the supper hour news on rival CIVT-TV beginning September 1. Good had been with BCTV for 24 years. He would continue to host his daily talk show on CKNW 980.
On July 3, news was released that long-time news anchor Pamela Martin would also be leaving to join Bill Good at CIVT-TV.
On August 17, plans were announced to place popular newscaster Jill Krop as anchor of a new 11 p.m. “News Hour Final” to replace the CTV News with Lloyd Robertson, which would be moving along with the network to CIVT-TV. An expansion of the “Morning News” from 5:30 to 9:00 a.m. was also announced.
At midnight on September 1, CHAN-TV and sister station CHEK-TV became the Global TV Network affiliates in Vancouver and Victoria respectively. This change also involved two other TV stations in the Vancouver market, CIVT-TV (to CTV) and CKVU-TV (to CHUM Independent). CHAN-TV moved to the new slogan of “Global B.C.” but also continued to identify its newscasts as “BCTV News on Global”.
Barry Dodd left BCTV Vancouver for CIVI-TV.
BCTV Vancouver president Art Reitmayer was now VP, special projects for CanWest Global Communications. He was succeeded at BCTV by Jack Tonik, senior VP for CanWest Media Sales. Tomik would hold both titles.
2002
On January 17 an article by Barrett Hooper in the National Post announced that after only four months since its inception, the Vancouver produced supper-time newscast “Global National” with Kevin Newman had built a national audience nearly double that of competing CBC newscast “Canada Now”.
2005
On April 21 the CRTC approved application by Global Communications Limited for a licence to operate a transitional digital television undertaking in association with CHAN-TV Vancouver. The new digital station was licensed to operate on UHF channel 22 with an average effective radiated power of 4,300 watts. Except for up to 14 hours per week, the applicant proposed that the station would simulcast the current analog programming service.
2007
Approval was granted for the transfer of ownership of CanWest MediaWorks Inc. through the transfer of the beneficial ownership of CanWest Global Communications Corp., the parent corporation of CMI, from Mrs. Ruth Asper to David, Gail and Leonard Asper, holding together, through their personal holdings, 88.95% of the voting rights of CGCC.
On March 6 the CRTC approved extension of the time limit to April 21, 2008 to commence the operation of the transitional digital television programming undertaking CHAN-DT.
2008
On the weekend of April 12, on-air testing of the new digital transmitter began. Global sources indicated the official sign-on date as April 18. By April 24, the digital signal was added to Vancouver's Shaw Cable system on channel 217.
2009
On May 15th, the CRTC announced a one-year licence renewal, effective September 1st 2009, for all of CanWest's Over-The-Air stations, including CHAN-TV, "....to give these broadcasters some flexibility during the current period of economic uncertainty." Group-based licence renewals would then be addressed in the spring of 2010. The Commission also stated that it recognized the impracticability of imposing any conditions relative to 1-1 ratios between Canadian and non-Canadian programming in the ensuing year, given the programming commitments that were already in place.
The Commission would however continue to explore various regulatory measures "...to ensure that English-language television broadcasters devote an appropriate proportion of their expenditures to Canadian programming."
Written by Gord Lansdell, Bill Dulmage - Updated November, 2009
