1973
On August 10, the CRTC denied three applications for a new television station to serve Vancouver on channel 10: Chako Broadcasting Ltd., Great Pacific Industries Ltd. and West Coast Braodcasting Ltd. An application by the CBC for the use of channel 10 at Victoria was also denied.

1975
On July 18, Western Approaches Ltd. was awarded the third television licence for Vancouver (after CBUT-1953 and CHAN-1961) over applications by Channel Seventynine Ltd. (CITY-TV of Toronto), Ten Television Ltd. (Dr. Charles Allard and family of Edmonton), Pacific Rim and Broadcasting Ltd. (consortium including I. H. Asper of Winnipeg).

All applications were for the use of channel 10 except for Channel Seventynine Ltd. who wanted to use channel 26, and Western Approaches applied for either channel 10 or 26. The CRTC decided Western Approaches would use channel 26.

Western Approaches was controlled by DKL, which included TV producer Daryl Duke, writer Norman Klenman and lawyer Gordon Lyall. The other 45% of the stock was held by a group of more than 40 Vancouver businessmen.

1976
On February 2, Western Approaches Ltd. was authorized to change the channel of its proposed station from 26 to 21 and to increase effective radiated power from 790,000 to 880,000 watts.

CKVU-TV went on-air on September 1, on UHF channel 21.

1979
Allarcom purchase approximately 5% of CKVU's common stock, and 7% of its preferred. I.H. "Izzy" Asper, through CanWest Pacific, a subsidiary of CanWest Broadcasting Ltd. became involved when he loaned DKL some $ 4 million to thwart a takeover by Allarcom.

CKVU has its license renewed by the CRTC for only 18 months instead of the usual five years. CKVU had been rebroadcasting newscasts from the Global Television Network in Ontario instead of producing its own news programs. The CRTC ordered CKVU to discontinue this practice and start producing its own news.

1979-80
Hayden Kennard was appointed engineering manager. He had been with CBC Toronto.

Peter Viner

1980
Peter Viner became vice president and general manager of CKVU-TV. He had been vice president of Global TV in Toronto.

1982
Asper loaned DKL a further $ 8 million to enable them to reduce debt, but attached a condition that CanWest would have an option to eventually buy DKL's shares.

DKL later disputed this option, which led to several years of litigation between DKL, Allarcom and CanWest along with a complex CRTC process.

1985
On February 13, CKVU was given approval to move from channel 21 with 880,000 watts to channel 10 with 285,000 watts from the same transmitter site on Saltspring Island. This dramatically improved the station's coverage, and improved audiences.

On December 6, CanWest Pacific Television announced they had purchased controlling interest in CKVU-TV, subject to CRTC approval. DKL went to various levels of Courts to block the sale.

Tom Walters joined CKVU as anchor of the 4:30 p.m. news. He had been news director at CHBC-TV Kelowna.

1985-86
VU13 expanded "Vancouver Live" to an hour. The program was hosted by Maria LeRose and Wayne Cox. Joanna Piros returned to "1st News" after being on maternity leave. Laurier LaPierre started a new afternoon phone-in show - "On the Air".

1986
Wayne Cox was now hosting a guide to Vancouver's entertainment scene - TGIF - on Friday's.

Laurier LaPierre was host of VU13's People Will Talk.

1986-87
CKVU newsman George Duthie passed away at 45 after a brief illness.

Long-time CJOR producer/broadcaster Fanny Kiefer now had a feature (Expose) on VU13.

1987
Joanna Piros was an anchor for 1st News.

Stanley Burke was hosting VU13's daily live feed of "VSE Today" to the American based Financial News Network.

On June 19th, the Supreme Court of British Columbia ordered CKVU-TV's owners, Duke and Klenman, to sell their controlling interest to the CanWest Group, subject to CRTC approval.

1988
Following the settlement of further legal wrangles, CanWest finally obtained control, and finally 100% ownership, of CKVU-TV Vancouver.

Don Brinton

On July 13th, "Izzy" Asper, Chairman of the CanWest Group of Companies announced that after ten long, rather difficult years, his company was now in full control, and Donald Brinton, President of CanWest Broadcasting Ltd. was the new President & CEO of CKVU-TV. Brinton was named president and CEO of CanWest Broadcasting, CanWest Pacific Television Inc., and Western Approaches Ltd. He moved to Vancouver from Winnipeg where he had headed the launching of CKND-TV in 1975.

During this ten year period the station's audience and profits rose as a result of very ambitious award-winning program production.

Russ Froese was named anchor of the hour-long evening news package, First News.

George Froelich joined CKVU as executive producer of news and current affairs. He had been senior desk editor at CBC-TV's "The Journal".

1988-89
Jack Tomik was appointed general sales manager.

1989
Barry Millar was named promotions manager.

Sharol Josephson joined Russ Froese as co-anchor of First News at 5:30 p.m.

Dave Randorf was appointed one of the hosts of Sports Page.

1991
Diane Johnson was named publicity and promotions manager.

1992
Don Brinton was succeeded by long-time associate, Peter Viner. When Viner left to head-up CanWest's interests in Australia and New Zealand, he was succeeded by James Rusnak, a well-known Saskatchewan broadcaster.

CKVU opened a Fraser Valley news bureau. Reporter Julia Foy would be based at one of 17 newspapers in the Metro Valley Group, which was cooperating in VU News.

1993
At the end of July, CKVU-TV was forced to go to taped programming because of flooding at the studio facility.

1994
CKVU-TV, along with CKND-TV Winnipeg, CFRE-TV Regina and CFSK-TV Saskatoon were amalgamated into CanWest Television Inc. (a subsidiary of CanWest Global Communications Inc.) with Jim Rusnak as President.

Suzette Meyers was named co-anchor with Russ Froese of "U News at Six". Tamara Stanners resigned from the UTV newsroom to spend more time with her family.

1994-95
Howard Slutsken moved from the position of U.TV program director to national program manager at CanWest Global.

1995
Diane Johnson left CKVU-TV to head up the new Western Canadian division of Walt Disney International. She had been CKVU's publicity and promotions director.

U.TV reported that the fall ratings gave it seven out of the top ten regular shows seen in Vancouver. The number one show was "Seinfeld" with 33% of the viewers.

1997
CKVU-TV, which had operated on-air as UTV, adopted the Global logo. A new graphics package was added at U.TV, enabling the station to produce more automation for on-air sports and promotions.

U.TV set up a new Valley Bureau in Abbotsford to further increase news coverage of Fraser Valley communities.

On June 1, Debbie Millette succeeded Susan Brinton as program manager of CKVU. Janice Talbot moved from the post of assistant PD to become production manager. Brinton went back to university.

U. TV's president was Jim Rusnak. Marrett Green was a reporter and weekend anchor at U.TV.

The station's fall slogan: "U Want it? U got it. U.TV".

1998
On October 8 the CRTC approved an application by Canadian Satellite Communications Inc. (Cancom) to add the signal of CKVU-TV to the list of signals that it was authorized to distribute.

1999
On October 5 the CRTC approved an application by Star Choice Television Network Incorporated (Star Choice) to add CKVU-TV to their national satellite relay distribution undertaking. Bell ExpressVu had been authorized to carry the signal earlier in the year.

2000
On July 6 the CRTC issued a directive to CanWest Television Inc. to divest itself of ownership of CKVU-TV and its Courtenay retransmitter CKVU-TV-1 as part of the Commission's approval of CanWest Television Inc. to acquire CHAN-TV Vancouver and CHEK-TV Victoria.

On December 21 the CRTC approved the application for authority to transfer the assets of CKVU-TV Vancouver and its retransmitter to its wholly owned subsidiary CKVU Sub Inc. The transfer permitted CanWest to place CKVU-TV in trust.

2001
On July 26 the CRTC announced that CHUM Limited had applied to seek control of CKVU Sub Inc., licensee of CKVU-TV. CHUM proposed spending $8.03M on B.C. independent production, $5.95M on local news and information programming, and $1.37M on local culture, social policy, and talent development over a seven-year period. The company stated it would program the station much like its CITY-TV operation in Toronto. The purchase of CKVU-TV by CHUM would amount to a second dual ownership of TV stations in the Vancouver/Victoria market where CanWest Global already operated CHAN-TV/CHEK-TV.

On September 1 the Global affiliation moved from CKVU-TV to CHAN-TV as part of a three-way network shuffle among Vancouver television stations, leaving CKVU-TV without a major network. The station branding changed from Global to ckvu13, with "13" designating the cable position in southwestern B.C. One of CKVU-TV's most popular local programs, "Sports Page", aired nightly at 11, moved over to CHEK-TV Victoria as part of the ownership change.

On October 15 the CRTC approved the application by CHUM Limited for authority to acquire effective control of CKVU Sub Inc. As CHUM already operated CIVI-TV Victoria, conditions for dual ownership in the market were specified, including separate management of news and no more than 10% of programming overlap between their two stations.

2002
In July, CHUM Limited 'relaunched' CKVU as City-TV Vancouver, to take advantage of cross-promotional and creative opportunities with sister station CITY-TV Toronto.

2005
Allan Waters, the founder of CHUM Limited, owner of City-TV Vancouver,  passed away at the age of 84, on December 3rd.

 2006
On July 12 CKVU-TV announced that it was eliminating all of its dinner hour, late night, and weekend newscasts, effective immediately, to be replaced by a centrally produced daily half-hour national and international news package.  The change resulted in the layoff of 47 staff members, some of whom had been with the station for close to 30 years.  The station’s local “Breakfast Television” program was retained.  Meanwhile, 17 technical and support positions were cut at sister station CIVI-TV “A-Channel” in Victoria, as its breakfast program was eliminated.  However, it was announced that a two-hour news program would be produced along with the retention of the station’s “Vancouver Island” report.

On the same day, it was announced that Bellglobemedia would pay C$1.7 billion for CHUM Ltd., in a deal that will see the company merged into a BCE-owned media conglomerate, subject to CRTC approval.  The deal included CKVU-TV, along with the other City-TV stations in Canada; CIVI-TV Victoria plus its other national A-Channel TV stations; as well as three Vancouver and two Victoria radio stations, included in its total Canadian radio holdings.  Bell Globemedia also held title to CTV British Columbia (CIVT-TV) in Vancouver.  On August 31, the two companies announced that BGM had been successful in its offer to acquire approximately 6.7 million common shares of and approximately 19.2 million non-voting Class B shares of CHUM.  The shares were to be placed in the hands of an independent trustee pursuant to a voting trust agreement approved by the CRTC.
 
On October 3 former President Peter Viner was chosen by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to receive its 2006 Gold Ribbon Award for outstanding service to Canadian private broadcasting.  Producer Daryl Duke, one of the station’s original founders, died in West Vancouver October 21 at age 77.

On November 22, the CRTC approved transfer of effective control of CHUM Limited from Mr. Allan Waters to his estate, following his death in December 2005.  The approval represented the preliminary step to enable the transfer of CHUM's shares to a trust, which received approval on July 12.  This transfer was not related to a pending sale of CHUM to Bellglobemedia. Prior to his death, Mr. Waters was the sole shareholder of Allan Waters Ltd., which in turn, owned approximately 87% of CHUM's voting shares.  The executors of the estate were James Allan Waters, Ronald Allan Waters, Sheryl Bourne and Robert Sutherland.

2007
On June 8 the CRTC approved the takeover of CHUM Ltd. by CTVglobemedia, on condition that CTV sell off five City-TV stations, CITY-TV Toronto, CHMI-TV Portage La Prairie/Winnipeg, CKEM-TV Edmonton, CKAL-TV Calgary and CKVU-TV Vancouver. Rogers Communications announced on June 25th that a deal had been reached for them to buy these stations from CTV, subject to CRTC approval. Among the CHUM assets acquired by CTVglobemedia in the deal were seven television stations, 21 specialty channels and some 33 radio stations.

2008
Early on the morning of December 2nd, Ted Rogers, founder and former Chief Executive of Rogers Communications, owners of CKVU-TV, died at his home in Toronto, after having suffered from congestive heart failure for some time.

2009
On May 15th, following a hearing that began on April 27th, the CRTC announced a one-year licence renewal, effective September 1st 2009, for the Rogers Citytv stations, including CKVU-TV Vancouver, "....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."

2010
On January 19th, CITY-TV head office imn Toronto announced that it was "restructuring its operations", with about 60 staffers being laid off across the country. The 6pm and 11pm newscasts would continue, but would be produced only in Toronto. Breakfast Television would be cut back from four hours to three in those cities where it played. The staff cuts represented approximately 6 per cent of the CITY-TV work-force

              Written by Bill Dulmage, Gord Lansdell - Updated November, 2009