Online Encyclopedia
Citytv
Moses Znaimer, head of Citytv for many years, once described the system's philosophy by saying, "It's not the show, it's the flow."
Contents |
History
The original Citytv station (granted callsign CITY-TV by the CRTC) was founded in Toronto in 1972 and began broadcasting for the first time on September 28 of that year. Known through its first decade as channel 79 on the UHF dial, programming shifted to channel 57 in 1983, where it remains to this day.
In 1988 Citytv moved to its current headquarters at the CHUM-City Building, making it one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city.
Citytv launched a second station in Vancouver when it bought CKVU-TV from Global in 2001.
Programming
Citytv is best known for its unconventional approach to news and local programming. With a lack of a news desk (anchors read the news standing up) and laid-back yet hard-hitting presentation, Citytv's CityPulse news has developed a large following, and other stations around the world have tried to imitate its format to varying degrees of success.
Citytv also produces more local programs than any other television station in Canada, such as Speaker's Corner, CityLine, Fashiontelevision and MediaTelevision.
The station also attracted attention and controversy by airing "Baby Blue Movies", or soft-core pornography, on Friday nights after midnight. Although this programming strategy was discontinued in the 1980s, it has recently been reinstated.
See also: List of programs broadcast by Citytv
Citytv stations
On November 19, 2004, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved the sale of Craig Media's broadcasting operations to CHUM. It is possible that one or all of the A-Channel stations (CHMI, CKAL and CKEM) may be rebranded as Citytv stations, but currently no formal announcement of CHUM's intentions has been made. (The other station acquired by CHUM in this transaction, CKX in Brandon, Manitoba, is a CBC affiliate in a market too small for the Citytv brand, although it may eventually be converted to a NewNet station.)
CHUM has also licensed the Citytv name and brand identity to local television stations in Bogotá, Colombia (Citytv Bogotá ) and Barcelona, Spain (Citytv Barcelona).
External links
- Citytv Toronto and Vancouver http://www.citytv.com
- Citytv Bogota http://www.citytv.com.co
- Citytv Barcelona http://www.citytvweb.com