CHAN-TV Vancouver, British Columbia (otherwise known as Global BC) is the Global Television Network's owned_and_operated station in British Columbia, broadcasting from its studios in Burnaby. It broadcasts on OTA channel 8, and on cable channel 11.

CHAN began broadcasting on October 30, 1960 as an independent station, joining CTV upon the new network's launch on October 1, 1961. Soon after launch, the station began installing many relay transmitters, and, according to the station, can reach 97 per cent of British Columbia. In 1963, local entrepreneur Frank Griffiths purchased the station, along with nearby CBC affiliate station CHEK TV, based in Victoria on Vancouver Island.

In 1975, CHAN took on the name BCTV, which was used as the station's name up until 2001, when it became Global BC (BCTV is still used for its local news programs). In 1982, the station became part of Selkirk subsidiary Western Broadcasting Inc., and in 1989, was acquired by WIC subsidiary Westcom TV Group.

News

CHAN's news operation is well respected in the industry. Ever since the station decided to produce a one hour news bulletin in the late 1960s, a major part of the station's cash flow has gone into its news programming, and has garnered high ratings and major awards since then. The station's on-air news style was even used a inspiration for Ted Turner's CNN, as both uses the newsroom as a backdrop during the broadcast.

CHAN was very unfriendly towards CTV, as they believed that the network's Toronto station, CFTO, produced nearly all of CTV's Canadian shows in the late 1960s and early 1970s. CHAN's main goal was to produce a nation-wide national news bulletin from its studios, but CTV didn't like the idea, as Griffiths only owned three CTV affiliates: BCTV, CHEK and, for a short while, Montreal's CFCF.

This lead to CHAN producing its own program for WIC's stations in the mid-nineties: "Canada Tonight". Two versions were produced: one for BC itself, hosted by Bill Good (now at CIVT, CTV's current Vancouver O&O station) and a national version, hosted by Tony Parsons, who also presents their nightly news program, "The Newshour". When CanWest Global purchased CHAN, the stories that were once sourced from CTV's other affiliates throughout the country, were replaced by stories sourced from Global's affiliates.

From 2001, when the station became Global BC, CHAN became home to Global's new national news program, Global National, hosted by former ABC reporter and presenter, Kevin Newman. The program goes live to air from Vancouver at 5.30pm (Pacific Time), and is followed by The Newshour.

CHAN's other news programs include:

• a morning news program from 6 to 9am, hosted by Steve Darling and Lynn Colliar,
• an hour long bulletin (known as "The Noon NewsHour"), hosted by Randene Neill (weekdays), and Robin Stickley (weekends)
• a 5.00pm bulletin, hosted by Deborra Hope,
• a late night bulletin (known as "NewsHour Final"), hosted by Jill Krop,
• Saturday (7.00-10.00am) and Sunday (8.00-10.00am) Morning News, hosted by Robin Stickley,
• weekend editions of The NewsHour, hosted by Suzette Meyers, and NewsHour Final, hosted by Reg Hampton

The affiliation shakeup of 2001

In 2000, WIC's stations were purchased by CanWest Global, and as a result, CHAN would become the British Columbia affiliate of the Global Television Network. When BCTV's affiliation with CTV expired on September 1, 2001, a major shakeup in British Columbia television occurred:

• The former Global affiliate, CKVU, became an independent for around a year, before becoming Citytv Vancouver. This occurred because the sale had not yet been approved by the CRTC.
• CIVT, owned by CTV's forerunner Baton Broadcasting, switched from being the independent Vancouver Television (VTV) to become "BC CTV" (later changed to just CTV due to confusion with BCTV).
• BCTV's sister station in Victoria, CHEK, switched from being a CTV affiliate to becoming CH Victoria, and joined the CH system also owned by CanWest Global.
• And finally, CHAN became Global's Vancouver affiliate, Global BC.

Programming

For the most part, CHAN-TV airs a typical Global network schedule, but with a few differences:

• Programs that are pushed from the CHAN TV schedule for its news programs, such as children's programming, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, and Sports Page, are shown on CHEK,
• CHAN-TV also holds the BC rights to a few syndicated programs that are usually shown on CTV, such as Oprah Winfrey.

Transmitters

Sourced from Nelson Media (http://www.nelsonmedia.ca/)

External links

• TVVancouver (http://www.tvvancouver.cjb.net/)
• Global BC's official website (http://www.canada.com/vancouver/globaltv/)