Canadian Television

Television is part of western culture and an important source of information gathering. Here is a view on Canada's major national networks:

First a little history: At the end of the 1940s the Canadian government thought it necessary to make television in Canada, which was at the time solely American, well, Canadian. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Société Radio-Canada were set up to convert their radio listening public to television, bringing a Canadian perspective to television in 1952. Their monopoly of television lasted about a decade when the government started issuing broadcasting licences for television. Later the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (later renamed Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission; CRTC) was created to assure that Canadian Content laws were obeyed. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)/Société Radio Canada (SRC) The CBC/Radio Canada has been on airwaves a long time (since before they were finally converted to television sets across the country becoming the first network based out of Canada. CBC television began in 1952 bringing a Canadian perspective to news, sports and entertainment. CBC Sports became an icon as it hosted Hockey Night in Canada/La Soirée du Hockey and the Grey Cup finals every year as well as owning broadcasting rights to the Olympic Games every two years. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation not only owns CBC Television but also Radio-Canada, Radio-Canada International and CBC Newsworld and CBC Radio. CBC has created a lot of shows such as the children's shows Friendly Giant and Mr Dressup, comedy shows such as Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour Has 22 Minutes and renowned news broadcasting like Peter Mansbridge's The National and recently formed Canada Now. This year, CBC was nominated for 156 Gemini Awards for quality programming such as its documentary series Canada: A People's History and Life & Times and SRC won 16 Prix Gémaux.

Canadian Television (CTV) Canadian Television is the CBC's largest rival. CTV (officially CTV doesn't stand for anything although we all know it means Canadian Television) Network joined the airwaves October 1, 1961, which broadcasts different local television stations. One of CTV's longest running shows W5 (now W-Five) was created in 1966 and is the longest running newsmagazine in Canada and perhaps the entire continent. Having been owned in part by different broadcasting corporations like Baton Broadcasting Inc and CHUM, all CTV affiliated stations are now owned solely by CTV Inc. Although CTV has a much higher American content than the CBC, the CTV has, as it must, Canadian content that isn't limited to its news. The ever popular 1980s show Degrassi Junior High/Degrassi High, one of the most recognised Canadian show apart from HNIC has been reborn on CTV as Degrassi: The Next Generation. Other Canadian programmes on CTV include Cold Squad, W-Five and all news programs which fill in the gaps of American programmes Ally McBeal and C.S.I. When it comes to sports, however, while CBC owns anything hockey, CFL and the Olympics on the Canadian broadcasting scene, CTV owns anything else with CTV Sportsnet, and its sports networks The Sport's Network (TSN), its French version Réseau des Sports (RDS) and its new feminine version WTSN, which are Canada's source to basketball, hockey CBC doesn't show and other sports.

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