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{{Short description|Canadian television network}}
{{other uses of|CTV}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = CTV Television Network
| logo = CTV logo 2018.svg
| type = [[Terrestrial television|Terrestrial]] television network
| country = Canada
| area = Canada<br>parts of the United States via cable or antenna
| affiliates = See {{section link||CTV stations}}
| headquarters = [[9 Channel Nine Court]], [[Agincourt, Toronto|Agincourt]], [[Scarborough, Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| language = [[English language|English]]
| picture_format = [[1080i]] [[HDTV]]
| former_names = Canadian Television Network (CTN) (pre-launch name)
| owner = [[BCE Inc.]]
| parent = [[Bell Media]]
| key_people = Wade Oosterman<br>President, [[Bell Media]]<br/>Karine Moses<br/>Senior Vice-President, Content Development and News<br/>Wendy Freeman<br/>Vice-President, [[CTV News]]
| founder = [[Spence Caldwell]]
| launch_date = {{start date and age|1961|10|1}}
| sister_channels = {{Plainlist|
*[[CTV2]]
*[[CTV News Channel (Canadian TV channel)|CTV News Channel]]
*[[BNN Bloomberg]]
*[[CP24]]
*[[CTV Comedy Channel]]
*[[CTV Drama Channel]]
*[[CTV Life Channel]]
*[[CTV Nature Channel]]
*[[CTV Sci-Fi Channel]]
*[[CTV Speed Channel]]
*[[CTV Wild Channel]]
*[[Oxygen (Canadian TV channel)|Oxygen]]
*[[USA Network (Canada)|USA Network]]
*[[Noovo]] (French language)
}}
| website = {{URL|https://ctv.ca}}
}}

The '''CTV Television Network''', short for Canadian Television, and commonly known as '''CTV''', is a [[Television in Canada|Canadian]] English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by [[BCE Inc.]] in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned [[List of Canadian television channels|television network]] and is now a division of the [[Bell Media]] subsidiary of BCE.<ref name="About-CTV">{{cite web|title=About CTV|url=https://www.ctv.ca/Corporate-Information/About-CTV|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810155343/https://www.ctv.ca/Corporate-Information/About-CTV|archive-date=August 10, 2016|access-date=June 3, 2020|work=CTV Television Network}}</ref> It is Canada's largest privately or commercially owned network consisting of 22 owned-and-operated stations nationwide and two privately owned affiliates, and has consistently been placed as Canada's top-[[audience measurement|rated]] network in total viewers and in key [[demographic]]s since 2002, after several years trailing the rival [[Global Television Network]] in key markets.

Bell Media also operates additional CTV-branded properties, including the 24-hour national cable news network [[CTV News Channel (Canada)|CTV News Channel]] and the secondary [[CTV 2]] [[television system]].

There has never been an official full name corresponding to the initials "CTV"; prior to CTV's launch in 1961, it was given the proposed branding of "Canadian Television Network" (CTN), but that branding was dropped before the network's launch when the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC) objected to it, claiming exclusive rights to the term "Canadian".<ref name="Gittins 1999, p. 63">[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 63</ref><ref name="Gittins 1999, pp. 45–51">[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], pp. 45–51</ref>

==History==
{{See also|Bell Media#History|l1=History of Baton Broadcasting / Bell Globemedia / CTVglobemedia / Bell Media}}

===Formation===
In 1958, Prime Minister [[John Diefenbaker]]'s government passed the ''[[Broadcasting Act (1991)#Broadcasting Act, 1958 & 1968|Broadcasting Act]]'', which established the [[Board of Broadcast Governors]] (BBG), a forerunner to the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC), as the governing body of Canadian broadcasting, effectively ending the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]'s (CBC) dual role as regulator and broadcaster.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=CTV Television Network |url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/ctv-television-network |website=Canadian Communications Foundation |access-date=September 28, 2018 |archive-date=September 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929000429/http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/ctv-television-network |url-status=dead }}</ref> The new board's first act was to take applications for "second" television stations in [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], [[Montreal]] (in both English and [[French language in Canada|French]]), [[Ottawa]], [[Toronto]], [[Winnipeg]], [[Calgary]], [[Edmonton]], and [[Vancouver]] in response to an outcry for an alternative to [[CBC Television|the CBC's television service]]. Calgary and Edmonton were served by privately owned CBC [[network affiliate|affiliates]]; the other six markets by CBC [[owned-and-operated station]]s (O&Os).

In order of their first sign-on, the newly-licensed stations were:
*[[CFCN-DT|CFCN-TV]] Calgary (September 9, 1960)<ref>{{cite web |title=CFCN-DT |url=https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/alberta/cfcn-dt/ |website=broadcasting-history.ca |publisher=History of Canadian Broadcasting |access-date=16 June 2024}}</ref>
*[[CHAN-DT|CHAN-TV]] Vancouver (October 31, 1960)<ref>{{cite web |title=CHAN-DT |url=https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/british-columbia/chan-dt/ |website=broadcasting-history.ca |publisher=History of Canadian Broadcasting}}</ref>
*[[CKY-DT|CJAY-TV]] Winnipeg (November 12, 1960)<ref>{{cite web |title=CKY-DT |url=https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/manitoba/cky-dt/ |website=broadcasting-history.ca |publisher=History of Canadian Broadcasting}}</ref>
*[[CFTO-DT|CFTO-TV]] Toronto (December 31, 1960)<ref>{{cite web |title=CFTO-DT |url=https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/ontario/toronto-and-vicinity/cfto-dt/ |website=broadcasting-history.ca |publisher=History of Canadian Broadcasting}}</ref>
*[[CJCH-DT|CJCH-TV]] Halifax (January 1, 1961)<ref>{{cite web |title=CJCH-DT |url=https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/nova-scotia/cjch-dt/ |website=broadcasting-history.ca |publisher=History of Canadian Broadcasting}}</ref>
*[[CFCF-DT|CFCF-TV]] Montreal (English; January 20, 1961)<ref>{{cite web |title=CFCF-DT |url=https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/quebec/quebec-montreal-et-ouest-du-quebec/cfcf-dt/ |website=broadcasting-history.ca |publisher=History of Canadian Broadcasting}}</ref>
*[[CFTM-DT|CFTM-TV]] Montreal (French; February 19, 1961)<ref>{{cite web |title=CFTM-DT |url=https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/quebec/quebec-montreal-et-ouest-du-quebec/cftm-dt/ |website=broadcasting-history.ca |publisher=History of Canadian Broadcasting}}</ref>
*[[CJOH-DT|CJOH-TV]] Ottawa (March 12, 1961)<ref>{{cite web |title=CJOH-DT |url=https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/ontario/ontario-eastern/cjoh-dt/ |website=broadcasting-history.ca |publisher=History of Canadian Broadcasting}}</ref>
*<!-- NOTE: This list only refers to the set of *newly licensed* stations in 1960. See next paragraph re Edmonton situation. -->[[CBXT-DT|CBXT]] Edmonton (October 1, 1961)<ref>{{cite web |title=CBX-DT |url=https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-stations/alberta/cbxt-dt/ |website=broadcasting-history.ca |publisher=History of Canadian Broadcasting}}</ref>

The first eight stations were privately owned; the Edmonton station was a CBC O&O, thus [[CFRN-DT|CFRN-TV]], the existing local station which had launched in 1954, would lose its CBC affiliation once CBXT signed on.

Even before his station was licensed, [[John W. H. Bassett]], the chief executive of the ultimately successful Toronto applicant [[Baton Aldred Rogers Broadcasting]],<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 20</ref> had expressed interest in participating in the creation of a second television network, "of which we see the Toronto station as anchor".<ref name="gittins-26">[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 26</ref> Indeed, Baton had already begun quietly contacting the successful applicants in other cities to gauge their interest in forming a cooperative group to share Canadian programming among the stations.<ref name="gittins-26" /> This led to the July 1960 formation of the Independent Television Organization (ITO), consisting of the eight newly licensed private stations and CFRN, each having one vote in the ITO's operations regardless of the size of its audience (CFTM, being a French-language station and therefore having little reason to collaborate with the other stations, would soon withdraw from the group; it would later emerge as the flagship of the first private French-language network, [[TVA (Canadian TV network)|TVA]]). The ITO soon resolved to apply for a network licence to link these second stations.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], pp. 43–44</ref>

However, the ITO faced opposition from [[Spence Caldwell]], a former CBC executive and one of the unsuccessful applicants for the Toronto licence, who had first approached the BBG in April 1960 to pitch a second-station network proposal of his own. Under his plan, at least 51% of the shares of the network would be owned by various prominent [[Bay Street]] investors who had previously backed his Toronto station bid; only 49% would be reserved for the network's affiliates to purchase, if they wished. The BBG – and particularly its chair Andrew Stewart (who at the time also served as the president of the [[University of Alberta]]) – was not in favour of a station-owned network, fearing that any such network would be dominated by Toronto's CFTO. Although it did not immediately approve Caldwell's proposal, it soon set several conditions on such a network that effectively made Caldwell's group the only feasible applicant.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], 37–38</ref>

That fall, the Caldwell group (now named the '''Canadian Television Network''', or CTN) and the ITO faced off in a series of meetings with the BBG. The ITO decided not to follow through with a formal network application, but the stations – particularly Baton, which said it had no interest in participating in CTN and believed it could still be successful without one – continued to indicate various concerns with the viability of Caldwell's proposal. Ultimately, the BBG granted a licence to CTN, conditional on securing the affiliation of six of the eight ITO stations.<ref name="Gittins 1999, pp. 45–51"/>

Baton's opposition to the CTN reversed in early 1961, soon after CFTO won the broadcast rights to the [[Canadian Football League]] [[Canadian Football League East Division|Eastern Conference]] for the 1961 and 1962 seasons.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 52</ref> Baton's original plan was to operate a temporary network to distribute the games incorporating CFTO, other independent stations, and CBC affiliates in smaller markets (assuming the public network released its affiliates to carry the game).<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 53</ref> Although the plan was neither officially rejected or approved, various uncertainties eventually led John Bassett to decide to sign an affiliation agreement with CTN instead to ensure the games would air.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 55</ref> Most of the other second stations followed suit, with the exception of CHAN in Vancouver, which agreed to carry several network programs but never officially signed on as an affiliate for the duration of the Caldwell era, yet nonetheless would later claim to have been a "charter member" of the network.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 58</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/u9h3RqalY08 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120823170130/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9h3RqalY08 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9h3RqalY08|title=BCTV Ch-8 Vancouver BC_sign off (posted 2009-03-15)|date=March 15, 2009 |publisher=YouTube|access-date=February 25, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Early years===
The network finally launched as the CTV Television Network on October 1, 1961.<ref name="GMOct61"/><ref name="Gitpp7273">[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 72-73</ref>{{refn|There may be some confusion about the network's launch date due to a celebration of "50 years of local news" held by local CTV and A-Channel stations in April 2008,<ref>[http://50yearsofnews.ctv.ca/ 50yearsofnews.ctv.ca] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530005959/http://50yearsofnews.ctv.ca/ |date=May 30, 2012 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2008/08/c3619.html CTV and A-Channel Celebrate Local News] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412024903/http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2008/08/c3619.html |date=April 12, 2008 }}, CTV press release, April 8, 2008</ref> particularly as there were a handful of cases where the event was erroneously referred to as a "50th anniversary".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ctv-celebrates-50-years-of-news-1.289355|title=CTV celebrates 50 years of news|work=CTV.ca|date=April 15, 2008|access-date=June 22, 2011|quote=CTV Anchors from across the country are in Ottawa to celebrate the network's 50th anniversary|archive-date=October 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022005211/http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ctv-celebrates-50-years-of-news-1.289355|url-status=dead}}</ref> Neither the network nor any local CTV-owned station launched in 1958, although some of the stations that later joined CTV launched earlier in the 1950s.<ref>[http://50yearsofnews.ctv.ca/index.php/background/ CTV – Local News Matters – Background] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323010123/http://50yearsofnews.ctv.ca/index.php/background/ |date=March 23, 2011 }} (list of CTV-owned stations that launched in the 1950s)</ref> The celebration was not timed to any particular anniversary but rather to a CRTC review of regulations for local television stations also held that month.<ref>[http://50yearsofnews.ctv.ca/index.php/about/ CTV – Local News Matters – FAQ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622162722/http://50yearsofnews.ctv.ca/index.php/about/ |date=June 22, 2010 }} (makes several references to CRTC review</ref>|group="nb"}} The CBC had objected to the network's initial name, apparently claiming it had exclusive rights to the term "Canadian", and therefore the letters "CTV" have no official expanded meaning.<ref name="Gittins 1999, p. 63"/>

The CTV network's first night on-air began with [[Harry Rasky]]'s promotional documentary on the new network. That was followed by a fall season preview program.<ref name="GMOct61">{{cite news | title=Filmed Accolades Put Private TV Network on the Air | work=[[The Globe and Mail]] | date=October 2, 1961 | first=Dennis | last=Braithwaite | page=4}}</ref>

CTV's initial 1961–1962 season began with the following programs, five of which were Canadian productions:<ref name="GMOct61"/>
* ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'' (United States, [[CBS]])
* ''[[Checkmate (American TV series)|Checkmate]]'' (United States, [[CBS]])
* ''[[Cross Canada Barndance]]'' (Canada)
* ''[[Maigret (1960 TV series)|Maigret]]'' (United Kingdom, [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]])
* ''[[The Rifleman]]'' (United States, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]])
* ''[[Showdown (Canadian game show)|Showdown]]'' (Canada)
* ''[[Sing Along with Mitch|Sing Along With Mitch]]'' (United States, [[NBC]])
* ''[[Take a Chance (Canadian game show)|Take a Chance]]'', a quiz show by [[Roy Ward Dickson]] adapted from radio (Canada)
* ''[[Top Cat]]'' (United States, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]])
* ''[[Twenty Questions (Canadian TV series)|Twenty Questions]]'' (Canada)
* ''[[West Coast (TV series)|West Coast]]'' (Canada)
* ''[[Whiplash (TV series)|Whiplash]]'' (Australia, [[ATN]]-7)

Other series such as ''[[Telepoll]]'' and ''[[A Kin to Win]]'' were introduced later in the inaugural season.

At first, flagship CFTO was the only station that carried programming live. During CBC's off-hours, CTV used CBC's microwave system to send programming to the rest of the country on tape delay.<ref name="Gitpp7273"/> Eventually, a second microwave channel opened up, enabling live programming from coast to coast.

The Caldwell-led management team immediately ran into financial trouble, and relations between the network and its stations were not smooth at first since CTV had essentially been the product of a forced marriage. For example, most of the rights to American programming rested with the ITO, not CTV.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 78</ref> In many cases, CTV found itself competing with its own stations for the rights to programming.

===Reorganization and expansion===
Caldwell's departure in 1965<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 82</ref> did little to alleviate the situation, and CTV soon found itself on the verge of bankruptcy. In 1966, the network's affiliates (which by this time included [[CJON-DT|CJON-TV]] in [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]], [[CKCO-DT|CKCO-TV]] in [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]], [[CHAB-TV|CHAB-TV/CHRE-TV]] in [[Moose Jaw]]/[[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]], and the network's first and only U.S. affiliate, [[WNYB|WNYP-TV]] in [[Jamestown, New York]]) sought permission to buy the network and run it as a cooperative. The BBG was initially skeptical of the proposal. Since CFTO was by far the largest and richest station (it was more than double the size of the next-largest station, Montreal's CFCF-TV), the BBG feared that CFTO would dominate CTV if the stations were allowed to buy the network. To alleviate these concerns, the affiliates promised that each station owner would have one vote regardless of its audience share. The board readily approved the proposal, and by the start of the 1966–67 season, the stations owned their network.<ref name="Gitp86">[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 86</ref> The network also began broadcasting in [[Colour television|colour]] on September 1, 1966.<ref name="Gitp86"/>

By the mid-1970s, CTV had expanded its footprint across Canada, mostly by [[Duopoly (broadcasting)#Canada|twinstick]] arrangements in smaller cities, and with CBC affiliates switching to CTV once the CBC opened its own stations or added rebroadcasters of nearby O&O stations. In a unique twist, the original [[Saskatchewan]] affiliate, CHAB/CHRE, was bought by the CBC in 1969 (and eventually changed its calls to [[CBKT-DT|CBKT]], with the Regina station as the main station), allowing Regina's original station, [[CKCK-DT|CKCK-TV]], to join CTV. Its attempt to expand to the United States ended when Buffalo's three network affiliates threatened legal action, forcing WNYP off the air.

CTV made a name for itself in news coverage when it convinced star CBC news anchor [[Lloyd Robertson]] to switch networks in 1976.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 118</ref> (Robertson served as the network's main anchorman until 2011). Its weekly newsmagazine series, ''[[W5 (TV program)|W5]]'', has been a fixture on the network since 1966,<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 89</ref> predating the similar American program ''[[60 Minutes]]'' by two years.

[[File:CTV 1970s.PNG|225px|thumb|right|CTV logo, used from 1975 to 1985.]]
In the 1970s, CTV often bought rights to pop and rock songs to serve as theme music for its programming, rather than commissioning original themes. Most notably, ''W5'' used an instrumental portion of [[Supertramp]]'s "[[Fool's Overture]]", ''Canada AM'' used an instrumental version of [[The Moody Blues]]' "Ride My See-Saw", the game show ''[[Definition (TV series)|Definition]]'' used [[Quincy Jones]]' "[[Soul Bossa Nova]]" and the ''CTV Movie'' used the [[Keith Mansfield]] instrumental "Statement" from the [[KPM Musichouse]] library.

For most of its first four decades, CTV did not have what could be considered a main schedule outside of news programming. The differences were enough that Ottawa's CJOH used a rebroadcaster in [[Cornwall, Ontario|Cornwall]] to feed cable systems in Montreal from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s despite the presence of CFCF; the CJOH rebroadcaster reaches the western portion of the Montreal area.

===Conflict and consolidation===
CTV's cooperative structure regularly led to conflicts between the network's owner-affiliates. In particular, the owners of CFCF, CJOH, and especially CHAN felt that [[Baton Broadcasting]], owners of [[flagship (broadcasting)|flagship]] CFTO in Toronto, dominated production of network programming.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], pp. 90–91, 205</ref>

In the mid-1980s, Baton began a drive to take over CTV by buying as many affiliates as possible. Having already bought [[CFQC-DT|CFQC-TV]] in [[Saskatoon]] in 1971,<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 131-133</ref> Baton purchased additional stations in Saskatchewan – including CTV affiliates CKCK-TV Regina, [[CICC-DT|CICC-TV]] [[Yorkton]], and [[CIPA-DT|CIPA-TV]] [[Prince Albert, Saskatchewan|Prince Albert]] – in 1986. Baton then purchased CJOH in 1988, followed by the [[CTV Northern Ontario|MCTV]] and [[Huron Broadcasting]] stations, which included four CTV affiliates in [[Northern Ontario]], in 1990.

One caveat, however, was the "one owner, one vote" provision of the cooperative's bylaws. Any acquisition of one station by an existing station owner triggered an automatic redistribution of the acquired station's shares among the other owners.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 248</ref> As a result, even though it owned 11 of CTV's 24 affiliates, Baton still had only had one vote out of eight.

Around the same time, several CTV owner-affiliates were expanding their holdings outside of the network. CHAN owner [[Western International Communications]] purchased [[Selkirk Communications]] and Allarcom, which together owned several independent stations in Alberta and Ontario.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 217</ref> [[CHUM Limited]], owner of the CTV-affiliated [[CTV Atlantic|ATV]] system serving the Maritimes, already owned independent station [[CITY-DT|CITY-TV]] in Toronto, and by this point had begun launching national cable channels like [[MuchMusic]]. Even Baton added some stations outside of CTV, with the purchase or launch of three independent stations in southwestern Ontario in 1992–93.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 243</ref> It also began competing with the network for some program acquisitions in 1992, and in 1994 launched the [[Baton Broadcast System]] (BBS) as a parallel programming brand for both its CTV affiliates and independent stations.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], pp. 243, 269–70</ref>

After several years of contentious negotiations between the eight remaining owner-affiliates, by late 1992 they had reached an agreement to recapitalize the network, and provide a path for a single company to eventually take control.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], pp. 240–41, 244–6</ref> The restructuring took effect in January 1993, and CTV converted from a cooperative to a corporation. Seven of the owner-affiliates invested equally, yielding a 14.3% stake in the network for each; however, Newfoundland Broadcasting, owner of CJON, decided not to invest further and effectively relinquished its vote, reducing the number of active voting members to seven.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], pp. 248–250</ref>{{efn|Newfoundland Broadcasting retained 100 common shares in CTV (out of approximately 14&nbsp;million outstanding after the restructuring) until the completion of the Baton acquisition.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], p. 326</ref>}} As part of the restructuring, the stations also agreed to reduce the number of hours of network programming, allowing Baton and WIC to program more of their stations' schedules with their own acquisitions.<ref>[[#Git99|Gittins 1999]], pp. 244–5</ref>

[[File:CTV ribbons 1998.png|thumb|left|The ribbons logo used from 1998 to 2011.]]
In 1996, Baton acquired CFCN from [[Rogers Communications]]. Significantly, Baton also acquired Rogers' CTV vote. It also started a joint venture with [[Electrohome]], owner of CFRN and CKCO. As part of the deal, Baton was allowed to vote Electrohome's shares in addition to its own. The following year, Baton acquired Electrohome's share of the joint venture, and separately acquired ATV from CHUM. This gave Baton a 57.2% controlling interest in the network, triggering a [[put option]] allowing the remaining affiliates, WIC (which by this time owned both CHAN and CFCF) and [[Moffat Communications|Moffat]] (owner of CKY), to sell their CTV shares to Baton without selling their stations, which they did. Baton was now full owner of the CTV network and immediately began plastering the CTV brand across its stations, even on non-network programming, and dropped its secondary BBS brand. The company changed its name to CTV Inc. in 1998, and eventually acquired two of the final three large-market stations, CKY and CFCF (it replaced the third, CHAN, as discussed below).

CTV has attracted some controversy in the past because of cutbacks to its small-market stations. In the late 1990s, cuts were made to the news staff and productions at CTV's two small-market Saskatchewan stations, [[CICC-DT|CICC-TV]] in [[Yorkton]] and [[CIPA-DT|CIPA-TV]] in [[Prince Albert, Saskatchewan|Prince Albert]]. These stations currently simulcast supper-hour and late-night news from CKCK and CFQC respectively, placing local inserts into the newscasts. Similarly, the four [[Canadian Maritimes|Maritime]] stations, known collectively as ''[[CTV Atlantic]]'' (then known as ATV), and the four [[Northern Ontario]] stations, known collectively as ''[[CTV Northern Ontario]]'' (then known as MCTV), each had their local news production cut back in the early 2000s to one single centrally produced newscast for each region, with only brief inserts for news of strictly local interest. This was a controversial move in all of the affected communities, especially in Northern Ontario where MCTV's newscasts were the only locally oriented news programs in those markets.

===Bell Canada era===
[[File:CTV logo 2018.svg|thumb|right|Updated CTV logo for the 2018–19 television season; the basic design of this logo, with minor modifications along the way, has been in use since 1966.]]
{{See also|2001 Vancouver TV realignment|2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment}}
In 2000, typical of the [[concentration of media ownership|ownership consolidation]] trend at the time, [[BCE Inc.]] acquired CTV, [[Netstar Communications]], and ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' newspaper, combining them into a media division known as Bell Globemedia (BGM). BGM also subsequently acquired a minority share in the French-language network [[Noovo|TQS]], which broadcasts in [[Quebec]].

CTV has legally been a "television service" in the eyes of the CRTC since 2000, when it allowed its network licence to expire.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2000/DB2000-235.htm |title=Decision CRTC 2000-235 |date=July 6, 2000 |work=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission |access-date=January 2, 2012}}</ref> CBC, [[Ici Radio-Canada Télé|Radio-Canada]], [[TVA (Canadian TV network)|TVA]] and [[Aboriginal Peoples Television Network]] are the only official television networks in Canada (CTV was issued a separate network licence in 2001 to continue to provide programming to CHFD Thunder Bay, CJBN Kenora, and CITL Lloydminster).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2001/DB2001-507.htm |title=Decision CRTC 2001-507 |date=August 21, 2001 |work=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission |access-date=January 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2001/DB2001-509.htm |title=Decision CRTC 2001-509 |date=August 21, 2001 |work=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission |access-date=January 2, 2012}}</ref>

CTV lost significant coverage in [[British Columbia]] and [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] at the beginning of the 21st century, starting with a [[2001 Vancouver TV realignment|major television realignment in Vancouver]]. In 2000, [[Canwest]] Global bought the television stations of [[Western International Communications]], which owned long-standing CTV affiliates CHAN in Vancouver and [[CHEK-DT|CHEK-TV]] in [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]]. A year later, after its CTV contract ran out, Canwest made CHAN the [[Global Television Network|Global]] owned-and-operated station for British Columbia, taking advantage of CHAN's massive network of repeaters that cover 97% of the province. CTV shifted its programming to [[CIVT-DT|CIVT-TV]], an [[Independent station (North America)|independent station]] it already owned. Unlike CHAN, CIVT has only one transmitter covering the metropolitan areas of Vancouver and Victoria, and has to rely on cable and satellite to reach the rest of the province. CIVT is either carried on a higher channel number or unavailable altogether in the [[Mountain Time Zone]] portion of British Columbia, where CTV relies on [[CFCN-DT]] or [[CFRN-DT]] as its main carriers<!-- According to the Shaw.ca website -->.

Meanwhile, in 2002, [[CJON-DT|CJON-TV]] (known as "NTV") in [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]] dropped its 38-year CTV affiliation after the network attempted to alter its affiliation agreement in a way that Newfoundland Broadcasting found unfair. Since joining CTV, CJON had aired the base network schedule essentially for free since CTV paid it for the airtime. The station then bought additional CTV programming and sold all advertising. However, CTV tried to make CJON pay for the base schedule as well, with no possibility of airtime payments. It also increased the fees for additional CTV programming beyond what CJON claimed it could pay. Newfoundland Broadcasting also did not want to continue to carry CTV's national advertising during these programs. At the start of the 2002–03 season, CJON became an independent station and dropped most CTV programming except for national newscasts; in exchange, it provides news coverage of Newfoundland and Labrador events to CTV. In recent years, all of CTV's non-news programming has disappeared from the station, and since then virtually all primetime programs aired on that station are from rival Global. CTV does not currently have a ''de facto'' affiliate in that province, with most Newfoundlanders having to rely on cable and satellite (usually from CTV Atlantic) for its programming.

In September 2005, CTV announced an agreement with [[MTV Networks]] that saw the launch of [[MTV (Canada)|MTV Canada]].<ref>{{cite news |title=CTV brings MTV brand back to Canada |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/ctv-brings-mtv-brand-back-to-canada/article1124316/ |work=The Globe and Mail |date=September 28, 2005}}</ref>

In July 2006, CTV parent Bell Globemedia announced plans to acquire [[CHUM Limited]], itself a former partner in CTV (via ATV), and at that point one of Canada's largest broadcasters.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bell Globemedia makes $1.7B bid for CHUM |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bell-globemedia-makes-1-7b-bid-for-chum-1.583543 |work=CBC News |date=July 12, 2006}}</ref> While CTVglobemedia kept CHUM's radio stations along with the [[CTV 2|A-Channel]] television stations and most of CHUM's specialty channels, the [[Citytv]] stations were sold off to Rogers as required by the conditions the CRTC placed upon CTV when approving the CHUM purchase.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rogers Media snaps up 5 Citytv stations |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/rogers-media-snaps-up-5-citytv-stations-1.685324 |work=CBC News |date=June 12, 2007}}</ref> Bell Globemedia was renamed CTVglobemedia on January 1, 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Robertson |first1=Grant |title=Bell Globemedia becomes CTVglobemedia Inc. |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/bell-globemedia-becomes-ctvglobemedia-inc/article973140/ |work=The Globe and Mail |date=December 15, 2006}}</ref> In March 2009, CTV became the first Canadian television network to offer its programming online in [[high-definition television|high definition]].

CTV affiliate [[CHFD-DT|CHFD]] in [[Thunder Bay]], Ontario left the network on February 12, 2010, after being unable to reach an agreement on new affiliation terms; CHFD instead became a full-time Global affiliate. CFTO was offered as part of the basic package to Thunder Bay cable subscribers for the duration of the [[2010 Winter Olympics]]; the station had otherwise been available only on the digital cable timeshifting package, leaving CTV without a presence on basic cable in the market.

On September 10, 2010, BCE Inc. announced it would purchase the remaining shares of CTVglobemedia for $1.3&nbsp;billion (CAD). On April 1, 2011, CTVglobemedia was officially renamed Bell Media. On December 1, 2011, [[CJBN-TV]] in [[Kenora]], Ontario dropped all CTV programming and became a full Global station, adopting a schedule similar to nearby Global station [[CKND-DT]] in Winnipeg. The move left [[CITL-DT]] in [[Lloydminster]] as the sole remaining CTV affiliate not owned by the network until 2014.<ref name="CJBNsched">{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCSGrid.do?stnNum=17144|title=TV Listings Guide and TV Schedule, where to watch TV shows - Zap2it.com|work=Zap2it|access-date=December 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308123551/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCSGrid.do?stnNum=17144|archive-date=March 8, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="CKNDsched">{{cite web|url=http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCSGrid.do?stnNum=13365|title=TV Listings Guide and TV Schedule, where to watch TV shows - Zap2it.com|work=Zap2it|access-date=December 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308121211/http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCSGrid.do?stnNum=13365|archive-date=March 8, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was announced in June 2014, that [[CKPR-DT]] in Thunder Bay, Ontario would change affiliations from [[CBC Television|CBC]] to CTV on September 1, 2014, resulting in Thunder Bay having a CTV affiliate again.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/345418/CTV-set-to-return-to-CKPR-TV|title=CTV-set-to-return-to-CKPR-TV – Tbnewswatch.com Thunder Bay News|last=Lundmark|first=Jodi|date=June 18, 2014|work=tbnewswatch.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819084528/http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/345418/CTV-set-to-return-to-CKPR-TV|archive-date=August 19, 2014}}</ref>

On May 20, 2015, [[Corus Entertainment]] announced an agreement with Bell Media to switch its three CBC affiliates in Ontario to CTV: [[CHEX-DT]] [[Peterborough, Ontario|Peterborough]], [[CHEX-TV-2]] [[Oshawa]], and [[CKWS-DT]] [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]]. The affiliation switch went into effect on August 31, 2015.<ref name="ctv">{{cite web|url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1540015/corus-entertainment-s-eastern-ontario-television-channels-enter-into-a-program-supply-agreement-with-bell-media-to-broadcast-ctv-programming|title=Corus Entertainment's Eastern Ontario Television Channels Enter into a Program Supply Agreement with Bell Media to Broadcast CTV Programming|access-date=May 21, 2015|archive-date=May 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528073532/http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1540015/corus-entertainment-s-eastern-ontario-television-channels-enter-into-a-program-supply-agreement-with-bell-media-to-broadcast-ctv-programming|url-status=dead}}</ref> The stations would later become owned-and-operated Global affiliates on August 27, 2018, following the end of CTV's program supply agreements with the stations and Corus' acquisition of Global's former parent company [[Shaw Media]] in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4143739/move-over-dr-phil-ckws-tv-will-be-a-fully-global-station-starting-this-fall/|title=CKWS will be a fully global station this fall|access-date=September 23, 2018|work=Global News|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]}}</ref><ref name="global">{{cite news |title=CHEX-TV newscasts rebranding as CHEX News on Global Peterborough |url=https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/news-story/8818775-chex-tv-newscasts-rebranding-as-chex-news-on-global-peterborough/ |work=Peterborough Examiner |date=August 14, 2018 |access-date=September 23, 2018}}</ref>

==Programming==
{{main|List of programs broadcast by CTV and CTV2}}
The network's programming consists mainly of hit American series (such as ''[[The Amazing Race (American TV series)|The Amazing Race]]'', ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'', ''[[Blue Bloods (TV series)|Blue Bloods]]'', ''[[Castle (TV series)|Castle]]'', ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|CSI]]'', ''[[The Good Doctor (American TV series)|The Good Doctor]]'', ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'', ''[[The Mentalist]]'', ''[[The Michael J. Fox Show]]'', ''[[Unforgettable (American TV series)|Unforgettable]]'' and ''[[The X Factor (American TV series)|The X Factor]]''), but it has also had success with Canadian-made shows such as ''[[Due South]]'', ''[[Power Play (1998 TV series)|Power Play]]'', ''[[Degrassi: The Next Generation]]'', ''[[Corner Gas]]'', ''[[Instant Star]]'', ''[[The Eleventh Hour (Canadian TV series)|The Eleventh Hour]]'', ''[[Flashpoint (TV series)|Flashpoint]]'', ''[[The Listener (TV series)|The Listener]]'', ''[[Canadian Idol]]'', ''[[MasterChef Canada]]'' and ''[[The Amazing Race Canada]]''.

CTV also regularly produces and airs Canadian-made television movies, often based on stories from Canadian news or Canadian history, under the banners '''''CTV Signature Series''''' or '''''CTV Movie'''''.

News programming consists of the nightly ''[[CTV National News]]''; national morning program ''[[Your Morning]]'' on CTV stations in Eastern Canada; local morning program ''[[CTV Morning Live]]'' on CTV stations in Western Canada; local newscasts branded as ''[[CTV News]]''; and newsmagazines ''[[W-Five]]'' and ''[[Question Period (TV series)|Question Period]]'', which interviews politicians and recaps political events during the week.

As well, in recent years,{{When|date=May 2021}} CTV has purchased Canadian broadcast rights to a number of American [[cable television|cable]] series, such as ''[[The Sopranos]]'', ''[[Nip/Tuck]]'', ''[[Punk'd]]'', ''[[The Daily Show]]'', ''[[The Colbert Report]]'', and ''[[The Osbournes]]''. In many cases, CTV has been one of the few conventional broadcast networks in the world to air these series in prime time, which has attracted some controversy from Canadian media watchdogs and parents groups who object to the profanity, violence and sexual content of ''Nip/Tuck'', ''The Sopranos'' and ''The Osbournes''—which, unlike originating broadcaster [[MTV]], CTV aired uncensored. It has broadcast MTV programming live, starting with the ''MTV's New Year of Music'' special during New Year's 2005/2006.

In late 2003, CTV started broadcasting select American programmes in 16:9 (widescreen) [[high-definition television|high definition]]. It later began airing Canadian programs in this format, such as ''Degrassi''. Currently, only CFTO and CIVT have dedicated HD feeds (sometimes marketed as ''CTV HD East'' and ''West'' respectively), but both are available nationally via cable and satellite, and do not differ otherwise from their analog counterparts.

On July 2, 2005, CTV broadcast 20 hours of the [[Live 8]] concerts, which was watched by over 10.5&nbsp;million people – nearly one-third the country's population – at some point during the day; however, the average audience was much lower. According to at least one source, it was the most-watched program by this standard in Canadian history.

On June 27, 2007, CTV and [[The Comedy Network]] gained exclusive Canadian rights to the entire [[Comedy Central]] library of past and current programs on all electronic platforms, under a multi-year agreement with [[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]], expanding on past programming agreements between the two channels. Canadian users attempting to visit Comedy Central websites are redirected to The Comedy Network's website, and vice versa for American users. The Canadian channel kept its own brand name, but the agreement is otherwise very similar to the earlier CTV/Viacom deal for [[MTV (Canada)|MTV Canada]].<ref>[http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/June2007/27/c9701.html CTV Strikes Multi-Platform Content Deal With Comedy Central], CTV press release, June 27, 2007</ref>

On June 5, 2025, CTV announced that the locally produced morning show, ''[[CTV Morning Live]]'', was going to be rebranded starting September 15. Each local broadcast evolves into CTV YOUR MORNING VANCOUVER, CTV YOUR MORNING CALGARY, CTV YOUR MORNING EDMONTON, CTV YOUR MORNING SASKATCHEWAN, CTV YOUR MORNING WINNIPEG, CTV YOUR MORNING OTTAWA, and CTV YOUR MORNING ATLANTIC. While the national show CTV YOUR MORNING continues to serve its audience on CTV East (Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic) and CTV News Channel. All versions of the show continue weekdays from 6 a.m. – 9 a.m..<ref>[https://www.bellmedia.ca/the-lede/press/ctv-marks-24-years-as-canadas-most-watched-conventional-network-as-compelling-and-lighthearted-new-series-join-2025-26-schedule/ CTV Marks 24 Years as Canada’s Most-Watched Conventional Network, as Compelling and Lighthearted New Series Join 2025/26 Schedule], CTV press release, June 5, 2025</ref>

===Sports programming===
{{main|CTV Sports}}
Historically, CTV Sports existed as a stand-alone division; with CTV's purchase of cable network [[The Sports Network|TSN]] in 2001, TSN has assumed responsibility for all sports output on CTV since.

In early 2005, CTV was part of the consortium that won the Canadian broadcast rights to Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics hosted by Canada itself and the [[2012 Summer Olympics|London 2012 Summer Olympics]]. CBC had consistently won Olympic broadcast rights from the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] through to the [[2008 Summer Olympics]], the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] being held in their main fiction TV series source, the United States. CTV and V (now [[Noovo]] and previously TQS) were the primary broadcasters, with [[The Sports Network|TSN]], [[Réseau des sports|RDS]] and [[Sportsnet]] providing supplementary coverage. CTV promised to broadcast 22 hours per day of event coverage during the 2012 Olympics; regular CTV programming was reallocated to CTV's secondary television system CTV Two during the Olympics.

On May 22, 2007, it was announced that CTV had acquired the broadcast rights to the [[National Football League]] early-afternoon Sunday games, the full NFL playoffs, and the [[Super Bowl]], starting with the [[2007 NFL season]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tsn.ca/ctvnews/sportsstory.asp?story_id=208530 |title=CTV.ca {{!}} CTV News, Shows and Sports – Canadian Television<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=December 7, 2017 |archive-date=February 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210173951/http://www.tsn.ca/ctvnews/sportsstory.asp?story_id=208530 |url-status=dead }}</ref> effectively ending a lengthy association between the NFL and [[Global Television Network|Global]]. TSN, a sports channel co-owned with CTV, airs primetime NFL games and produces the CTV broadcasts in tandem with [[CBS]] and [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]].

During the [[2024 CFL season]], CTV exclusively aired 7 CFL games during Saturday afternoons in the Fall. CTV also simulcast the Eastern Semi-final, the Eastern Final and the [[111th Grey Cup]] with [[The Sports Network|TSN]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cfl.ca/2024/09/06/fall-is-in-the-air-the-cfl-on-ctv-is-here/ |title=Fall is in the Air: The CFL on CTV is here |access-date=February 2, 2024 |date=September 6, 2024|website=CFL }}</ref>

==CTV high-definition and digital transition==
[[File:Ctvhd.svg|right|200x200px]]
CTV carries its high-definition feed broadcasting at [[1080i]]. The following CTV stations are available in HD on digital terrestrial television (DTT):
{| class="wikitable"
! Station !! City !! Pre-transition digital<br>terrestrial channel !! DTT<br>launch date !! Post-transition<br>DTT channel !! BDU Carriage<br>launch date !! Notes
|-
| [[CFTO-DT]] || Toronto || 40 (9.1) || 2005 || 40 (9.1) || November 19, 2003 || Nationally on satellite
|-
| [[CIVT-DT]] || Vancouver || 33 (32.1) || 2006 || 32 (32.1) || June 1, 2004 || Nationally on Bell TV
|-
| [[CFCN-DT]] || Calgary || 36 (4.1) || January 8, 2009 || 29 (4.1) || Shaw: January 8, 2009 || Also available on Bell TV
|-
| [[CFCF-DT]] || Montreal || 51 (12.1) || January 28, 2011 || 12 (12.1) || Vidéotron: December 1, 2009 || Also available on Bell TV
|-
| [[CJOH-DT]] || Ottawa || ─ || 2011 || 13 (13.1) || Vidéotron: December 1, 2009 ||
|-
| [[CFRN-DT]] || Edmonton || ─ || 2011 || 47 (3.1) || Telus TV: February 2011 || Also available on Bell TV
|-
| [[CKCO-DT]] || Kitchener || ─ || September 1, 2011 || 13 (13.1) || Rogers: September 2011 || Also available on Bell TV
|-
| [[CKY-DT]] || Winnipeg || ─ || September 1, 2011 || 7 (7.1) || MTS: January 2010 || Also available on Bell TV
|-
| [[CJCH-DT]] || Halifax || ─ || September 1, 2011 || 48 (5.1) || Eastlink: May 12, 2011 || Also available on Bell TV
|-
|}

On November 19, 2003, CTV launched an [[High-definition television|HD]] simulcast of its Toronto station CFTO-DT, with the free-to-air feed launching in 2005. CTV has since launched HD simulcasts of CIVT-DT Vancouver on June 1, 2004 (the terrestrial feed followed suit in 2006), CFCN-DT Calgary on January 8, 2009, [[CFCF-DT]] Montreal on December 1, 2009 (the free-to-air feed followed suit on January 28, 2011), [[CJOH-DT]] Ottawa on December 1, 2009 (BDU only), CFRN-DT Edmonton in January 2011, CKY-DT Winnipeg in February 2011, and CJCH-DT Halifax on May 11, 2011.

===Local newscasts in high definition===
On May 12, 2009, Toronto's CFTO-DT became the first station in the CTV network to broadcast its local newscasts in high definition (the first station in Canada to broadcast its local newscasts in high definition was fellow Toronto station CITY-DT). CTV-owned [[CIVT-DT]] in Vancouver followed, becoming the second station in the CTV network to broadcast its local newscasts in high definition as of November 23, 2009. CFCN-DT in [[Calgary]] began broadcasting its local newscasts in HD in October 2011, while CFRN-DT in [[Edmonton]] upgraded its local news production to HD in October 2012.

== CTV stations ==

=== CTV owned-and-operated stations ===
As of mid-October 2005, all CTV-owned and operated stations have adopted a single on-air brand of "CTV", rather than use their official callsigns or channel numbers on-air (although some stations, most notably [[CIVT-DT|CIVT]], promote their cable channel number). When further differentiation is needed, for example during regional programming, the city or region they serve (for example, "CTV Ottawa" or "CTV British Columbia") may be used as well. Under CRTC regulations, however, the callsign is still the station's legal name.

''Note:<br>''
:''1) Italicized channel numbers indicate a digital channel allocated for future use by the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]].''

{| class="wikitable"
!City of license
!Station
!Channel<br>''[[Virtual channel|TV]] ([[Digital terrestrial television|RF]])''
!Year of<br>affiliation
!Owned since
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
|-
| [[Calgary]], Alberta || '''[[CFCN-DT]]''' || 4.1 (29) || 1961 || 1998
|-
| [[Edmonton]], Alberta || '''[[CFRN-DT]]''' || 3.1 (12) || 1961 || 1997
|-
| [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]] || '''[[CJCH-DT]]''' || 5.1 (48) || 1961 || 1997
|-
| [[Kitchener, Ontario]] || '''[[CKCO-DT]]''' || 13.1 (13) || 1964 || 1998
|-
| [[Lethbridge]], Alberta || '''[[CFCN-DT]]''' || 13.1 (13) || 1968 || 1996
|-
| [[Moncton]], New Brunswick || '''[[CKCW-DT]]''' || 29.1 (29) || 1969 || 1997
|-
| [[Montreal]], Quebec || '''[[CFCF-DT]]''' || 12.1 (12) || 1961 || 2001
|-
| [[North Bay, Ontario]] || '''[[CKNY-DT]]''' || 10.1 (12)|| 1971 || 1990
|-
| [[Ottawa]], Ontario || '''[[CJOH-DT]]''' || 13.1 (13) || 1961 || 1998
|-
| [[Prince Albert, Saskatchewan]] || '''[[CIPA-DT]]''' || 9|| 1987 || 1987
|-
| [[Red Deer, Alberta]] || '''[[CFRN-DT]]''' || 3.1 (12) || 1973 || 1997
|-
| [[Regina, Saskatchewan]] || '''[[CKCK-DT]]''' || 2.1 (8) || 1969 || 1997
|-
| [[Saint John, New Brunswick]] || '''[[CKLT-DT]]''' || 9.1 (9) || 1969 || 1997
|-
| [[Saskatoon]], Saskatchewan || '''[[CFQC-DT]]''' || 8.1 (8) || 1971 || 1997
|-
| [[Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario]] || '''[[CHBX-TV]]''' || 2 ''(analog only)'' || 1977 || 1990
|-
| [[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]], Ontario || '''[[CICI-TV]]''' || 5 ''(analog only)'' || 1971 || 1990
|-
| [[Sydney, Nova Scotia]] || '''[[CJCB-DT]]''' || 4.1 (25)|| 1972 || 1997
|-
| [[Timmins]], Ontario || '''[[CITO-TV]]''' || 3 ''(analog only)'' || 1971<br><small>(as rebroadcaster of<br>CKSO/Sudbury)</small> || 1990
|-
| [[Toronto]], Ontario || '''[[CFTO-DT]]''' || 9.1 (8) || 1961 || 1998
|-
| [[Vancouver]], British Columbia || '''[[CIVT-DT]]''' || 32.1 (32) || 2001 || 1997
|-
| [[Winnipeg]], Manitoba || '''[[CKY-DT]]''' || 7.1 (7) || 1961 || 2001
|-
| [[Yorkton]], Saskatchewan || '''[[CICC-DT]]''' || 10 || 1971 || 1986
|-
|}

=== Regional affiliates ===
As CTV does not presently operate as a ''[[de jure]]'' television network using a CRTC-issued network license, these stations acquire CTV programming from Bell Media by way of program supply agreements, not [[network affiliate|network affiliation]] agreements.<ref name="crtc-corus">{{cite web|url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2015/2015-403.htm|title=Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2015-403|author=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|author-link=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|date=August 27, 2015|access-date=August 31, 2015}}</ref> Although they currently carry the vast majority of CTV programs and generally use a similar schedule to CTV-owned stations, the stations retain all advertising inventory, and have final authority over carriage and scheduling of CTV programming.<ref name="crtc-corus" />

{| class="wikitable"
!City of license/market
!Station
!Channel<br>''[[Virtual channel|TV]] ([[Digital terrestrial television|RF]])''
!Year of<br>affiliation
!Owner
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
|-
| [[Thunder Bay]], Ontario|| '''[[CKPR-DT]]''' || 2.1 (2) || 2014 || [[Dougall Media]]
|-
|}

===Former affiliates===
{| class="wikitable"
!City of license
!Station
!Year of affiliation
!Year of disaffiliation
!Notes
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
|-
| [[Jamestown, New York|Jamestown]]/[[Buffalo, New York]], United States || '''[[WNYP (TV)|WNYP-TV]]''' || 1966 || 1969 || Left the network after legal action from [[WKBW-TV]], [[WGRZ|WGR-TV]] (now WGRZ-TV), and [[WIVB|WBEN-TV]] (now WIVB-TV); channel now used for a [[Total Christian Television|TCT]] owned-and-operated station with the call sign WNYB (but a different license from WNYP-TV).
|-
| [[Kenora]], Ontario || '''[[CJBN-TV]]''' || 1980 || 2011 || Left the network after its affiliation agreement with Bell Media ended; subsequently owned by [[Shaw Communications]] as a [[Global Television Network|Global]] affiliate; left the air on January 27, 2017.
|-
| [[Kingston, Ontario]] || '''[[CKWS-DT]]''' || 2015 || 2018 || Left the network after its affiliation agreement with Bell Media ended; currently owned by [[Corus Entertainment]] as a [[Global Television Network|Global]] O&O.
|-
| [[Oshawa]], Ontario || '''[[CHEX-DT-2|CHEX-TV-2]]''' || 2015 || 2018 || Left the network after its affiliation agreement with Bell Media ended; currently owned by [[Corus Entertainment]] as a [[Global Television Network|Global]] O&O.
|-
| [[Pembroke, Ontario|Pembroke]]/[[Ottawa]], Ontario || '''[[CHRO-TV]]'''  || 1991 || 1997 || Swapped by Baton for [[CHUM Limited]]'s stations in Atlantic Canada; currently owned by [[Bell Media]] as a [[CTV 2]] O&O.
|-
| [[Peterborough, Ontario]] || '''[[CHEX-DT]]''' || 2015 || 2018 || Left the network after its affiliation agreement with Bell Media ended; currently owned by [[Corus Entertainment]] as a [[Global Television Network|Global]] O&O.
|-
| [[Thunder Bay]], Ontario || '''[[CHFD-DT]]'''  || 1972 || 2010 ||Left the network after an affiliation dispute with CTVglobemedia, became an affiliate of [[Global Television Network|Global]]; currently operated by [[Dougall Media]] as Global affiliate. As noted above, in 2014 Dougall Media readded a CTV affiliation on its other station in the market, [[CKPR-DT]], after disaffiliating that station from [[CBC Television]].
|-
| [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador]] || '''[[CJON-DT]]''' || 1964 || 2002 (primary) || Left the network after an affiliation dispute with Bell Globemedia, still airs news programming from CTV; currently operated by Stirling Communications International as an independent station.
|-
| [[Vancouver]], British Columbia || '''[[CHAN-DT]]''' || 1961 <small>(secondary)</small><br>1965 <small>(primary)</small> || 2001 || Originally owned by [[Western International Communications]], sold to [[Canwest Global]] and became a [[Global Television Network|Global]] O&O; currently owned by [[Corus Entertainment]] as a Global O&O.
|-
| [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], British Columbia || '''[[CHEK-DT]]''' || 1963 <small>(secondary)</small><br>1981 <small>(primary)</small> || 2001 || Originally owned by [[Western International Communications]], sold to [[Canwest]] Global and became a [[E! (Canadian TV system)|CH]] O&O; currently owned by CHEK Media Group as an [[Independent station (North America)|independent station]].
|-
|[[Lloydminster]], Alberta/[[Saskatchewan]] || '''[[CITL-DT]]''' || 1976 || 2025|| Left the network when the station went off the air on May 13, 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://corporate.stingray.com/corporate/stingray-closes-two-tv-stations/ |title=Stingray Closes Two Television Stations |publisher=[[Stingray Group]] |date=2025-05-13 |access-date=2025-05-13}}</ref>
|-
|}

=== Special cases ===
* [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]], Newfoundland and Labrador – [[CJON-DT]] (NTV): disaffiliated with CTV in 2002, but still carries CTV's newscasts and specials.

===Other CTV-branded channels===
<!-- A/CTV Two is not officially considered a network. -->
[[File:CTV 2 2018.svg|150px|right|CTV Two]]
In addition to [[CTV News Channel (Canadian TV channel)|CTV News Channel]], several other spin-offs have been launched under the CTV branding. 
Former specialty channels that have used the CTV brand (and formerly had ownership stakes by the parent company) include [[CTV Sportsnet]] (now Sportsnet) and [[CTV Travel]] (now T+E) and [[Discovery Canada]] (now owned by Rogers).

Following the 2007 acquisition of [[CTV 2|A-Channel]] by CTVglobemedia as part of the takeover of CHUM Limited, media analysts had speculated that CTV may potentially extend its market-leading CTV brand to that television network.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} Bell officially announced on May 30, 2011, that the A-Channel television network would be rebranded as "CTV Two", a change that took effect on August 29, 2011. CTV Two currently consists of four over-the-air O&Os in [[Ontario]] and three in [[British Columbia]], as well as regional cable-only channels in [[Atlantic Canada]] and [[Alberta]], providing complementary programming which have smaller audiences than those on the mainline CTV network.

In June 2018, Bell Media announced plans to rename four of its existing specialty channels under the CTV branding.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2018/06/07/ctv-unveils-their-fall-programming-slate-for-2018.html|title=Magnum P.I. reboot, new Jann Arden comedy on CTV's fall lineup|work=Toronto Star|access-date=June 7, 2018|language=en}}</ref> The original Bravo, The Comedy Network, Gusto, and Space were respectively relaunched as [[CTV Drama Channel]], [[CTV Comedy Channel]], [[CTV Life Channel]], and [[CTV Sci-Fi Channel]] on September 12, 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/bolstered-by-new-acquisitions-new-ctv-suite-of-specialty-channels-to-be-unveiled-sept-12-803447574.html|title=Bolstered by New Acquisitions, New CTV Suite of Specialty Channels to Be Unveiled Sept. 12
|work=Newswire|access-date=June 8, 2019|language=en}}</ref> In December 2018, Bell launched two ad-supported [[video on demand]] (AVOD) services, CTV Movies and CTV Throwback (originally announced as "CTV Vault"), respectively offering second-run feature films and classic TV series. Their programming would primarily be drawn from an agreement with [[Sony Pictures Television]]; Sony's video service [[Crackle (service)|Crackle]] would exit Canada on June 28, 2018, with its content being assumed by the two services.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://mobilesyrup.com/2018/06/07/bell-rebrand-ctv-vod-services/|title=Bell Media announces new VOD services, CTV 'digital super-hub'
|work=Mobilesyrup|access-date=September 13, 2019|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/crackle-canada-shutting-down-1202858094/|title=Sony Crackle Shutting Down in Canada|last=Roettgers|first=Janko|date=June 27, 2018|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=June 26, 2018}}</ref>

It was also announced that content from CTV, its four genre channels, as well as CTV Movies and CTV Throwback, would be eventually accessible within a unified "super-hub" for streaming video platforms.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/jann+arden+star+comedy+series/17505724/story.html|title=Jann Arden to play a fictionalized version of herself in CTV comedy series|work=The Canadian Press (via Calgary Herald)|first=Victoria|last=Ahearn|date=June 7, 2018|access-date=June 7, 2018}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cartt.ca/article/ctv-launch-two-free-vod-services|title=CTV to launch two free VoD services|website=Cartt.ca|access-date=December 7, 2018}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The new CTV app was released in July 2020, subsuming the [[TV Everywhere]] apps for the aforementioned channels.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-15 |title=CTV app for iOS and Android now offers more live and on-demand channels |url=https://mobilesyrup.com/2020/07/15/ctv-app-ios-android-on-demand-channels/ |access-date=2022-04-14 |website=MobileSyrup |language=en}}</ref> It would also subsume the streaming apps for most other Bell Media networks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-06 |title=CTV app now available on Roku streaming devices and TVs |url=https://mobilesyrup.com/2022/04/06/ctv-app-roku-streaming-devices-tvs/ |access-date=2022-04-14 |website=MobileSyrup |language=en}}</ref>

In October 2024, due to the end of Bell Media's licensing agreement with [[Warner Bros. Discovery]] for its factual networks, it was announced that [[Animal Planet (Canadian TV channel)|Animal Planet]], [[Discovery Science (Canadian TV channel)|Discovery Science]], and [[Discovery Velocity]] would be relaunched as CTV Wild Channel, CTV Nature Channel, and CTV Speed Channel respectively on January 1, 2025.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Thiessen |first=Connie |date=2024-10-17 |title=Bell to bring USA Network, Oxygen True Crime to Canada |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/bell-to-bring-usa-network-oxygen-true-crime-to-canada/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=Broadcast Dialogue |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Logos==
The network's original logo was an oval-shaped letter "C", the inside shaped like a television tube. Contained within the C were the initials "CTV". In 1966, colour programming was ushered in with a new logo, depicting a red circle containing the initial "C", a blue square with a "T", and a green inverted triangle with a "V".<ref name="Gitp86"/> This logo has been used to the present day, albeit with minor variation. 

In 1967, the letters "CTV" were redesigned and made thicker, making them easier to see. The letters in turn became rounded, with the "base/TV" graphic added later. In 1975, the shapes were brightened. In 1990, the letters "CTV" were angled and tweaked with any additional designs dropped from it. In 1998, CTV introduced a new "ribbons" identity which lasted until 2018 with various minor adjustments before then. 

Initially, CTV used the three coloured ribbons and shapes of its logo to represent its different divisions. In the network branding, the red ribbon and circle represented entertainment programming, the blue ribbon and square represented news programming, and the green ribbon and inverted triangle referred to sports programming. For a period, the identity featured bumper idents featuring CTV personalities manipulating the logo's shapes as physical objects. Later, in 1998, the network added colour gradients to the shapes to create a 3D effect. That variant became CTV's official logo in 2004; the 3D shapes then obtained a more realistic appearance on August 29, 2011 to reflect the name change from A to CTV Two.

On September 24, 2018, CTV introduced a new logo and branding elements with a flatter "digital" appearance, as well as a new promotional campaign, "Get into it".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cartt.ca/article/ctv-asks-viewers-%E2%80%9Cget-it%E2%80%9D-new-fall-campaign|title=CTV asks viewers to "Get Into It" with new fall campaign|website=Cartt.ca|access-date=November 13, 2018}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

<gallery>
File:CTVoriginallogo.svg|CTV's original logo (1961–1966)
File:CTV 1966 Logo.svg|Original version of CTV's geometrical shape logo (1966–1967)
File:CTV Logo 1975.svg|The logo in use the late 1960s retains the colors, still in use today, to the shapes, with the letters being rounded (1968-1975)
File:CTV 1970s.PNG|The logo in use in the 1970s and 1980s added the colours, still in use today, to the shapes, with the letters being rounded and a white half-square representing a television [[picture tube]] (1975–1985)
File:CTV logo (1985-90).svg|The logo in use in the late 1980s adds three diagonal stripes to the geometrical shape logo (1985–1990)
File:CTV flat logo.svg|The version in use from 1990 to 2018 drops any additional designs to the geometrical shape logo with letters being angled and tweaked. In 1998, the network added colour gradients to the shapes to create a 3D effect before that variant became the network official logo in 2004, although the plain version remained in use in print publications where the colour gradients could not be rendered.
File:CTV3d.webp|This version introduced in the 2010s, which was made to reflect the name change from sister system A to CTV Two, gives the shapes a more realistic effect, making the shapes brighter (2011-2018)
File:CTV logo 2018.svg|The 2018 logo switched exclusively to a flat version, with brighter colours and refined letter shapes. (2018–present)
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of CTV personalities]]
* [[Television in Canada]]
* [[Media in Canada]]
* [[Simultaneous substitution]]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book |title=CTV: The Television Wars |last=Gittins |first=Susan |year=1999 |publisher=Stoddart Publishing Co. Ltd. |location=Toronto |isbn=0-7737-3125-3 |ref=Git99 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/ctvtelevisionwar0000gitt }}
* {{cite book |last=Nolan |first=Michael |title=CTV, the network that means business |date=2001 |publisher=University of Alberta Press |location=Edmonton |isbn=0-88864-384-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/ctvnetworkthatme00nola |url-access=registration}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.ctv.ca/}}
* [https://www.ctvnews.ca/ CTV News]
* [https://broadcasting-history.ca/television/television-networks/ctv-television-network/ History of CTV Television Network] – [[Canadian Communications Foundation]]
* [https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-444.htm Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-444], Bell Media Inc. – Group-based licence renewals, ''CRTC'', July 27, 2011

{{Canadian television networks}}
{{Bell Media}}
{{European Broadcasting Union Members}}
{{CTV Stations}}
{{Video on Demand Services in Canada}}
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[[Category:CTV Television Network| ]]
[[Category:1961 establishments in Canada]]
[[Category:Former co-operatives of Canada]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1961]]
[[Category:BCE Inc. acquisitions]]
[[Category:Companies based in Scarborough, Ontario]]