Overview
Currently, most CBC O&Os produce either a full-hour or a 30-minute local newscast during the early evening on weeknights. In addition, most stations air a late-night newscast for ten or thirty minutes at 11 p.m. following The National . This schedule varies for some stations depending on available resources or local considerations. CBET-DT Windsor previously aired its 90-minute evening newscast at 5:30 p.m. until the revamping of CBC's local news operations in October 2015 (it now airs for 30 minutes beginning at 5:59 p.m.), while CBNT-DT St. John's formerly aired CBC News: Here & Now - Early Edition at 5:30 p.m. Newfoundland Time until October 2015, followed by the hour-long CBC News: Here & Now at 6:00 p.m. NT.
Local evening newscasts are produced in all three Maritime provinces, but a single late-night newscast for the region is produced at CBHT-DT Halifax. Likewise, the Alberta stations in Calgary and Edmonton produce their own evening newscasts, but a single late-night provincial newscast is produced in Edmonton at CBXT-DT.
Due to unique circumstances and needs in Northern Canada, two local television newscasts are aired by CBC North in that region. The 30 minute-long CBC News: Northbeat (5:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. ET) features local news in English and several Aboriginal languages (translated with English subtitles). This is followed by a 30-minute newscast in Inuktitut, Igalaaq (ᐃᒐᓛᖅ, "Window"). CBC North does not carry a late-night newscast of its own, and simulcasts CBC Edmonton News instead.
Until 2011, CBUT-DT Vancouver was the only CBC O&O to produce weekend newscasts, with half-hour programs on Saturday nights at 10:30 p.m. (after Hockey Night in Canada ) and Sundays at 11:00 p.m. On October 15, 2011, CBLT added a half-hour 6 p.m. newscast on Saturdays, and a ten-minute news bulletin on Sundays at 10:55 p.m.; [1] CBRT-DT Calgary would also join CBUT and CBLT in carrying weekend local news programming during the fall of 2011, and CBNT-DT St. John's launched a local weekend newscast in the spring of 2012, as part of a five-year strategy by the CBC to improve its services to six million Canadian homes unserved or underserved by CBC's radio, television and internet services. [2] [3]
On September 2, 2013, CBET Windsor expanded its early evening newscast to 90 minutes from 5:30 to 7 p.m., while its 11 p.m. newscast was replaced by CBLT's newscast at that time, differing from most CBC O&Os in other markets where the station carries both an early and late evening newscast of its own. [4] Asha Tomlinson became anchor of the expanded newscast, replacing Amanda Ferguson, who became anchor during Susan Pedler's maternity leave. [5]
History
Prior to fall 2000, CBC stations produced local newscasts under a variety of titles, including Broadcast One at CBUT, 24 Hours at CBWT Winnipeg, CBC Evening News at CBLT Toronto, Compass at CBCT Charlottetown, and Here & Now at CBNT. These were typically one-hour broadcasts aired at 6:00 p.m. local, 6:30 p.m. NT. 30-minute late local newscasts, in many cases titled Newsfinal, were also aired in most markets at 11:30 p.m. local / midnight NT. The late newscasts were abandoned briefly during the Prime Time News era, resumed in the mid-1990s, and cancelled again in 2000.
In early 2000, the CBC (under president Robert Rabinovitch) announced a plan to eliminate local newscasts except in Northern Canada, believing that the dominance of private competitors had made these programs redundant. Local newscasts were to be replaced by a national supper-hour program with limited local inserts. [6] This plan, and particularly the fact that exceptions would not be made for the CBC's highly rated newscasts in Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island, led to protests across the country, and most strongly in those two markets.
As a compromise, CBC News introduced Canada Now as a replacement for its 6:00 p.m. newscasts outside of the north, which consisted of a half-hour national newscast hosted by Ian Hanomansing in Vancouver, followed by a half-hour local newscast. While the PEI newscast remained relatively strong (as the only newscast produced on the island), ratings dropped across the board, most dramatically in Newfoundland where CBNT's local news ratings decreased by more than 50% between 2000 and 2004. [7]
By 2005, the CBC had decided to rethink this strategy and began to expand local news again at certain stations, beginning with CBNT, [7] where an hour-long Here & Now newscast resumed on November 7. In most other markets, local news returned to the 6:00 p.m. time slot in early 2006, [8] mainly under the banner CBC News at Six, although these remained as 30-minute newscasts. (Canada Now was retained as a separate 30-minute national newscast at 6:30 p.m., as well as the title of the integrated local/national newscast aired within British Columbia.)
Montreal's anchor, Dennis Trudeau retired shortly before the launch of CBC News at Six, having hosted the local bulletins for many years.
On November 10, 2006, it was revealed that Janet Stewart would host CBC Winnipeg's edition of News at Six starting in January 2007. Stewart was a popular anchor at top-rated rival CKY-TV and her move to News at Six surprised many in the local media. [9]
On November 30, 2006 it was announced that as part of its focus on reinvigorating local news, CBC News at Six would expand to a full hour in February 2007, [10] signalling the end of the national Canada Now program (although that title was temporarily retained for CBUT's local newscast).
During summer 2007, CBC News' Vancouver operation became a test-site for an experimental newscast bringing together staff from local CBC radio, television and online services to create an interactive local newscast that employs a concept called "civic journalism". If successful, the format was then to be gradually be applied to CBC News at Six programs across the country over a three-year period. Former Canada Now anchor Ian Hanomansing was reassigned to co-host the new Vancouver program on CBUT, alongside Gloria Macarenko (he has since been reassigned to The National as reporter and substitute anchor, replaced in Vancouver by veteran anchor Tony Parsons).
In July 2009, CBC expanded its local news programs again to 90 minutes, running from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. local time on most stations, with exceptions as noted above (this allowed CBC to carry Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! in the 7:00 p.m. hour—with the corresponding simsub privileges in many markets—preceded by Coronation Street , which formerly occupied the 7:00 p.m. time slot, at 6:30 p.m.). This was followed on October 26, 2009 by the return of late local news on most CBC stations with a ten-minute bulletin following The National. [11] Until that date, only CBUT carried a brief 11 p.m. post-National local newscast.
On September 17, 2012, CBC's late local newscasts were expanded to a full half-hour in major markets, including Calgary, Edmonton, the Maritimes, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. The majority of CBC stations now also air local or regional newscasts on weekends. [12]
In December 2014, CBC announced changes to its local news operations that took effect as of the 2015-16 television season. 90-minute evening newscasts were cut down to 60 or 30 minutes, with Charlottetown, Halifax, St. John's, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg cut down to an hour-long newscast, and Calgary, Edmonton, Fredericton, Montreal, Regina, and Windsor cut down to a single half-hour. On CBC North, Northbeat and Inuktitut-language Igalaaq each air for half an hour. The stations also began to air local, top-of-hour news updates during the afternoons and primetime, and, except on CBC North, air simulcasts of local CBC Radio One morning shows at 6:00 a.m. local time. The change came as part of a shift towards digital and mobile platforms for news output, along with a desire to build "a comprehensive, four-platform local news service — across the day and on demand" with less emphasis on evening newscasts. [13] [14]
In March 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the CBC suspended all local television newscasts aside from those of CBC North, citing health and safety protocols, and a lack of staff at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre (where control rooms have been centralized since 2019). The CBC directed all resources to CBC News Network (which was aired in place of the newscasts, and featured contributions from local reporters. Some CBC stations continued to produce shortened, digital-only newscasts. The decision faced criticism for reducing the amount of local coverage of the pandemic's impact—especially in markets where the CBC is the only local source of news programming. The move faced criticism from the Canadian Media Guild, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, and Premier of Prince Edward Island Dennis King. The Gazette media writer Steve Faguy noted that the CBC's situation was unusual, as CTV and Global also employed centralization, and did not have any similar interruptions to its news programming. [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]
On March 24, the CBC stated that it would "make every effort to have all of the dedicated local shows back up on the main network" over the next few weeks; at this time, CBC News Network began to air regionalized blocks of coverage during the windows of its evening newscasts in each time zone. By early-April, local newscasts began to be reinstated. [18] [21]
In November 2024, the CBC announced new local 11 p.m./11:30 p.m. NT newscasts on its Charlottetown, Fredericton, Halifax, and St. John's stations. [22]
CIVI-DT is a television station in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, part of the CTV 2 system. It is owned and operated by Bell Media alongside Vancouver-based CTV station CIVT-DT. Although the two stations nominally maintain separate operations, the Victoria station's newscasts have been anchored from the CIVT-DT studios since 2023. CIVI-DT's offices are located at the corner of Broad Street and Pandora Avenue across from the McPherson Playhouse and the Victoria City Hall in downtown Victoria, and its transmitter is located on the roof of Camosack Manor near Rockland. The station operates a rebroadcaster (CIVI-DT-2) on virtual and UHF channel 17 in Vancouver, with transmitter atop Mount Seymour in the district municipality of North Vancouver.
CITV-DT is a television station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, part of the Global Television Network. The station is owned and operated by network parent Corus Entertainment, and maintains studios on Allard Way Northwest in the Pleasantview neighbourhood of Edmonton. Its transmitter is located just off of Highway 21, southeast of the city. CITV-DT carries the full Global network schedule, and its programming is similar to sister station CICT-DT in Calgary.
CBUT-DT is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, serving as the West Coast flagship of CBC Television. It is part of a twinstick with Ici Radio-Canada Télé station CBUFT-DT. The two stations share studios at the CBC Regional Broadcast Centre on Hamilton Street in downtown Vancouver; CBUT-DT's transmitter is located atop Mount Seymour in the district municipality of North Vancouver.
CBRT-DT is a CBC Television station in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The station's studios are located in the Cambrian Wellness Centre, in the University Heights neighbourhood, and its transmitter is located near Old Banff Coach Road/Highway 563 and 85 Street on the city's southwest side.
CBET-DT is a CBC Television station in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The station's studios are located on Riverside Drive West and Crawford Avenue in Downtown Windsor, and its transmitter is located near Concession Road 12 in Essex.
CBLT-DT is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the English-language service of CBC Television. It is part of a twinstick with Ici Radio-Canada Télé outlet CBLFT-DT. The two stations share studios at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre on Front Street West in downtown Toronto, which is also shared with national cable news channel CBC News Network and houses the studios for most of the CBC's news and entertainment programs. CBLT-DT's transmitter is located atop the CN Tower.
Canada Now was the early-evening national news program on CBC Television, the main English television network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, between 2000 and 2007. For most of its run, it was structured as a hybrid national-regional newscast, with each portion being 30 minutes in length.
CHAN-DT, branded Global British Columbia or Global BC, is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Global Television Network. Owned and operated by network parent Corus Entertainment, the station has studios on Enterprise Street in the suburban city of Burnaby, which also houses Global's national news headquarters. Its transmitter is located atop Mount Seymour in the district municipality of North Vancouver.
Tony Parsons is a Canadian broadcaster whose career has spanned more than 50 years, and he has anchored the second most-watched local evening Television newscast in North America, the News Hour on Global BC in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was the co-anchor of CBC News: Vancouver on CBUT-DT with Gloria Macarenko, and the 10:00 pm newscast on CHEK-DT.
CHEK-DT is an independent television station in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, serving Vancouver Island and Greater Vancouver. The station is owned by the CHEK Media Group, a consortium made up of station employees and local investors. CHEK-DT's studios are located on Kings Road in Victoria, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Warburton Pike on Saturna Island.
CityNews is the title of news and current affairs programming on Rogers Sports & Media's Citytv network in Canada. The newscast division was founded on September 28, 1975 as CityPulse as a standalone local newscast on the network's Toronto station owned by CHUM Limited. Through the acquisitions of the Edmonton, Winnipeg and Calgary A-Channel stations in 2004, it was relaunched under the CityNews brand on August 2, 2005 and later expanded to Montreal in 2012. The remaining Citytv stations airs the news headlines segments during each station's Breakfast Television morning show.
Global National is the English language flagship national newscast of Canada's Global Television Network. Editorial and production staff are based out of Global's national news centre at Global BC in Burnaby, British Columbia, with Dawna Friesen presenting from the Global BC studios Mondays to Thursdays, and Farah Nasser presenting from the Global Toronto studios Fridays to Sundays. From 2008 to 2010, the program was the only Canadian network newscast to be regularly anchored from the nation's capital, Ottawa.
CHBC-DT is a television station in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, part of the Global Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Corus Entertainment, and maintains studios on Leon Avenue in Downtown Kelowna; its main transmitter is located on Blue Grouse Mountain in the Regional District of Central Okanagan.
CBC Television is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952, with its main studios at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto. Its French-language counterpart is Ici Radio-Canada Télé.
CFRN-DT is a television station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media alongside cable-exclusive CTV 2 Alberta. The two outlets share studios with sister radio station CFRN on Stony Plain Road in Edmonton; CFRN-DT's transmitter is located near Highway 21, southeast of Sherwood Park.
CBNT-DT is a television station in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, broadcasting the English-language service of CBC Television. Owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the station maintains studios on University Avenue, and its transmitter is located south-southwest of George's Pond in St. John's.
CKPG-TV is a television station in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, affiliated with Citytv. The station is owned by Pattison Media, and maintains studios on 3rd Avenue in Prince George; its transmitter is located atop Pilot Mountain.
Compass is a 60-minute local CBC television news program based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Broadcast weeknights from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. AT on CBCT-DT, it is the only PEI-specific television newscast available in the province.
Living is a group of regional Canadian lifestyle television programs that aired on CBC Television stations. The initial broadcast was on January 15, 2007. Due to budgetary issues, the Living programs were not continued past the end of the 2008–09 television season. The final episodes of each Living series aired on August 28, 2009.
Global News is the news and current affairs division of the Canadian Global Television Network. The network is owned by Corus Entertainment, which oversees all of the network's national news programming as well as local news on its 21 owned-and-operated stations.