CKVU-DT - History

History

CKVU's history dates back to 1975, when Western Approaches Ltd. was awarded the third licence for a Vancouver television station by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The station was originally assigned UHF channel 26, but it was instead given channel 21 prior to its launch. It first went on the air on September 1, 1976, becoming the first station in Vancouver to transmit on UHF. In addition, the station was carried on cable channel 13, an assignment it retains to this day. In its first year of operation, CKVU lost more than $3 million.

In 1979, the station was approaching the break-even point. It was also under the scrutiny of the CRTC at that time for a lack of local programming. According to the CRTC, CKVU did not produce its own newscasts, but instead relayed newscasts from Global in Ontario. That same year, Allarcom purchased 5% common stock and 7% of preferred stock in CKVU. CanWest Pacific, a subsidiary of CanWest Broadcasting, loaned $4 million to Western Approaches so it could thwart a takeover attempt from Allarcom. Three years later, CanWest loaned another $8 million to Western Approaches to reduce the station's debt with the condition that CanWest would have the option to purchase Western Approaches' shares in CKVU.

CKVU started broadcasting a VHF signal on channel 10 on February 13, 1985, which improved the station's coverage and ratings (channel 10 was originally reserved for a proposed CBC Television station in Victoria, but that station never went on the air due to lack of funds, clearing the way for CKVU to switch its channel position). CKVU moved to VHF to avoid interference with KTZZ (on Channel 22) in Seattle, which signed on after CKVU's switch to channel 10. Until it was shut down on August 31, 2011 as part of Canada's digital television transition, CKVU's analog terrestrial signal, transmitted from a very high location on Saltspring Island, could be received throughout much of southwest British Columbia and northwest Washington, as well as in some areas of north Seattle. This analog transmitter was replaced with two UHF transmitters serving Vancouver and Victoria, both with lower coverage areas, but with improved coverage to those particular metropolitan areas. CKVU also has a rebroadcast transmitter west of Courtenay, callsign CKVU-TV-1, which is received over-the-air on North Vancouver Island (off the air since transmitter fire in October 2008).

On December 6, 1985, CanWest announced that it had purchased the majority interest in CKVU, subject to CRTC approval. Western Approaches went to court in an attempt to block the sale, which resulted in a dispute between Western Approaches, Allarcom and CanWest that lasted several years.

On June 19, 1987, the Supreme Court of British Columbia ordered Western Approaches to sell its interest in CKVU to CanWest, subject to CRTC approval. Once the sale was approved and all other legal issues were settled, CanWest gained 100% ownership and control of CKVU on July 13, 1988. Under CanWest's ownership, the station was renamed U.TV, and its audience and profits increased. Before U.TV, the station used the names CKVU 13, VU13, and CKVU.

On Monday, August 18, 1997, after 9 years as U.TV, the station was renamed "Global", as the CanWest Global System (of which CKVU had been a member since its launch in 1990) was relaunched as the Global Television Network.