CHAN-DT - History

History

CHAN began broadcasting on October 31, 1960 at 4:45 p.m. as an independent station, joining CTV upon the new network's launch on October 1, 1961. Temporary studios were housed in Downtown Vancouver, at 1219 Richards Street, until its current studios on Enterprise Street in Burnaby were completed in early 1961. Soon after launch, the station began installing relay transmitters across the province, and now reaches 96 percent of British Columbia. Via OTA channel 8, CHAN also reaches an American audience in neighbouring Whatcom County, Washington.

In 1963, local entrepreneur Frank Griffiths, the owner of radio station CKNW, purchased the station from original owner Vantel Broadcasting, along with nearby CBC affiliate station CHEK-TV, based in Victoria on Vancouver Island, from its original owner, David Armstrong. CHEK then began airing a few CTV shows, usually at different times from CHAN. It would become a full CTV affiliate in 1981, but aired a shuffled schedule. Griffiths' Western Broadcasting Co. later sold a minority share to Selkirk Communications, buying back full control in 1989.

As early as 1971, CHAN began unofficially using the on-air name BCTV. In 1973, BCTV became CHAN's official on-air brand, which it used until 2001, when it became Global BC. BCTV was retained for its local news programs up until February 2006, but the branding was so effective that many people still call the station by that name today.