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Citytv is a Canadian English Language privately owned Television System previously owned by CHUM Limited . Due to the takeover of CHUM by CTVglobemedia (which was not allowed to keep Citytv), the stations are currently in a Blind Trust with corporate lawyer John McKellar pending their sales to Rogers Communications . Currently the system consists of five television stations located in Ontario , Manitoba , Alberta and British Columbia . The stations are treated as independent stations which share common branding and some common programming, and not as a Television Network . The Citytv brand has also been licensed to television stations outside of Canada as well. Moses Znaimer , who developed the original format, once described the system's philosophy by saying, "It's not the show, it's the flow." HISTORY See also: 2007 Canada Broadcast TV Realignment . The original Citytv station (granted Callsign CITY-TV by the Canadian Radio-television And Telecommunications Commission ) was founded in Toronto in 1972 and began broadcasting for the first time on September 28 under the ownership of Channel Seventy-Nine Ltd until 1981 when CHUM Limited acquired the station. Known through its first decade as channel 79 on the UHF dial, programming shifted to channel 57 in 1983, where it remains to this day. In 1987 Citytv moved to its current headquarters at the CHUM-City Building , making it one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city. Citytv gained a second station in Vancouver when CHUM bought CKVU from Global in 2001. The station became Citytv Vancouver on July 22 , 2002 . Prior to CHUM's acquisition of CKVU, some Citytv programming was syndicated to KVOS in nearby Bellingham, Washington . In 2004, CHUM Limited bought Craig Media Inc. , parent of the A-Channel system in Manitoba and Alberta . On February 3 2005 , CHUM announced that it would relaunch the Craig Media owned A-Channel stations as Citytv stations by that fall; the changes took effect on August 2, the same date that the NewNet stations were rebranded as A-Channels . On July 12, 2006, CTVglobemedia announced it was making a friendly takeover bid to buy CHUM Limited, with plans to maintain the Citytv system separate from its own CTV stations. The new A-Channel stations were expected to be sold.1 On the same day that the takeover was announced, Citytv cancelled its supper hour, late night, and weekend newscasts at its local Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg stations, laying off hundreds of news department staff. In October 2006, Citytv launched a daily national newscast, '' CityNews International ''. It is produced in Toronto for broadcast on the western Canadian stations, as well as on CHUM's Toronto news channel CP24 . The Edmonton and Calgary stations also began broadcasting a daily 30-minute magazine show, ''Your City'', instead of a full-fledged newscast. Winnipeg had been expected to launch a similar program at the same time which had not yet materialized. The Vancouver news operation, which had operated for 30 years under various owners and station identities, was not maintained aside from '' BT ''. It remains to be seen how the cancellation of local newscasts at the western Canadian stations will affect the Citytv brand, which was created as a highly local concept. In the same month, Citytv Toronto began broadcasting local news for the very first time in High-definition . PROGRAMMING Citytv is best known for its unconventional approach to news and local programming. There is no News desk (anchors read the news standing up), and cameras are usually hand-held. Citytv also pioneered the concept of videojournalism, where reporters often carry their own cameras and report and videotape their own stories. Citytv calls its videojournalists "videographers", but unlike many American television markets which try to conceal the fact that reporters are so-called "one-man bands", Citytv embraced the use of videojournalism by highlighting the use of technology; Citytv videographers often carry a second home video camera to record images of them videotaping on the scene. The low-grade video is then incorporated into the final story to show viewers how the story was recorded. Citytv Toronto's '' CityNews '', formerly known as City''Pulse'', had developed a large following, but ratings have since been steadily declining. Other stations around the world have tried to imitate its format to varying degrees of success. However, Citytv itself was unsuccessful in expanding its audience to other markets, as evidenced by the recent cancellation of the other stations' traditional newscasts. Citytv Toronto produces more local programs than any other television station in Canada, such as '' Speakers' Corner '', '' CityLine '', '' FashionTelevision '', '' SexTV '', and '' MediaTelevision ''. Many of these series are not strictly Toronto-centric – ''FT'', for instance, consists largely of foreign Runway footage – and are easily syndicated to other CHUM outlets. The station also attracted attention and controversy by airing ''Baby Blue Movies'', or soft-core Pornography , on Friday nights after midnight. Although this programming strategy was discontinued in the 1980s, it was recently reinstated. This, along with the 'hide away' place on the UHF dial formed the basis of fictional station "CIVIC TV" (Channel 83 Cable 12) in David Cronenberg 's '' Videodrome '', which is set in Toronto. As well, CITY was one of the first television stations in Canada to implement a diversity policy in hiring its on-air staff. Znaimer originally described the policy as wanting the station to "look like Toronto". CITYTV HD In 2003 , CHUM Limited launched an HD simulcast of its Toronto station CITY-TV which is available national via satellite, digital cable and cable operators. In October 2006 , Citytv installed a new control room, becoming one of the first fully HD broadcasters in Canada. CITYTV STATIONS , currently the home of Citytv Toronto. The CHUM and Citytv signs were removed after CTVglobemedia acquired control of the group.]] Individual stations are normally branded on-air as "Citytv"; the location may be added if disambiguation is necessary.
The CTV -owned ASN in Atlantic Canada may also be considered a Citytv "affiliate", as it airs a local version of '' Breakfast Television '' and a mix of programming from both Citytv and A-Channel. ASN was previously owned by CHUM, and as part of CTV's acquisition of the channel, it agreed to continue airing CHUM programs on ASN. Its analog to ''CityPulse'' was called ''Atlantic Pulse'', which was discontinued in 1996 . It is possible that ASN will continue to air at least some of Citytv's more popular programs, even if it is involved in an expanded A-Channel. CTV also owns CKX in Brandon, Manitoba , a CBC affiliate formerly owned by Craig Media, which presently rebroadcasts some Citytv programming. The Citytv brand has been licensed to local television stations in Bogotá , Colombia ( Citytv Bogotá ) and Barcelona , Catalonia ( Citytv Barcelona ). The latter station's licence agreement expired in 2006, and the station was renamed TD8. In March 2006, CHUM signed an agreement with WRUA channel 34 in Fajardo, Puerto Rico to establish a Citytv franchise on that channel -- a first on American soil. {Link without Title} KVOS in Bellingham, Washington , which is close to Vancouver, carried some Citytv programming during the 1990s and early 2000s when Citytv didn't have a station in the Lower Mainland . CURRENT PRESENTERS PAST PRESENTERS
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