Global expands network after CBC abandons affiliates

More Canadians are being exposed to Global Television’s brand this fall as small stations are dealing with the fallout of CBC dropping all its private television affiliates.

Starting today, CKSA-DT in Lloydminster (Alberta/Saskatchewan) changes affiliation from CBC to Global. The Newcap-owned station had been the last privately-owned affiliate carrying CBC programming, but the public broadcaster terminated its agreement with the station, forcing it to seek an alternative source. Its sister station CITL-DT is already a CTV affiliate, so Global was the next logical option. It now carries the entire Global morning, daytime, primetime, evening and late-night lineup, with the exception of the Newcap News local news show at 5pm weekdays.

Meanwhile, three Corus-owned affiliates in eastern Ontario are taking on Global’s news programming while maintaining their program supply agreement with CTV.

Starting next week, CHEX-DT in Peterborough, CKWS-DT in Kingston and CHEX-TV-2 in Oshawa will also carry Global National at 5:30pm. And the Kingston and Peterborough stations will get local morning newscasts from 6-9am weekdays starting in October (Oct. 17 in Kingston and Oct. 24 in Peterborough). Corus television boss Troy Reeb says they will remain under their branding (which consists of their call letters).

These three stations were owned by Corus before Corus bought Shaw Media this year. They had been CBC affiliates as well until CBC dropped them a year ago. Since then they have entered into program supply agreements with CTV, without becoming official affiliates. Besides their local news shows and the Global morning show and Global National, they will still air CTV’s daytime, primetime and late-night lineup, including CTV National News.

The Global Television Network now has 12 stations, plus seven independently-owned stations carrying Global programming:

  • CKSA-DT Lloydminster, a full Global affiliate owned by Newcap
  • CFHD-DT Thunder Bay, a full Global affiliate owned by Dougall Media
  • CJBN-TV Kenora, a full Global affiliate owned by Shaw (not sold to Corus)
  • CKWS-DT Kingston, a de facto CTV affiliate owned by Corus carrying Global News programs
  • CHEX-DT Peterborough, a de facto CTV affiliate owned by Corus carrying Global News programs
  • CHEX-TV-2 Oshawa, a de facto CTV affiliate owned by Corus carrying Global News programs
  • CJON-DT St. John’s, a station owned by Stirling Communications which carries both CTV and Global programming

UPDATE (Oct. 19): Corus has announced that CHEX-TV-2 in Oshawa will rebrand its local newscast as Global Durham and rebroadcast Global Toronto’s local newscast at 5:30 and 6. The schedule also shows it’s dropping CTV National News at 11.

5 thoughts on “Global expands network after CBC abandons affiliates

  1. Anonymous

    Once again CBC is continuing to fail as a public broadcaster even with an expanded budget. I recently moved from Wainwright Alberta to Harrowsmith Ontario due to wanting to stay employed in this current economy. Funny thing is with Kingston down the road south by 20 minute drive, antennas are everywhere due to the close proximity of New York state transmiting regular television networks. Thus the same situation no mater where i live in Canada with CBC diminishing its content and brodcasting capabilities. So far the CRTC has not stepped in and i doubt it would since both are federal etities. CBC.radio brodcast is available here only and in Wainwright was nothing for a town of 6500 people but only on the internet. How effective is the tax dollars used for CBC needs to be investigated in order to determine if it is managed properly.

    Reply
    1. Anonymous

      I can understand that the CBC is limiting adding more O&O stations. But what I do not understand is why they are not allowing private stations to remain (or become) affiliates for the CBC.

      Reply
      1. MBR

        I thought it was due to a combination of CBC wanting to control the entire schedule of all of its stations, and the affiliates not making enough money on CBC programming…

        Reply

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