On May 25th 2009, CTV announced that CTV Newsnet, originally licensed and launched in 1996, would be rebranded as CTV News Channel, effective May 26th.
This specialty channel utilized the world-wide CTV news- gathering facilities to provide a 24-hour news service. After originally having been restricted by licence to providing a 15-minute ‘wheel’ of news, the channel had subsequently been allowed to expand to handle breaking news stories, as well as incorporating into its schedule live broadcasting of the CTV Network’s Canada AM, and all National newscasts with Lloyd Robertson, and Sandie Rinaldo.
The service drew on input from 15 local CTV newsrooms across the country and six international bureaux.
On October 3rd 2011, CTV News Channel announced new programs and anchors, as well as an adjustment to its format.
Three new programs debuted, while four new faces joined its team of anchors: Amanda Blitz, Rudyard Griffiths, Tasha Kheiriddin and Scott Reid. Additionally, the channel moved to a two-anchor format for much of the day.
The new programs introduced were:
- EXPRESS Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 12 noon with Dan Matheson and Jacqueline Milczarek, offered viewers a mix of news and information presented in an informal, conversational format, with one-minute news updates every 15 minutes.
- DIRECT Weekdays, 12 noon to 1 p.m. with Sandie Rinaldo Weekdays, 6 – 7 p.m. and 9 – 10 p.m. with Marcia MacMillan. DIRECT was the new name for CTV News Channel’s lunch-time, dinner-hour and evening one-hour newscasts.
- NATIONAL AFFAIRS 4 – 5 p.m. with Tasha Kheiriddin and Rudyard Griffiths (Monday – Thursday) 4 – 5 p.m. with Tasha Kheiriddin and Scott Reid (Friday), was CTV News Channel’s new political news hour.
On March 7th 2012, CTV News Channel announced the launch of The Pattie Lovett-Reid Show, a new half-hour, call-in series airing Thursdays beginning March 22. Pattie Lovett-Reid, Canada’s renowned financial guru, “…coached viewers on how to save money, stretch their income, and get the biggest bang for their hard-earned bucks”.
Written by Pip Wedge – October, 2011
Ownership: CTV
Start Year: 2017