Since the dawn of television, Canadians have
been overwhelmed by entertainment from our
neighbours to the south. But Canadian TV has
made its mark too, both here and around the
world.
Canada’s first TV stations
CBFT in Montreal and CBLT in Toronto both signed on in
1952, and both were owned by CBC. In 1961, CTV became the
first private broadcaster. Around the same time, CHCH-TV in
Hamilton became the first station not affiliated with either
broadcaster.
The Corp
The Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation, branded as
CBC/Radio-Canada is the
country’s oldest existing
broadcasting network in
Canada and entered the TV
market in 1952. It’s a Crown corporation, which means it is
state-owned but operated at arms’ length from the
government. It broadcasts in both official languages. CBC’s
mandate is focused on Canadian content and is often a
significant contributor to shaping the national conversation.
TV by the numbers
Back in 1952 - with two Canadian stations - there were about
85,000 TVs in Canada, mostly in places where viewers could
pick up U.S. broadcasters. By 1954, there were abou