Ah, Global Television Network. A Canadian enterprise, attempting to carve its niche in the rather crowded landscape of broadcasting. It's a story, I suppose, of ambition, acquisition, and the relentless pursuit of eyeballs, even if those eyeballs are mostly glued to imported American drivel. Don't expect me to wax poetic about its cultural significance; it’s a network, not a national treasure.
Canadian broadcast TV network
The Global Television Network, more colloquially known as Global, or sometimes the rather pedestrian "Global TV," is, for all intents and purposes, a terrestrial television network broadcasting in English across Canada. It stands as the second-most-watched private terrestrial network in the nation, trailing only the venerable CTV. Its reach extends across the country through fifteen owned-and-operated stations, a testament to its expansive, if not entirely original, programming strategy. The reins of this operation are held by Corus Entertainment, a media conglomerate deeply intertwined with the fortunes of the JR Shaw family.
The genesis of Global can be traced back to a single, regional television station that first flickered to life in Southern Ontario in 1974. This nascent entity was soon absorbed by the now-dissipated CanWest Global Communications. Over the ensuing decades, Canwest meticulously expanded its dominion, a gradual accretion of stations through both outright purchases and the establishment of new broadcast points. This piecemeal construction culminated in what was known as the CanWest Global System, a rather loose confederation of independent stations that, by 1997, were finally unified under the singular branding of the original Ontario station. It’s a narrative of consolidation, really, not unlike the relentless march of corporate interests.
Television channel
Global Television Network
- Type: Terrestrial television network
- Country: Canada
- Broadcast area: Canada, with spillover into parts of the United States via cable or antenna, depending on the capricious whims of geography and signal strength.
- Affiliates: A full accounting can be found in the section titled § Global stations.
- Headquarters: A rather fittingly modern edifice at Corus Quay in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Programming: Primarily 1080i HDTV. Because why wouldn't it be?
- Ownership: Corus Entertainment. A name that echoes through Canadian media, much like a persistent hum.
- Key people: Jennifer Abrams, currently holding the title of senior vice president, programming and platform for Corus Entertainment. A significant cog in the machine, no doubt.
- Sister channels: A veritable constellation of related properties, including Home Network, Flavour Network, W Network, Slice, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, History, Showcase, DTour, and Global Reality Channel. A diversified portfolio, designed to capture every conceivable demographic.
- History: Launched on January 6, 1974. That makes it fifty-one years old, a venerable age in broadcast television, though perhaps not in cosmic terms.
- Founder: The vision, if one can call it that, originated with Al Bruner and Peter Hill.
- Former names: For a period in the 1990s, the broader entity was known as the CanWest Global System, particularly when referring to stations under the Canwest banner that weren't explicitly branded as Global.
- Links: The official website, globaltv.com, for those who wish to delve deeper into the digital ether.
History
NTV
The seeds of what would become Global were sown in 1966, with a proposal for a network named NTV. The architect of this ambitious plan was Ken Soble, a media proprietor from Hamilton, Ontario, and co-founder of the independent station CHCH-DT. Backed financially by Power Corporation of Canada, Soble presented a vision to the Board of Broadcast Governors for a nationally distributed, satellite-fed network. His company intended to launch Canada's inaugural broadcast satellite, utilizing it to transmit CHCH's programming to a network of 96 new transmitters scattered across the nation. Soble's untimely death in December of that year saw his widow, Frances, assume leadership of Niagara Television. Meanwhile, former CTV executive Michael Hind-Smith and Niagara Television vice-president Al Bruner spearheaded the network application. The genesis of this proposal, it’s worth noting, stemmed from Soble's prior, unsuccessful bid to acquire CTV.
This initial NTV proposal, however, was met with considerable skepticism. Critics pointed to its potential infringement on concentration of media ownership regulations, deeming it overly ambitious and financially precarious. Furthermore, the plan conspicuously lacked any provision for local news programming, save for the major metropolitan hubs of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. By 1968, NTV formally submitted its licence application, which now included an additional 43 transmitters intended to carry a separate French-language service. The revised proposal also made provisions for the free distribution of CBC Television, Radio-Canada, and a new, non-commercial educational television service via the network's satellite. While transponder space was to be leased to competing commercial services like CTV and Télé-Métropole, these entities would not have received the same free distribution privileges afforded to public broadcasters. The landscape shifted, however, when federal communications minister Paul Hellyer announced plans for the publicly owned Anik series of broadcast satellites, to be managed by Telesat Canada. This government initiative effectively sidelined private corporations in the satellite rollout, leading Power Corporation to withdraw its support, leaving NTV in a state of suspended animation.
Global Communications
Bruner, having been dismissed from Niagara Television in 1969—ostensibly for neglecting his duties while pursuing the NTV application—reassembled an investment team to form Global Communications. This new entity carried the network application forward. By 1970, the Canadian Radio and Television Commission formally solicited proposals for "third" television stations in several major cities. Global Communications submitted a revised application, proposing to launch the network initially with transmitters solely in Ontario, as a preliminary step toward the broader network envisioned by Soble. Crucially, as Niagara Television and CHCH were no longer involved, the 1970 application also requested a licence for a new station in Toronto, intended to serve as the network's flagship.
The CRTC granted the network licence on July 21, 1972. The approved plan included a six-transmitter network spanning Southern Ontario, from Windsor to Ottawa. A seventh transmitter, sought for Maxville, Ontario to cover Montreal, was denied due to a CRTC moratorium on new English-language stations in that market. The plan stipulated that all transmitters would receive programming from a central studio in Toronto. The nascent network pledged a significant commitment to Canadian content and, rather audaciously, agreed to forgo local advertising.
The initial operational blueprint involved broadcasting exclusively during prime time, from 5 p.m. to midnight. Daytime hours were to be leased to the Ontario Educational Communications Authority for educational programming. This arrangement, however, never materialized, as the OECA opted instead to expand its own broadcasting capabilities, eventually leading to the creation of TVOntario through its own network of transmitters.
The new Global Television Network, identified by the callsign CKGN-DT (now CIII-DT), commenced operations on January 6, 1974. Its broadcast originated from studios housed in a former factory in the Don Mills neighbourhood of North York (now part of Toronto), at 6 p.m. local time. Global's headquarters remain in this location. While the Ontario station has always been Toronto-based, its primary transmitter was licensed to Paris, Ontario, strategically positioned between Kitchener-Waterloo and Hamilton, broadcasting on Channel 6 until 2009. Additional repeating transmitters were situated near Windsor, Ontario (Channel 22), Sarnia (Channel 29), Uxbridge, Ontario (Channel 22, serving the Toronto metro area), Bancroft (Channel 2), and Hull, Quebec (Channel 6, covering Ottawa).
Launch
Global's inaugural prime time schedule was a rather eclectic mix. It featured Patrick Watson's documentary series Witness to Yesterday, Pierre Berton's political debate program The Great Debate, a Canadian iteration of Bernard Braden's British consumer affairs program The Braden Beat, William Shatner's film critique show Flick Flack, Sunday night broadcasts of Toronto Toros hockey games, and a nightly variety series titled Everything Goes. This was supplemented by a handful of imported American series, including Chopper One, Dirty Sally, and Doc Elliot. In March of that year, the station faced a formal complaint from MP James McGrath regarding its broadcast of the 1969 Western film Heaven with a Gun, which McGrath deemed too violent.
The network plunged into a financial crisis within a mere three months of its launch. The CRTC's decision to enforce a mid-season launch forced many companies to reallocate their advertising budgets, leaving little for the fledgling network. Some advertisers who had initially committed even withdrew their support in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. Compounding these issues, the brief, year-round implementation of daylight saving time in the United States in January 1974, which Ontario notably did not adopt, inadvertently pitted Global's flagship program, Everything Goes, directly against The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, resulting in abysmal ratings. The financial fallout was immediate, with the station quickly losing access to its line of credit.
Facing an inability to cover daily expenses, Global initially approached potential saviors, including Channel Seventynine, Denison Mines, Standard Broadcasting, and the Jim Pattison Group. Ultimately, a bailout was orchestrated by IWC Communications, owned by broadcaster Allan Slaight, and Global Ventures Western Ltd., a syndicate that included Winnipeg movie theater owner Paul Morton and Izzy Asper, a Manitoba politician with broadcasting ambitions. Asper's company, CanWest Capital, was concurrently in the process of acquiring the licence for what would become CKND-DT in Winnipeg, with plans to carry some Global programming through a syndication agreement.
1970s–1990s
By the spring of 1974, a significant portion of Global's programming had been axed. By the following fall, it became glaringly evident that the network's original operational model was untenable. Consequently, Global was compelled to heavily rely on American programming to fill its schedule. With imports constituting as much of the broadcast day as Canadian content regulations permitted (a maximum of 60% Canadian overall, and 50% during prime time), Global effectively transformed into "another CTV." Barring the nightly newscasts, few other Canadian-produced programs remained, and those that did were often dismissed as low-budget filler. John Spalding, the station's original program director, resigned in 1975, frustrated by his inability to secure greater investment in higher-quality Canadian productions. He was succeeded by Bill Stewart, recruited from CKCO-TV in Kitchener, whose astute programming acquisitions were widely credited with sustaining the network during a period of viewership growth. The company further bolstered its executive team in 1979 with the arrival of sales strategist Dave Mintz, formerly of KVOS-TV, as president. Mintz, who held the post until his retirement in 1993, is recognized for transforming Global from the lowest-rated station in Toronto into a ratings leader.
Throughout the latter part of the decade and into the early 1980s, the prime late-evening newscast experienced shifts in its broadcast time, oscillating between 10 and 11 p.m., and varying in length from 30 to 60 minutes. In 1984, CKGN-TV changed its callsign to CIII-DT, a nod to its extensive distribution on cable channel 3.
Izzy Asper acquired controlling interest in the network in 1985, marking the first time a major Canadian broadcaster was owned by a western-based entity. A period of internal struggle ensued in 1989 when Asper and Morton attempted to buy each other out, a conflict ultimately resolved in Asper's favor and consolidating control under Canwest.
For its initial decade, Global's reach was confined to its six transmitters in Ontario. However, shortly after Asper assumed control, his ambition to establish a third national network became apparent. This expansion began with the launch of CFRE-DT in Regina, Saskatchewan and CFSK-DT in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan during the latter half of the 1980s. Concurrently, Canwest secured the licence for CKVU-DT in Vancouver after a protracted legal battle. In the early 1990s, the fledgling CIHF-DT in Halifax, Nova Scotia was also acquired. These acquisitions extended Canwest's station group to seven of Canada's ten provinces. While the Canwest stations collectively purchased a significant amount of programming, resulting in broadly similar broadcast schedules, they did not share common branding. Although they were sometimes identified as part of the "CanWest Global System," they operated as a group of independent stations rather than a fully integrated network throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
The second iteration of Global's logo, introduced in 1997, coincided with its formal rebranding as a national network. This distinctive crescent motif was also employed across other Canwest properties, such as CH, Prime, and Mystery TV, and can still be seen on DejaView's branding.
In 1997, Canwest acquired a controlling stake in CKMI-DT, a CBC affiliate in Quebec City, from TVA. TVA retained a 49% interest until 2002. This acquisition provided Canwest with sufficient national coverage to justify rebranding its station group as a unified network. Thus, on August 18, 1997, local branding was eliminated from all Canwest stations, and they were relaunched under the "Global Television Network" banner, a name previously exclusive to the Ontario outlet. Simultaneously, CKMI disaffiliated from CBC, established rebroadcasters in Montreal and Sherbrooke, and became the network's presence in Quebec. A new studio was constructed in Montreal, and most operations were relocated there, although the station's licence technically remained in Quebec City until 2009. Canwest's acquisition of CKMI extended Global's reach to eight of Canada's ten largest markets, though Ottawa and Montreal were served only by rebroadcasters.
Despite this expansion, Global still fell short of being a truly national network, lacking stations in Calgary and Edmonton. The CRTC had previously denied Canwest's applications for stations in these cities during the 1980s. Consequently, Global continued its established practice of secondary affiliations in these markets with independent stations CICT-DT and [CITV-DT], respectively. Similarly, Global did not have a full-time station in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, where programming was carried by longtime CTV affiliate CJON-DT.
2000s
The year 2000 marked a significant expansion for Canwest with the acquisition of the conventional television assets of Western International Communications (WIC). WIC's stations in Calgary, Edmonton, and Lethbridge had been airing some Global programming since 1988 and formally joined the network on September 4, 2000.
The following year, WIC's dominant Vancouver station, CHAN-DT, was integrated into the Global fold after its existing affiliation agreement with CTV expired. This event triggered a significant realignment of television affiliations across southwestern British Columbia. A primary driver behind Canwest's acquisition of WIC's television assets was CHAN's extensive translator network, which blanketed 97% of British Columbia. Global's former Vancouver station, CKVU-DT, along with WIC-owned Montreal CTV affiliate CFCF-DT, were subsequently sold off. WIC's remaining stations were maintained as twinstick operations and eventually absorbed into a secondary system known as CH, which was later rebranded as E! in 2007 through a partnership with the American channel of the same name. However, financial difficulties forced Canwest to divest or shut down the E! stations in 2009.
Full over-the-air network service remains elusive in Newfoundland and Labrador. However, CJON, having severed ties with CTV in 2002, now broadcasts the vast majority of Global programming in the province, most recently incorporating the network's national newscast in mid-2009. Any remaining Global content can be accessed via cable or satellite through Global stations in other markets (typically Edmonton's CITV) or through the network's website.
Following Canwest's acquisition of Southam Newspapers (later Canwest Publishing) and the National Post from Conrad Black in 2001, the company's media interests were consolidated under a strategy emphasizing cross-promotion and synergy. Journalists from the Post and other Canwest publications frequently appeared on Global's news programs, characters in the now-defunct serial drama Train 48 were depicted reading the Post, and Global programs were promoted within Canwest newspapers. This integrated approach, however, has largely been abandoned, particularly after Canwest's corporate restructuring in 2010.
In late 2004, as CTV began to assert dominance in the ratings, Canwest undertook a reorganization of its Canadian operations. This involved the recruitment of numerous new executives, many with prior experience in U.S. media firms, leading to a significant overhaul of Global announced in December 2005. The most visible change was a new logo, introduced on February 5, 2006 (coinciding with Global's broadcast of Super Bowl XL), which replaced the "crescent" with a "greater than" symbol, accompanied by a new typeface for the Global wordmark. New graphic identities were developed for news programs and network promotions, and several newscasts were repositioned with new timeslots and formats. The crescent motif, previously a common element in many Canwest logos, was gradually phased out from other company properties.
On April 10, 2008, the network announced that its Toronto and Vancouver stations would begin broadcasting their over-the-air signals in high definition. CIII and CHAN officially commenced HD transmissions on April 18, 2008. Digital signals were also launched at Global's stations in Calgary (CICT-DT) and Edmonton (CITV-DT) by July 2009.
2010s
Following Canwest's application for creditor protection in late 2009, Shaw Communications acquired Canwest's broadcasting assets on October 27, 2010. These assets were subsequently integrated into a newly formed division, Shaw Media, with Global serving as its flagship. Canwest's newspaper holdings had been sold earlier that year to Postmedia Network.
On April 1, 2016, as part of a corporate restructuring (marketed as an acquisition), Shaw Media was absorbed into Corus Entertainment, Shaw's sister company.
Television listings
In television listings, such as those found in TV Guide, where space constraints often necessitate the use of three-letter abbreviations for television networks, "GLO," "GLB," or "GTV" are commonly employed. However, none of these hold official standing as the network's designation. Global's preferred and consistently used shortform identifier remains "Global."
Programming
- Main article: List of programs broadcast by Global Television Network
News
- Main article: Global News
Global News serves as the news and current affairs division of the Global Television Network, with its primary operations based in Vancouver. National programs produced by this division include the network's flagship national newscast, Global National, and newsmagazine programs such as 16x9. The network also provides local news programming across its eleven owned-and-operated stations. Local news broadcasts on most Global stations follow a pattern similar to many U.S. television stations, typically featuring a morning newscast of three to four hours, a noon broadcast, supper-hour programs ranging from 30 to 90 minutes, and a late-evening newscast lasting between a half-hour and an hour. In select major markets, Global-owned stations also air locally produced public affairs programs under the "Focus" brand.
Furthermore, Corus Entertainment operates several Global-branded news and talk radio stations across Canada under the "Global News Radio" moniker.
Entertainment
Beyond its news division, Global lacks a definitive "main schedule" for entertainment programming. Even prior to the WIC acquisition, Global stations exhibited considerable variation in their program lineups, a divergence that was only amplified by the WIC purchase. For instance, CHAN held the broadcasting rights in British Columbia for numerous shows that aired on CTV until 2001, with the notable exception of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Factors influencing station programming decisions include time zone variations, local content considerations, and the ratings performance of non-Global acquired shows.
Global has historically built its business model on the profitable acquisition of entertainment programming from the United States, and has consequently faced criticism for insufficient investment in Canadian content. Canadian productions aired on the network, such as a revival of the 1960s American science fiction series The Outer Limits, or the Chicago-set drama Zoe Busiek: Wild Card, often eschewed distinctly Canadian themes, presumably to facilitate sales into the U.S. and international cable or syndication markets. An exception was Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Unknown, which incorporated Canadian themes and settings, including an episode set in Northern Quebec and Halifax. Series initially developed for the U.S. and international market, often referred to as "industrial" productions, largely faded with the decline of the international action hour market.
From the late 1990s through the mid-2000s, Global aired a greater number of identifiably Canadian entertainment programs. These included the long-running finance drama Traders, the British-Canadian animated comedy Bob and Margaret, the police procedural drama Blue Murder, the nightly improvised drama Train 48, the sitcom The Jane Show, and the reality show My Fabulous Gay Wedding. In 2003, Global signed comedian Mike Bullard, host of the nightly Open Mike with Mike Bullard on CTV and The Comedy Network, to a multi-year contract for a new nightly talk show on Global. However, the series was cancelled after only 60 episodes due to underperforming ratings.
Global secured the rights to produce a Canadian version of the popular entertainment magazine Entertainment Tonight, launching ET Canada on September 12, 2005. The network also obtained Canadian production rights for the American reality series The Apprentice, though a Canadian iteration of the program never materialized. Global also produces a Canadian version of the reality series Big Brother.
Global, like all Canadian broadcasters, benefits from Canada's simultaneous substitution (or "simsub") regulations. These rules empower content owners to control programming rights for specific shows within Canada. When an American network broadcasts a program concurrently with Global, Canadian cable subscribers are restricted to viewing the Global Television broadcast, even if they attempt to access the American stations. This regulation aims to bolster Canadian networks by providing them with increased exposure and advertising revenue, effectively shielding Canadian markets from direct competition from American border cities. While intended to support Canadian content development, Global has faced specific criticisms regarding its application of simsubs:
- On-screen graphics: In some instances, Global has superimposed the phrase " on Global " onto a program's opening titles, often in a font that poorly imitates the original typeface. This practice could occasionally disrupt running gags within opening credits, as a single superimposed version might be used across multiple episodes. An example cited involves American Dad!, where a news headline that changed with each episode might have been displayed identically on several Global broadcasts for a period, an issue later rectified. This practice was entirely discontinued starting with the fall 2006 season.
- Split-screen credits: Split-screen credits have been employed to accommodate network promotions. As of the 2009–10 season, the show's own stylized production credits are displayed, rather than a uniform credit sequence generated by the network. On certain programs, such as The Simpsons and Family Guy, special closing credits incorporate additional scenes or unique music that may be altered or lost when Global utilizes a split screen. While split-screen credits are a common practice among networks in both Canada and the U.S., Global's implementation can differ from that of the U.S. networks.
- Next-episode previews: In some cases, previews for upcoming episodes, such as those for The Apprentice, are omitted. This may be attributed to these promos being produced in-house by the originating network (in this instance, NBC) and thus not being readily editable for Global's broadcast.
- Scheduling discrepancies: Since the late 2000s, several American networks have begun to initiate programming shortly before or after the :00 or :30 mark of the hour to mitigate audience loss. Global does not consistently adhere to this practice, potentially resulting in the loss of the final minutes of preceding programs for viewers tuned to the U.S. network. For example, if NBC schedules The Apprentice to begin at 9:02 p.m., but Global schedules its start precisely at 9:00 p.m., the last two minutes of NBC's 8:00 p.m. program might be preempted by the Global signal. This situation is not exclusive to Global and can vary by service provider, as cable and satellite providers, rather than the networks themselves, are responsible for scheduling and implementing simsubs.
- Delayed broadcasts: If an American program on a U.S. network is delayed due to breaking news or a sporting event, and is scheduled for broadcast at that time on Global, Global will also delay the episode to coincide with the U.S. broadcast for simsub purposes. An instance of this occurred with an episode of House aired after Super Bowl XLII in 2008.
- Super Bowl broadcasts: Global held the Canadian broadcast television rights for the National Football League and, consequently, the Super Bowl, until the conclusion of the 2006 season. These rights were subsequently acquired by CTV starting in 2007. As with any other U.S. network program, Global could and did implement simsubs. However, the Super Bowl broadcast presented a particular challenge, as the commercials aired during the U.S. broadcast—often the most anticipated advertising segments of the year—were not visible on either Global or the corresponding U.S. station. While some international advertisers, such as Budweiser, purchased ad time on Global for U.S. commercials, many Canadian companies opted to run their own advertisements introduced well before the game. Nevertheless, in recent years, nearly all American Super Bowl commercials have become accessible online after the game, potentially alleviating some viewer dissatisfaction.
Global engages in extensive cross-promotional activities with other Corus Entertainment properties in markets where both services operate concurrently.
On June 6, 2007, the Canadian actors' union ACTRA picketed Global's fall upfronts presentation, protesting the perceived lack of Canadian content on the network's current television schedules.
Sports
In 1979, Global, then a regional network in Ontario, acquired the Toronto Blizzard soccer team. The network produced and broadcast coverage of the team's games in-house. However, the team's lack of success on the field, coupled with low attendance and ratings, led Global to sell the franchise in 1981. Despite this, Global continued to broadcast seven games annually until 1983.
Aside from this brief foray into soccer, the Global network has never maintained an in-house sports production division, unlike entities such as CBC, CTV/TSN, and Citytv/Sportsnet. Sports broadcasts on the network have primarily consisted of simulcasts with American networks or have been outsourced to independent producers like Molstar. During the 1987 and 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs, Global aired NHL games syndicated by Carling O'Keefe. Global was also the long-standing broadcaster of National Football League games in Canada, a relationship that concluded in 2007 when CTV secured the NFL broadcast package. The network also broadcast PGA Tour events for an extended period.
Beyond major event coverage, many Global stations were recognized for their local late-night sports highlight shows, including Sportsline in Ontario, Sports Page in Vancouver (later moved to former sister station CHEK-DT), 2&7 Sports at 11 in Calgary, and Sports Night in Edmonton. Most of these programs were eventually consolidated under the "Global Sports" brand. However, due to declining viewership, by the fall of 2005, all except the Ontario program had been cancelled. Stations continued to incorporate sports coverage within their local newscasts. Global Ontario's sports program was ultimately cancelled in January 2007, at which point the station entirely closed its sports department, outsourcing sports coverage to Sportsnet and The Score / Sportsnet 360 for a period.
Some Global owned-and-operated stations outside of Ontario, such as CHAN in Vancouver and CITV in Edmonton, continue to feature locally produced sports segments within their local newscasts. Conversely, the sports segments aired during local newscasts on CIHF-DT in Saint John and CKMI-DT in Montreal are produced from CHAN's Vancouver studio and presented by that station's sports anchors.
Until the discontinuation of Fox Sports World Canada, CKND-DT in Winnipeg produced Fox Soccer Report, which was broadcast on the network and on Fox Soccer in the United States. This program was replaced in 2012 by the Sportsnet-produced Soccer Central.
In 2015, Global broadcast coverage of the Canada West conference's university football championship, including one semi-final game and the Hardy Cup championship game the following week. These telecasts were produced as part of Shaw TV's Canada West Football on Shaw package.
Video on-demand
Global facilitates streaming of live and on-demand programming through its website and dedicated applications for mobile devices and digital media players. In 2020, the Global apps underwent a relaunch to incorporate streaming capabilities for subscribers of most of Corus Entertainment's specialty channels, mirroring a similar initiative announced by CTV.
Global HD
In October 2004, Global launched a 1080i high definition simulcast feed of its Toronto station, CIII-DT, branded as Global HD. This service began airing select American programs in HD, and subsequently included some Canadian series, such as Falcon Beach. Initially, this service was exclusively available via digital cable. On April 18, 2008, Global officially activated a digital transmitter in Toronto, making the HD simulcast of CIII-DT accessible over-the-air. The network also launched an HD simulcast feed for its Vancouver station (CHAN-DT) on the same date.
Global HD is accessible nationwide through satellite and digital cable, as well as free over-the-air reception using a standard television antenna and a digital tuner (integrated into most modern televisions) on the following designated channels:
The aforementioned transmitters were converted to digital by August 31, 2011, in compliance with Canada's mandatory transition deadline from analog to digital broadcasting in designated markets. As part of its acquisition by Shaw Communications in 2011, Shaw committed to transitioning all of the network's over-the-air analog transmitters to digital by 2016.
Global stations
The Global network has historically operated with a more decentralized structure compared to the CBC or CTV. For many programs, a singular "network" feed is not the standard; rather, each commercial break essentially functions as a station break. While national advertising is available, these advertisements are seamlessly integrated into local ad blocks.
It is not uncommon to observe varying lengths of commercial breaks between different stations, even during identical programming. This occurs despite the centralization of master control operations for all Global stations in Calgary since the fall of 2006.
From 2010 to 2016, with the exception of CIII-DT in Toronto, stations utilized on-screen graphical "bugs" that prominently featured each station's full local brand, rather than simply "Global." In September 2016, except for local newscasts, Global reverted to using "Global" as the on-screen bug, without the addition of the local station city identifier below it.
Owned-and-operated stations
Notes:
- Two boldface asterisks (** ) following a station's call letters indicate a flagship station of the Global Television Network.
- Two boldface plus signs (++) indicate a station that was part of the Canwest Global System prior to its merger with the Global Television Network brand in 1997.
| City of licence | Station | Channel TV (RF) | Year of affiliation (as secondary affiliate) | Owned since | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary, Alberta | CICT-DT | 2.1 (41) | 1988 | 2000 | Master control hub for all owned-and-operated stations until August 29, 2022 |
| Edmonton, Alberta | CITV-DT | 13.1 (13) | 1988 | 2000 | |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | CIHF-DT | 8.1 (8) | 1988 | 1994 | |
| Kelowna, British Columbia | CHBC-DT | 2.1 (27) | 2009 | 2000 | |
| Kingston, Ontario | CKWS-DT | 11.1 (11) | 2016 (news only) | 2016 | Became full-time O&O in 2018 |
| Lethbridge, Alberta | CISA-DT | 7.1 (7) | 1988 | 2000 | |
| Montreal, Quebec | CKMI-DT ++ | 20.1 (20) | 1997 (previously secondary 1982–1992) | 1997 | |
| Oshawa, Ontario | CHEX-DT-2 | 22.1 (29) | 2016 (news only) | 2016 | Became full-time O&O in 2018 |
| Peterborough, Ontario | CHEX-DT | 12.1 (12) | 2016 (news only) | 2016 | Became full-time O&O in 2018 |
| Regina, Saskatchewan | CFRE-DT ++ | 11.1 (11) | 1990 | 1987 | |
| Saint John, New Brunswick | CHNB-DT | 12.1 (12) | 1988 | 1994 | |
| Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | CFSK-DT ++ | 4.1 (42) | 1990 | 1987 | |
| Toronto, Ontario | CIII-DT ** | 6.1 (6) | 1974 | 1974 | Master control hub for all owned-and-operated stations since August 29, 2022 |
| Vancouver, British Columbia | CHAN-DT ** | 8.1 (22) | 2001 | 2000 | Studio facilities based in Burnaby, British Columbia |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | CKND-DT ++ | 9.1 (40) | 1975 | 1985 |
A notable number of these owned-and-operated stations predated the initial adoption of the Global brand in 1974. Specifically, CKMI, CICT, CHBC, CHEX, CISA, and CKWS commenced operations in the 1950s as affiliates of CBC Television. CHAN-TV, established in 1960, quickly became Vancouver's inaugural CTV affiliate. All these stations were eventually supplanted by network-owned facilities or transmitters.
The majority of these stations provide provincial or regional coverage through a network of relay stations, operating under the license of the key station. However, some of their transmitters may broadcast separate advertising tailored to their specific local communities.
Affiliates and secondary carriers
| City of licence | Station | Channel TV (RF) | Year of affiliation | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador | CJON-DT | 21.1 (21) | 2002 | Stirling Communications International | Nominally an independent station known as "NTV," CJON is sometimes considered a Global affiliate, as Global programming has been its primary source since dropping its CTV affiliation in 2002. However, NTV does not consistently carry the full Global lineup, continuing to air some CTV specials and national newscasts from both networks. |
| Thunder Bay, Ontario | CHFD-DT | 4.1 (4) | 2010 | Dougall Media | Operates under the on-air brand "Global Thunder Bay," despite not being an owned-and-operated station. Previously affiliated with CTV. |
Former stations
Owned-and-operated
| City of licence | Station | Year of affiliation | Year of disaffiliation | Notes