Canada Tonight
Encyclopedia
Canada Tonight was a Canadian
television newscast which aired on stations owned by Western International Communications
(WIC) from 1993 to 2001. It was produced out of the studio of CHAN-TV
(BCTV) in Burnaby, British Columbia
. There were two versions of the newscast; the one seen outside BC was anchored by Tony Parsons
, and the one seen in that province was anchored by Bill Good
. The BC version, seen only on BCTV, featured more stories related to Vancouver
and BC, as well as local weather and some national news reports sourced from CTV
, which WIC's other stations were unable to use.
-based national newscast. However, the late night time slot for CTV National News
was seen by BCTV as a competitive disadvantage against the early evening network newscasts on the U.S. television networks, in particular the CBS Evening News
with Walter Cronkite
. After failing to convince CTV to introduce a suppertime national newscast, BCTV decided in the mid-1970s to instead retool its own early evening local newscast into the News Hour, presented by Tony Parsons. News Hour later became the most-watched newscast in the region, and remains so to this day.
Executives at BCTV also perceived a Toronto-bias in the production of CTV National News, and as such continued to push for a Vancouver-based national newscast. The station produced pilots for CTV's board in 1990; however, the proposal was turned down by the network. As a result, WIC decided in 1993 to launch its own early evening semi-national newscast, Canada Tonight. The newscast was produced out of BCTV's studio, and also aired on WIC's independent stations in Alberta
and Hamilton, Ontario
.
Following Canwest Global's purchase of WIC in 2000, the Global Television Network
announced its plans to launch a new network newscast in September 2001, to be produced by a newly-established national news division
based at BCTV (itself to become a Global owned-and-operated station
). In the interim, Canada Tonight replaced First National
, a regional newscast seen on Global stations in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba (by this point, CHCH
Hamilton had replaced Canada Tonight with an expanded local newscast).
One unusual feature of the newscast which normally aired on Friday evenings was a segment called "Satellite Debris" which featured some of the week's humourous or less newsworthy news items. On the Friday before the NFL's Super Bowl
in the United States, it also previewed some of the advertisements that could not be seen in Canada through cable or satellite distribution due to simultaneous substitution
regulations.
Canada Tonight concluded its run on August 31, 2001, and was replaced on September 3 by Global National
, the network's new flagship news program hosted by journalist Kevin Newman.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
television newscast which aired on stations owned by Western International Communications
Western International Communications
WIC Western International Communications Ltd.The apparent occurrence of "RAS syndrome" here was in fact part of the company's legal name. was a Canadian media company that operated from 1982 to 2000, with operations including broadcast and specialty television, radio, and satellite distribution via...
(WIC) from 1993 to 2001. It was produced out of the studio of CHAN-TV
CHAN-TV
CHAN-DT is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, broadcasting over-the-air on digital channel 22, and available via cable providers in the area on channel 11. Owned by Shaw Communications as a part of its Shaw Media division, it is the West Coast flagship station of the...
(BCTV) in Burnaby, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. There were two versions of the newscast; the one seen outside BC was anchored by Tony Parsons
Tony Parsons (Canadian journalist)
Tony Parsons is a longtime Canadian broadcaster whose career has spanned more than 50 years, and he has anchored the second most-watched local evening TV newscast in North America, the News Hour on CHAN-TV in Vancouver, British Columbia...
, and the one seen in that province was anchored by Bill Good
Bill Good
Bill Good is a Canadian television personality and CKNW radio talk show host. He formerly co-anchored the 6:00pm newscast on Vancouver's CIVT alongside Pamela Martin....
. The BC version, seen only on BCTV, featured more stories related to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and BC, as well as local weather and some national news reports sourced from CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
, which WIC's other stations were unable to use.
History
As a charter CTV affiliate, BCTV had carried the network's TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based national newscast. However, the late night time slot for CTV National News
CTV National News
CTV National News is CTV's flagship newscast, which airs at 11:00 p.m. local time on the CTV stations across Canada, and live at 10:00pm ET, with repeats hourly up until 2 a.m. ET on CTV News Channel, CTV's 24-hour cable news television channel, and the previous day's can be seen on the Internet. ...
was seen by BCTV as a competitive disadvantage against the early evening network newscasts on the U.S. television networks, in particular the CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
with Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
. After failing to convince CTV to introduce a suppertime national newscast, BCTV decided in the mid-1970s to instead retool its own early evening local newscast into the News Hour, presented by Tony Parsons. News Hour later became the most-watched newscast in the region, and remains so to this day.
Executives at BCTV also perceived a Toronto-bias in the production of CTV National News, and as such continued to push for a Vancouver-based national newscast. The station produced pilots for CTV's board in 1990; however, the proposal was turned down by the network. As a result, WIC decided in 1993 to launch its own early evening semi-national newscast, Canada Tonight. The newscast was produced out of BCTV's studio, and also aired on WIC's independent stations in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
.
Following Canwest Global's purchase of WIC in 2000, the Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
announced its plans to launch a new network newscast in September 2001, to be produced by a newly-established national news division
Global News
Global News is the news and current affairs division of Global Television Network in Canada, overseeing all local and national news programming on the network's eleven owned-and-operated stations .-National programs:...
based at BCTV (itself to become a Global owned-and-operated station
Owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
). In the interim, Canada Tonight replaced First National
First National (TV series)
First National was a Canadian television newscast, which aired on the Global Television Network's stations in Ontario and Manitoba from 1994 to 2001. It was also seen in Quebec after Global launched there in 1997...
, a regional newscast seen on Global stations in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba (by this point, CHCH
CHCH-TV
CHCH-DT, channel 11, is a television station originating in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with transmitters located throughout Ontario. CHCH currently operates as an independent station, having previously served as a CBC Television affiliate, and more recently as the flagship station of the...
Hamilton had replaced Canada Tonight with an expanded local newscast).
One unusual feature of the newscast which normally aired on Friday evenings was a segment called "Satellite Debris" which featured some of the week's humourous or less newsworthy news items. On the Friday before the NFL's Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
in the United States, it also previewed some of the advertisements that could not be seen in Canada through cable or satellite distribution due to simultaneous substitution
Simultaneous substitution
Simultaneous substitution is a practice mandated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requiring Canadian cable, direct broadcast satellite and multichannel multipoint distribution service television distribution companies to substitute the signal of a foreign or...
regulations.
Canada Tonight concluded its run on August 31, 2001, and was replaced on September 3 by Global National
Global National
Global National is the national newscast of Canada's Global Television Network. Dawna Friesen anchors the program's weekday edition from the Global BC studios; Robin Gill currently anchors the weekend edition...
, the network's new flagship news program hosted by journalist Kevin Newman.