CTV Television Network : The CTV Television Network began in 1961 when Spence Caldwell, one of the unsuccessful bidders for a private television license, persuaded eight newly-licensed Canadian private television stations, Toronto's CFTO, Ottawa's CJOH, Montreal's CFCF, Calgary's CFCN, Vancouver's CHAN, Winnipeg's CJAY, Halifax's CJCH and Edmonton's CFRN, to form a network. CTV later added three more affiliate stations in Kitchener, St. John's and Moose Jaw. CTV was a cooperative in which the member stations shared administrative costs, programs, costs and revenues. The network did not own or operate any stations. By 1966, the 11 stations, dissatisfied with the operation of CTV, got permission to take control of the network from Caldwell. In its early years, the network schedule was composed primarily of American programming and low-cost Canadian productions such as game shows, but it gradually built up its news and current affairs broadcasts, sports, entertainment programs and other Canadian content. As CTV grew, Baton Broadcasting Inc. and other station owners sought to buy more stations and gain greater control. By 1992, there were 25 stations in the network, 11 of them owned by Baton Broadcasting Inc. In 1993, CTV members agreed to split ownership equally among seven station owners, Baton Broadcasting, Electrohome Ltd., CHUM Ltd., CFCF Inc., Maclean Hunter Ltd.,Moffat Communications Ltd. and the Western International Communications Inc., ending CTV's structure as a cooperative. In 1997, Baton Broadcasting announced a deal with CHUM Ltd. to trade Baton television station CHRO and three Ontario stations it owned with Electrohome Ltd. for four CHUM CTV affiliates in the Maritimes, CKCW and CKLT and the Atlantic Satellite Network. That same year CTV's news headline cable channel CTV News 1, later renamed CTV NewsNet, went on the air. By 1998, Baton Broadcasting had control of CTV. That same year, CTV's sports cable channel CTV Sportsnet started broadcasting. CTV also invested in other specialty cable channels, including The Comedy Network and the Outdoor Life Network. In 1998 the Baton Broadcasting board of directors approved renaming the company CTV Inc. On December 7, 2000 the Canadian Radio-Television and Communications Commission announced that it had approved the takeover of CTV by Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE). Susan Gittins, CTV The Television Wars, Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, Toronto, 1999.
