TIMELINE: 60 years of Global Calgary

Global Calgary is celebrating 60 years of broadcasting! Take a look back at how it all began…

1953
Calgary radio stations CFAC, CFCN, and CKXL apply for a TV broadcast licence. Calgary Television Ltd. is incorporated on March 19. On April 12, the company makes a formal application to CBC.

Oct. 24: CHCT-TV is granted a broadcasting licence by the Department of Transport. It will broadcast on channel 2.

1954
July: construction gets under way on a 600-foot transmission tower with a 75-foot antenna.

Oct 3: CHCT-TV signs on the air at 9:18 p.m., though regular programming does not begin until Oct. 8

1955
Construction of CHCT’s studios begins in the spring at the former Sea Cadet Hall at 955 Rideau Rd. S.W. The first live broadcast from the studio happens on Nov. 14.

1958
Sept. 28-Oct. 4: To celebrate “TV Week,” CHCT airs a week-long, 24-hour-a-day telethon, decades before round-the-clock broadcasting becomes commonplace.

1962
Inaugurated its first mobile unit, consisting of two cameras and a video tape recorder.

1966
Sept. 1: First colour broadcast

1967
Oct. 20: Selkirk Holdings buys CHCT-TV from Fred Shaw

1971
July 1: Call letters change to CFAC-TV

Sept. 1: Cable TV arrives in Calgary

1980
Flames Hockey coverage begins

1981
June: 2&7 Station moves its operations to its present studio building at 222 23^rd St. N.E., which celebrates its grand opening on Nov. 30.

1982
Dec. 27: 24-hour broadcasting begins.

1988
Jan. 15: stereo broadcasting begins.

February: provided studio space for CBS News during the Winter Olympics.

October: MacLean Hunter buys CFAC-TV, only to sell it to Western International Communications in December.

Oct. 3: Sports at 11 debuts.

April 2: Call letters change from CFAC-TV to CKKX-TV.

1993
Introduction of Rover microwave truck with first live broadcast on March 19.

Sept. 7: Call letters change from CKKX-TV to CICT-TV, and the station becomes known as Calgary 7.

2000

Sept. 5: CICT joins the Global Television Network and the station becomes known as Global.

Oct. 10: Global TV Calgary website launched.

2010
May: Shaw Communications purchases Global Television and specialty assets from Canwest for approx. $2 billion. They had been operating under bankruptcy protection.

Oct. 22 – The CRTC approves the proposed Shaw purchase.

Oct. 27 – The Shaw deal officially closes and Global Calgary becomes part of newly formed Shaw Media.

2013
June 20, 21: Floods devastate Calgary’s downtown and many smaller communities and Global Calgary rallies to provide an unprecedented 19-hours of continuous coverage of the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history. Nearly one in two televisions in the Calgary Extended Market tune to Global Calgary at the height of the crisis.