Canterbury Television

History

CTV began broadcasting from the original TVNZ Christchurch studios at Gloucester Street on 17 June 1991 and initially ran from 5 pm until approximately 11 pm, seven days a week. The schedule for CTV's opening night was as follows:

• 5:00pm − Mork & Mindy
• 5:30pm − First Report: The news for Canterbury, about Canterbury, presented by Grant Mangin. News, issues and features from the region plus national and international headlines.
• 6:10pm − Taxi
• 6:40pm − The Tripods
• 7:15pm − DB Sport (published as CTV Monday Sport): Sue Wells, Wayne Smith and David Di Somma bring a Canterbury perspective to the best of the weekend's sporting action.
• 7:50pm − Colin's Sandwich
• 8:35pm − George Balani: George Balani hosts a live show covering any issues − entertaining, controversial, political or just plain fun.
• 9:15pm − CTV Report: Headlines from New Zealand and overseas. News and features from Canterbury.
• 9:30pm − Widows (series one)
• 10:45pm − Soap
• 11:30pm − Closedown

The station sided with Horizon Pacific Television until its closure in 1997, which suspended its operations. On 23 October, the Family Television Network, through its Canterbury affiliate company CFTN, agreed to move from the former Cry TV frequency to UHF 44, where CTV was housed, also causing the return of almost 20 former staff. During this phase, the station was known as CTV Family Television Network. The move came a week before CHTV was set to begin operations.

In 1999, yet to be signed New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra performed on CTV. The appearance led to her being signed by Universal Music Group New Zealand.

FTN sold its shares in CTV to businessman Dennis Chapman, now being owned by the Challenge Media Foundation. Its new owners also decided to cut its staff in order to keep the staiton afloat.

In 2002, NowTV (formerly known as CHTV) and CTV merged, headquartered into the NowTV Building.

In 2006, CTV was the chief sponsor of the Canterbury United soccer team.

Today in Canterbury, a nightly news programme, started in March 2008.

In late 2008 CTV gained popularity with the New Zealand professional wrestling promotion Impact Pro Wrestling airing IPW Ignition weekly. The first episode premiered on 5 October 2008.

In March 2009, CTV started screening Graham Kerr's Kitchen and Nick Stellino's Cucina Amore, half-hour cooking programmes from the 1990s.

In September 2010, the CTV Building had received superficial damage in the 4 September earthquake, but was "given a clean bill of health" by structural engineers, according to the owners. resulting in the greatest single source of loss of life in that earthquake. The building had been built around 1986 (although reports of the building's construction date vary: Chip Le Grand of The Australian said – possibly confusing it with the older CHTV3 building – 1960; a 1 March 2011 NZPA report said 1991 or shortly before; and a 4 March 2011 New Zealand Herald editorial said 1972).

On 18 April 2011, CTV was back on air at 5.30 pm for the first time since February's earthquake. The station began with a two-hour broadcast of news and then another hour of interviews with people involved in the earthquake recovery. Shows would screen nationwide on Māori Television the day after each CTV broadcast.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819120036/http://kiwinewsonline.co.nz/2011/04/19/canterbury-television-back-on-air/ |archive-date=19 August 2011 |url-status=dead

On 18 March 2013, CTV joined Freeview, broadcasting from Sugarloaf, Christchurch on Channel 40. They extended their reach to South Canterbury on 1 June 2013, broadcasting from Cave Hill, Timaru.

CTV was bought by Star Media in August 2015 and relocated to the company's premises in Middleton.

2011 Christchurch earthquake

Main article: CTV Building

The six-story CTV Building{{cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724192335/http://www.3news.co.nz/More-bodies-expected-to-be-pulled-from-CTV-building/tabid/423/articleID/199396/Default.aspx |archive-date=24 July 2011 |url-status=dead Of the 166 confirmed dead by 12 March 2011, 94 were recovered from the CTV building.{{cite web|last=Morgan|first=Jared |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228033727/http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/top-stories/we-dont-use-the-word-dead-japan-goes-in-where-others-give-up-hope/story-e6frg12l-1226011790956 |archive-date=28 February 2011 |url-status=dead

The Port Hills transmitters were understood to be undamaged. CTV's sister channel VTV (Visitors Television) also ceased broadcasting because of the quake.

CTV's website was still functioning immediately after the earthquake, but was later replaced with this statement:

The thoughts and heartfelt sympathies of those who remain go out to the families and friends of our missing colleagues, and to all in Christchurch who are missing or have lost a loved one in this tragedy.}}

A coronial inquest into the CTV building's collapse reported back to the Government in December 2012, one month later than expected, finding the building's design was deficient and should not have been approved.

Past presenters

• Sue Wells – host of Susan Sells
• Phil Gifford – Co-host of 'Gifford and Balani'
• Jo Giles – host of 'Shopping with Jo' and 'In Depth' (died in the 2011 Canterbury earthquake)
• Jim Hopkins – host of The Knackered Chef, Jim Hopkins Tonight and A Smattering of Ominions

References

References

1. (17 June 1991). "Television and radio". [[The Press]].
2. (25 October 1997). "Station moves to CTV". [[The Press]].
3. (22 September 2000). "Battle for local news". [[The Press]].
4. "CTV - Canterbury Television".
5. Le Grand, Chip. (28 February 2011). "Demolition work at CTV tower an issue for quake inquiry". The Australian.
6. (1 March 2011). "CTV building owners welcome inquiry, death toll now at 155". The New Zealand Herald.
7. (4 March 2011). "Editorial: Quake work needs limits and balance". The New Zealand Herald.
8. (24 February 2011). "Christchurch quake toll 75, dozens missing". [[Stuff.co.nz]].
9. [[Steven Joyce]] (24 February 2011). [http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/govt-expresses-grave-concern-kings-education-missing "Govt expresses grave concern for Kings Education missing"]. www.beehive.govt.nz. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
10. "[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014335529_quake26.html Iconic Christchurch CTV building becomes a tomb] {{webarchive. link. (1 March 2011 ". ''The Seattle Times''. 25 February 2011.)
11. [http://www.kingseducation.co.nz/ Post 22 February 2011 earthquake update] {{webarchive. link. (10 March 2011 . King's Education.)
12. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110325221327/http://www.ctv.co.nz/ CTV website] Retrieved on 24 February 2011 ≈11:55 (UTC)
13. (29 October 2012). "CTV coronial inquest restarts 13 months on". 3 News NZ.