Retrospective: Global Edmonton celebrates 40th anniversary
Global Edmonton launched as ITV on Sept. 1, 1974. Check out some highlights from its 40-year history, along with some big hair and questionable fashion choices.
Global Edmonton launched as ITV on Sept. 1, 1974. Check out some highlights from its 40-year history, along with some big hair and questionable fashion choices.
Sept. 1, 1974
ITV launched with the movie Hello, Dolly! The channel also aired content from ABC and CBS as well as locally produced programming such as The Tommy Banks Show and In Concert.
September 1975
One year after the channel launched, it began airing News at 6 with anchor Doug Main, sportscaster Wes Montgomery and weatherman Bill Matheson.
September 1978
The channel added Ten O’clock News with Main, Montgomery and Matheson. Later, Sarah Coyle joined the team, making her the first female sportscaster in Edmonton.
August 1982
Lorraine Mansbridge, a radio DJ in Winnipeg, became the host of the new ITV morning show, Good, Good Morning.
Aug. 9, 1991
A street for Charles Allard, the creator of ITV, was unveiled at which his children were present. Allard died two days later at the age of 72.
1992
Gord Steinke joined the ITV News team to anchor the news along with Jacqueline Clarke.
March 1993
ITV launched ITV First News, its early morning news show starting at 6 a.m. The show was anchored by Lorraine Mansbridge, Chris Durham and Gord Whitehead. The show was the precursor to Global Edmonton’s weekday four-hour Morning News.
2001
The former host of The Oilers on ITV and long-time ITV News Director, Tim Spelliscy, became the general manager of the newsroom. He grew the newsroom staff and added local programming and microwave trucks.
2001
The name of the station changed to Global Edmonton when Global Television/Canwest absorbed ITV under Israel Asper's direction. Global Television became Canada’s third national television network.
2006
Global Edmonton took its flagship News Hour show on the road to communities in and around Edmonton.
2007
Global 1, Edmonton's first television news helicopter, was introduced to audiences.
November 2007
Global Edmonton went social with the launch of its official Facebook page.
2009
Global Edmonton became the first local station to broadcast in high definition.
2010
Global Edmonton and its parent network Global Television became part of Shaw Media after Canwest was acquired by Shaw.
2014
Global Edmonton celebrates 40 years.
Photos courtesy of Shaw Media.
Related content on J-Source:
- Video: Once upon a time, when deadlines, slugs and typeset were tangible
- This week in Canadian media history: Global TV leaks the federal government budget in 1989
- This week in Canadian media history: Global Television launched
Tamara Baluja is an award-winning journalist with CBC Vancouver and the 2018 Michener-Deacon fellow for journalism education. She was the associate editor for J-Source from 2013-2014.