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 (O&Os).
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Although Global stations had always carried local news in various forms, the first tentative steps towards a national presence came in 1994 with the launch of First National with Peter Kent, an early-evening program focusing on national and international news but airing only in central Canada. After acquiring the Western International Communications (WIC) group of stations, Global cancelled First National in February 2001 and briefly aired the similar WIC newscast Canada Tonight in its place.
In September 2001, Global replaced Canada Tonight with a new network newscast, Global National, anchored by Kevin Newman from the network's new national news centre in Burnaby, British Columbia (located at CHAN-TV's building). The program initially aired only on weekdays; in February 2005, Global National launched a weekend edition anchored by Tara Nelson (now presented by Robin Gill). Originally airing in different timeslots around the country, the program moved to a standard 5:30pm (6:30pm Atlantic) start time nationwide in 2006. Since then, Global National has quickly gained ground on longtime number-one CTV National News, overtaking it on several occasions. A Mandarin version of the newscast, titled Global National Mandarin, is set to launch on January 23, 2012, and will be seen weeknights on Shaw Multicultural Channel in Vancouver and Calgary.[1]
Unlike CBC and CTV, Global does not air a national morning show, although its stations in select markets produce their own local morning shows. Stations which do not produce a local morning show either air the morning show from a larger market, or run daytime programming repeated from Shaw Media's cable specialty channels, such as Crash Test Mommy and The Mom Show.
Global launched its first investigative newsmagazine series on November 30, 2008. The weekly program, titled 16x9 - The Bigger Picture, features a high-gloss, tabloid format, and is the network's first foray into the field long occupied by CTV's W-FIVE and CBC's the fifth estate. Global also formerly aired a weekly documentary series, Global Currents.
During the 2011 federal election, Global News also produced a weekly series, Focus: Decision Canada, covering news and issues in the election campaign. The show, hosted by weekend Global National anchor Carolyn Jarvis, was a nominee for Best Information Program or Series at the 2011 Gemini Awards.
The West Block, a Sunday morning national political affairs show hosted by Tom Clark,[2] debuted on November 6, 2011.
Prior to 1997, the name Global News was used only for the local newscasts on Global Ontario, and Canwest's other local television stations all had different newscast titles. With the nationwide launch of the Global brand in 1997, Global News was also adopted as a standard title for local newscasts on Global O&Os. The long-dominant CHAN Vancouver (BCTV) had been an exception; its news operation was renamed BCTV News on Global when it became a Global O&O in 2001, and its individual newscast titles (e.g. News Hour) were also retained.
As part of a network-wide branding overhaul, local newscast titles and timeslots were standardized effective February 6, 2006,[3] following the BCTV model, as follows. Note that the exact lineup of newscasts and titles varies by station. The only station that does not follow the BCTV model is CHBC Kelowna, which has kept its call sign as part of its news branding.
On October 4, 2007, parent company Canwest announced it would be centralizing news production control room functions for all O&Os (except CHBC Kelowna) at four broadcast centres - CHAN Vancouver, CITV Edmonton, CICT Calgary, and CIII Toronto. The company stated this would allow all of its stations to make a transition to high definition broadcasting, and create around 50 new jobs at the four stations. Approximately 250 positions were to be eliminated in the other stations, the majority of which were behind-the-scenes/technical positions.[4]
A press release from the company has also stated that on-air talent (including weather anchors), reporters, producers, photographers, editors, and other news gathering positions will remain at the affected stations. Global Edmonton took over production of Global Maritimes' newscasts in mid-August 2008, and on September 4, 2008, took over production of all newscasts at CHCA-TV (the E! station in Red Deer, Alberta). Global Calgary began production of Global Lethbridge's newscasts in mid-September, and later in the year Global BC took over CHEK Victoria, Global Regina, Global Saskatoon, Global Winnipeg and Global Montreal. In August 2009, production for Global News Montreal moved from Vancouver to Edmonton. The stations whose controls were taken over began using virtual sets. In September 2009, CHBC's controls were moved to Calgary (master control) and Vancouver (production control), and the station launched its own virtual set in July 2010.
On May 31, 2011, Shaw Media announced that new weekday local morning shows would be launched on Global Toronto, Global Winnipeg, Global Saskatoon, Global Regina, and Global Maritimes in late 2011. Local Sunday morning newscasts have also been announced for Global Edmonton and Global Calgary for September 2011. The increase in news programming is part of a benefits package that Shaw Media has promised to fulfill as a condition to purchasing the network. A launch date for Global Montreal's morning show has not been announced.[5]
Over the network's history, there has been some evidence that Global considers its news coverage subordinate to its usual primetime lineup of entertainment programming. While coverage of some breaking events has increased since the launch of Global National, the network attracted controversy in 2003 when CKND aired its usual programming schedule on the night of the Manitoba provincial election rather than providing any special news programming, and when CIII bumped its Ontario provincial election coverage to CHCH in order to avoid preempting Survivor. Both stations aired full election night coverage in those province's 2007 elections.
In July 2010, Global National included video footage shot at another time and place into a segment about street demonstrations in Toronto. Correspondent Mike Drolet reported on a Toronto march held by groups demanding a public inquiry into police actions during a G20 conference. The report included clips of violence that erupted on Toronto streets during the event but Global added a scene shot months before in a Vancouver demonstration during the 2010 Winter Olympics. After this was reported in Canadian blog Northern Insights, Global claimed this was an unintentional editing error.[6]