CKCK-DT

CKCK first signed on the air on July 28, 1954, as the first privately owned television station in Western Canada. It was originally owned by the Sifton family, which also owned the Regina Leader-Post and CKCK radio. It was originally a CBC Television affiliate. Shortly after signing on, it took a secondary affiliation with American broadcast network CBS.[2] In 1962, as part of a deal that allowed CTV to come to Saskatchewan, CKCK opened a rebroadcaster in Moose Jaw. In return, Moose Jaw's original station, CHAB-TV, switched to CTV and opened a semi-satellite in Regina, CHRE-TV.[3] The station swapped affiliations with CHAB/CHRE and joined CTV when the latter stations were purchased by the CBC. As a result of this deal, CHRE changed its call letters to CBKRT and became the main station; it is now CBKT.[3]

CKCK-TV's logo in the 1980s, as "CKTV".

In 1977, CKCK was sold to Harvard Developments, owned by Regina's Hill family. In 1985, Baton Broadcasting acquired a 90 percent stake in the station (the remaining 10 percent would soon follow), bringing it under common ownership with CTV's other Saskatchewan affiliates—CFQC in Saskatoon, CICC in Yorkton, and CIPA in Prince Albert. In 1987, these stations and Baton's two privately owned CBC affiliates in Saskatchewan, CKOS in Yorkton and CKBI in Prince Albert, began branding as the "Saskatchewan Television Network," which linked up with Baton's Ontario stations as the Baton Broadcast System in 1994.[3]

Following Baton's acquisition of CTV in 1997, CKCK became a CTV owned-and-operated station. Local programming today is limited primarily to the station's popular newscasts.[3]

CKCK-TV's logo as a CTV affiliate (1997–2001)

From the 1970s through the late 1980s, CKCK branded itself as "CKTV", but its official call letters remained CKCK-TV. During this period, though, the station did acquire the CKTV calls for its Fort Qu'Appelle retransmitter. That station is now CKCK-TV-7; "CKTV" is currently used the call sign for a Radio-Canada owned-and-operated station in Saguenay, Quebec. Nevertheless, while the station identifies itself only as CTV, many people in southern Saskatchewan still call the station "CKTV" or "CK".[3]

In December 2008, CTVglobemedia applied to the CRTC to operate an HD feed of CKCK-TV, which would be delivered as a "satellite-to-cable" feed. The move would allow CKCK to operate an HD signal which could be substituted in place of American HD signals on local cable services, without actually operating an over-the-air digital television transmitter.[3]

As with its Saskatoon sister station, CKCK's programming is aired in pattern with that of Winnipeg sister station CKY-DT, with prime time programming running from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. simultaneously with East Coast stations, and CTV's 7:00 p.m. ET programming bumped to 10:00 p.m. However, as Saskatchewan does not observe daylight saving time and remains on Central Standard Time year-round, programming is delayed by an hour in comparison to CKY when DST is in effect.[3] In March, the station also broadcasts the annual Telemiracle telethon (which alternates between Regina and Saskatoon on a yearly cycle), supporting the Kinsmen and Kinettes of Saskatchewan. The event is simulcast by all CTV stations in Saskatchewan.[4][5]

CKCK-DT presently broadcasts 34+1⁄2 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 6+1⁄2 hours each weekday and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays).

CKCK-TV's original newscast was anchored by Jim McLeod, signing on 1954. McLeod anchored for many years, staying on the air long enough to debut the station's first colour newscast in 1973.[6]

On September 22, 1997, the station launched a noon newscast a short time before the Baton Broadcast System rebranded to CTV across Canada.

On October 31, 2011, CKCK debuted a three-hour morning newscast under the title CTV Morning Live, which airs on weekdays 6–9 a.m.; other morning newscasts under the CTV Morning Live banner were launched on other CTV owned-and-operated stations across western and central Canada as part of a benefits package that was included as a condition of the sale of the CTV network to Bell Canada.[7]

On July 28, 2014, CKCK began producing newscasts in high definition, and introduced a new studio as part of the migration.[8]

Behind the scenes of a CTV News at Six broadcast from Regina, Saskatchewan on August 26, 2020.

An additional hour of local news coverage was added in 2017 in the 5 p.m. time slot.[9]

CKCK's newscasts are also broadcast by CICC-TV in Yorkton, since that station does not broadcast a local 6:00 or 11:30 p.m. newscast. As a result, CKCK's program regularly includes reports from Yorkton.

As of September 2023, CTV Morning Live, CTV News at 5 and CTV News at 11:30 are broadcast from Regina on all CTV stations in Saskatchewan.[10][11]

In 1993, CKCK-TV began producing a half hour weekly broadcast dedicated to Indigenous affairs titled Indigenous Circle. [12]

The show aired on all CTV stations in Saskatchewan on Sundays, and would feature a range of Indigenous-related news content, interview segments, special documentaries and musical performances.

The final traditional episode of Indigenous Circle aired on February 18th, 2018, although the name lives on within a segment of the station’s regular weekend newscasts, hosted by Nelson Bird.[13]

Certain stories on CTV National News also use the Indigenous Circle moniker. [14]

• Official website
• CKCK-TV history – Canadian Communication Foundation
• CKCK-TV in the REC Canadian station database
• CTVglobemedia application to CRTC for direct-feed HD versions of selected stations, including CKCK Regina