Global Winnipeg Celebrates 50 Years of Local Broadcasting Excellence

This month, Global Winnipeg celebrates a significant milestone: 50 years of broadcasting. Launched in September 1975 under the call letters CKND, the station was established by the late Manitoba politician and businessman Izzy Asper as part of CanWest Broadcasting. His vision was to create an independent television station that would serve the Winnipeg community.

According to David Asper, Izzy Asper’s son and a former employee at CKND, the era was marked by Canadian government initiatives to license independent television services to complement existing networks like CBC and CTV. “They got the licence, and the way they figured out how to do it was to repatriate a TV station that was in North Dakota, then known as KCND,” he explained. This innovative approach involved bringing the station’s transmitter across the border to Winnipeg, setting the stage for local broadcasting.

From Telethons to Technological Advancements

The inaugural broadcast featured a 20-hour-long Jerry Lewis Telethon aimed at raising funds for muscular dystrophy. “It allowed us to instantly connect with the community and was a very important launching point for us,” David Asper noted. The station initially operated from St. Mary’s Road before relocating to its current address at 201 Portage, on the corner of Portage and Main, in 2011.

Over the past five decades, numerous changes have occurred, from ownership transitions to evolving on-air personalities and technological advancements. Joe Pascucci, a former sports director and anchor at CKND/Global Winnipeg from 1982 to 2014, reflected on the shift from film to digital technology. “When you’re working with film, you had to wait for it to be developed,” he said, illustrating the time-consuming nature of early broadcasts. “You’d shoot it in the morning, wait for it to be developed in the afternoon, and then start editing.”

Pascucci also described the primitive communication methods of the time, stating, “When I got here in ’82, you were sent out to do a story with no way for the newsroom to contact you.” The introduction of walkie-talkies marked a significant development in reporting capabilities.

Challenges and Opportunities in Local Journalism

As technology and styles have evolved, the challenges facing local television news have intensified. Veteran journalist Cecil Rosner, an adjunct professor of investigative journalism at the University of Winnipeg and a former CBC reporter, expressed concerns about the current landscape. “There’s a threat to journalism, but there’s a threat to the public as well,” he stated, emphasizing the prevalence of misinformation in today’s media environment.

Rosner highlighted the financial challenges local media outlets face, particularly with advertising revenues declining. “There have been massive closures of news outlets across Canada over the years, and fewer journalists are working as a result,” he explained. The dominance of major tech companies like Google and Facebook in the advertising space has further complicated the economic viability of traditional news outlets.

“New models have to be found. We can’t depend on the old models that worked in the ’70s when CKND was founded,” Rosner added. He also suggested that government support for journalism could play a crucial role in sustaining news outlets and preventing further erosion of local journalism jobs.

In response to the evolving media landscape, Heather Steele, the regional news director and station manager at Global Winnipeg, emphasized the station’s commitment to its viewers. “A lot has changed about the way we do things, but at the centre of every decision we make, we focus on why we do what we do, and it always starts and ends with the viewer,” Steele said. “Local news will always matter.”

Both Rosner and Asper concur that local news plays an essential role in society. “I think in any society you need people who try to sort out truth from fiction, and I think it’s especially important today,” Rosner stated. Asper added, “Local news provides an editorial lens on accuracy, on truth, and uncovers stories in your market that are important to you.”

As Global Winnipeg celebrates its 50th anniversary, the station reflects on its past while navigating the challenges of a rapidly changing media landscape, remaining committed to delivering news that matters to the community.