Media in Vancouver
This is an overview of media in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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Newspapers
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Vancouver has two major English-language daily newspapers, The Vancouver Sun (a broadsheet) and The Province (a tabloid). Both are published by Postmedia Network. There are also two national newspapers distributed in the city: The Globe and Mail, which began distribution of a "national edition" into B.C. in 1983, and in more recent years launched a three-page B.C. news section in an effort to increase its readership in the city. The National Post, also owned by Postmedia, entered city markets only in the last few years but has very little British Columbia content.
Vancouver has four Chinese-language daily newspapers, Ming Pao, Sing Tao, World Journal and The Epoch Times. Ming Pao and Sing Tao cater to a Cantonese-speaking readership whereas World Journal and The Epoch Times target Mandarin speakers.
Vancouver business publications include the following:
- BC Business Mag (monthly)
- Business Edge Vancouver (weekly)
- Business in Vancouver (weekly)
- Journal of Commerce BC (daily)
- Make It Business (monthly)
- Western Investor (monthly)
One free daily newspaper, Metro is published in the city from Monday to Friday. It contains a small number of local news stories.
The Georgia Straight is a weekly "alternative" newspaper, though in addition to left-leaning news and opinion it also features upscale advertising for products such as condominiums and has lifestyle articles on topics such as health and style. Its most extensive sections are focused on entertainment and music features and listings. The Georgia Straight began as a counterculture newspaper in the 1960s, full of controversial politics and occasional "obscene" cartoons and pictures, including the hippie classic comic Harold Hedd. During this period the Straight's owner and publisher, Dan MacLeod, was repeatedly harassed by the city and its anti-hippie mayor Tom Campbell. MacLeod's offices were repeatedly raided and he was beaten by police. During the 1970s MacLeod converted the publication to a much more entertainment-oriented publication, avoiding political content until the mid-1980s.
The Post Group Multimedia publishes 3 weekly newspapers: The Asian Pacific Post (Chinese), South Asian Post (Indo-Canadian), and The Filipino Post, for the three largest immigrant communities in the Lower Mainland.
The Express is the title used for an occasional union-published newspaper published by the press unions when they are on strike.
Neighbourhood papers
The Vancouver Courier, a free community newspaper, is distributed to most households in the city every Thursday. The WE, a free weekly paper that used to be distributed primarily in the city's West End neighbourhood, has recently been trying to compete with the Georgia Straight as a weekly alternative newspaper for the entire city covering civic news and opinion (it does not try to compete with the Straight's exhaustive entertainment coverage and listings).
Newspaper | Language | Publication frequency |
---|---|---|
24H (Vancouver edition) | English | Ceased publication 2017 |
The Indo-Canadian Voice | English | Weekly, free, English |
The Awaaz Newspaper | English | Weekly, free, Punjabi |
Asian Pacific Post | English | Weekly, free, Chinese |
The Canadian Immigrant | English | Monthly, free |
Discorder | English | Monthly, free |
Filipino Post | English | Weekly, free, Filipino |
The Georgia Straight | English | Weekly, free |
Good News Weekly | English | Weekly, free |
La Source / The Source | French and English | Bi-weekly, free, bilingual |
L'Express du Pacifique | French | Bi-weekly |
Ming Pao (Vancouver edition) | Chinese | Daily |
Metro (Vancouver edition) | English | Ceased publication 2019 |
The Peak | English | Weekly free Simon Fraser University student newspaper |
The Province | English | Daily, except Saturday |
The Republic | English | Bi-weekly, free |
Sing Tao (Vancouver edition) | Chinese | Daily |
South Asian Post | English | Weekly, free, Indo-Canadian / Pakistani |
The Epoch Times (Vancouver edition) | Chinese | Daily, free |
The Ubyssey | English | Weekly free University of British Columbia student newspaper |
Vancouver Courier | English | Semi-weekly, free |
Vancouver Sun | English | Daily, except Sunday |
Voice | Chinese | Weekly, free, and online |
WestEnder | English | Weekly, free, ceased publication 2017 |
World Journal (Vancouver edition) | Chinese | Daily |
Radio
There are three main news radio stations in Vancouver: CBC Radio One, CKNW and NEWS 1130. There are several other talk, information, and sports stations, primarily on the AM band, and a variety of music stations, mostly on FM.
In addition, there are four campus and community licensed radio stations in the Vancouver market. CJSF-FM (SFU's Burnaby campus), CITR-FM (UBC's main campus), and CFML (BCIT's Burnaby campus) are staffed by students from their respective schools. CFRO (Vancouver Coop Radio) is located in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. CJSF, CITR, and CFRO are members of the National Campus and Community Radio Association.
Frequency | Call sign | Branding | Format | Owner | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AM 650 | CISL | Sportsnet 650 | Sports | Rogers Media | Licensed to Richmond |
AM 690 | CBU | CBC Radio One | News/talk | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | |
AM 730 | CHMJ | AM 730 | All-traffic | Corus Entertainment | |
AM 980 | CKNW | Global News Radio 980 CKNW | News/talk | Corus Entertainment | |
AM 1040 | CKST | TSN Radio 1040 | Sports | Bell Media | |
AM 1130 | CKWX | News 1130 | All-news | Rogers Media | |
AM 1200 | CJRJ | Spice Radio | Multicultural | IT Productions | |
AM 1320 | CHMB | AM1320 CHMB | Multicultural | Mainstream Broadcasting Corporation | |
AM 1410 | CFTE | BNN Bloomberg Radio 1410 | Business news | Bell Media | |
AM 1470 | CJVB | Fairchild Radio | Multicultural | Fairchild Radio | |
AM 1550 | KRPI | Sher E Punjab | Multicultural | BBC Broadcasting | Licensed to Ferndale, Washington, United States, studios are in Richmond |
AM 1600 | KVRI | Radio India | Multicultural | Multicultural Broadcasting | Licensed to Blaine, Washington, United States, studios are in Surrey |
FM 88.1 | CBU-2-FM | CBC Radio One | News/talk | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | FM translator for CBU 690 AM |
FM 88.7 | CHNW-FM | CHNW | Emergency information | Licensed to New Westminster | |
FM 88.9 | VF2521 | Tourist information | Cameron Bell Consultancy | Licensed to Surrey | |
FM 89.3 | CFVT-FM | Vancouver Tourist Radio | Tourist information | Paul Sander | |
FM 90.1 | CJSF-FM | CJSF 90.1 FM | Campus radio | Simon Fraser University | |
FM 90.9 | CBUX-FM | Ici Musique | Public music | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | French |
FM 93.1 | CKYE-FM | Red FM | Multicultural | South Asian Broadcasting Corporation | |
FM 93.7 | CJJR-FM | JRfm | Country music | Jim Pattison Group | |
FM 94.5 | CFBT-FM | 94.5 Virgin Radio | Contemporary hit radio | Bell Media | |
FM 95.3 | CKZZ-FM | Z95.3 | Hot adult contemporary | Newcap Radio | |
FM 96.1 | CHKG-FM | Fairchild Radio | Multicultural | Fairchild Radio | |
FM 96.9 | CJAX-FM | Jack 96.9 | Adult hits | Rogers Media | |
FM 97.7 | CBUF-FM | Ici Radio-Canada Première | News/talk | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | French |
FM 98.3 | CIRH-FM | Roundhouse Radio | Community radio | Roundhouse Radio | Serves Vancouver |
FM 98.7 | CKPM-FM | CKPM 98.7 | Adult album alternative | McBride Communications & Media | Serves Tri-Cities |
FM 99.3 | CFOX-FM | The World Famous CFOX | Active rock | Corus Entertainment | |
FM 100.5 | CFRO-FM | Co-op Radio | Community radio | Vancouver Cooperative Radio | |
FM 101.1 | CFMI-FM | Rock 101 | Mainstream rock | Corus Entertainment | Licensed to New Westminster |
FM 101.9 | CITR-FM | CITR 101.9 | Campus radio | University of British Columbia | |
FM 102.7 | CKPK-FM | 102.7 The Peak | Adult album alternative | Jim Pattison Group | |
FM 103.5 | CHQM-FM | 103.5 QMFM | Adult contemporary | Bell Media | |
FM 104.3 | CHLG-FM | The Breeze | Soft adult contemporary | Newcap Radio | |
FM 104.9 | CKKS-FM-2 | Kiss Radio | Contemporary hit radio | Rogers Media | |
FM 105.7 | CBU-FM | CBC Music | Public music | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | |
FM 107.7 | CISF-FM | 107.7 Pulse FM | Adult contemporary | South Fraser Broadcasting | Serves Surrey |
FM 107.9 | CFML-FM | Evolution 107.9 | Campus radio | British Columbia Institute of Technology |
In addition, both KARI from Blaine, Washington (AM 550) and KWPZ from Lynden, Washington (FM 106.5) are usually considered part of the Vancouver radio market; KARI and KWPZ both maintain offices in Vancouver.
Internet radio
- LG73 www.lg73.ca, (classic soul, contemporary hits, and eclectic mix)
- CBC Radio 3 is primarily broadcast from Vancouver
Television
Vancouver is the third-largest television market in Canada, and the largest in western Canada.[1] It is also the second-largest television production centre in North America after Los Angeles.[2]
Global BC is the most popular evening newscast in the city, though CTV Vancouver, currently second in the ratings, has aggressively been trying to increase its market share — including the purchasing of a news helicopter known as 'Chopper 9'. In 2006, Global BC launched the Global One traffic helicopter for live traffic updates and breaking news. CBC also has local newscasts though they are far back in the ratings.
OTA virtual channel (PSIP) |
OTA channel | Shaw Cable | Delta Cable | Call Sign | Network | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2.1 | 43 (UHF) | 3 | 3 | CBUT-DT | CBC Television | |
6.1 | 49 (UHF) | 6 | 6 | CHEK-DT | Independent/Yes TV | Transmitted from Victoria |
8.1 | 22 (UHF) | 11 | 11 | CHAN-DT | Global | |
10.1 | 33 (UHF) | 13 | 13 | CKVU-DT | Citytv | |
12.1 | 35 (UHF) | – | – | KVOS-TV | Heroes & Icons | Transmitted from Bellingham, Washington; targeted at Canadian audiences and maintains sales office in Vancouver |
12.2 | – | – | Movies! | Transmitted from Bellingham, Washington; subchannel of KVOS-TV | ||
12.3 | 30 | 52 | Me-TV | Transmitted from Bellingham, Washington; subchannel of KVOS-TV | ||
12.4 | – | – | Decades | Transmitted from Bellingham, Washington; subchannel of KVOS-TV | ||
17.1 | 17 (UHF) | 12 | 12 | CIVI-DT-2 | CTV 2 | Rebroadcaster of CIVI-DT (Victoria) |
26.1 | 26 (UHF) | 7 | 7 | CBUFT-DT | Ici Radio-Canada Télé | Vancouver's only French language station |
32.1 | 32 (UHF) | 9 | 9 | CIVT-DT | CTV | |
42.1 | 20 (UHF) | 8 | 8 | CHNM-DT | Omni Television | |
66.1 | 47 (UHF) | 10 | 4 | CHNU-DT | Independent/Yes TV | |
– | – | 5 | 5 | – | Knowledge Network | Provincial educational broadcaster |
– | – | 21 | 694 | – | Global News: BC 1 | |
– | – | 517 | 940 | – | Fairchild TV | |
– | – | 520 | 941 | – | Talentvision | |
– | – | 4 | – | – | Shaw Multicultural Channel | Multicultural community channel for Shaw Cable subscribers |
– | – | 541 | – | – | New Tang Dynasty | |
– | – | 2828 | – | – | WOWtv | |
– | – | – | 10 | – | Delta TV | Community channel for Delta Cable subscribers |
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Vancouver (and London, Ontario) were the first two cities in Canada to be served by cable television, in 1952.
Vancouver and most of the Lower Mainland are served by Shaw Cable and by Delta Cable. Delta Cable is subsidiary of the Halifax-based telecommunications company EastLink. Telus TV also offers satellite television and IPTV service throughout most of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
Other over-the-air television stations licensed to Bellingham that are available terrestrially in Vancouver but not carried on cable are KBCB (channel 24), an affiliate of Sonlife Broadcasting Network on subchannels 24.1, in high definition, and 24.2, in standard definition; and K24IC-D (channel 28.1), a rebroadcaster of PBS station KBTC-TV Tacoma.
American network affiliates on Vancouver cable are from Seattle, Washington, including KOMO (ABC), KING (NBC), KIRO (CBS), KCTS (PBS), KSTW (The CW), and KCPQ (Fox).
Magazines
- Boulevard Magazine, a west coast luxury lifestyle magazine serving the Chinese-speaking communities of Metro Vancouver,[3] published monthly in English and in Chinese.
- Business in Vancouver (BIV) is a weekly business news journal
- HUSH Magazine, a bi-monthly social commentary and lifestyle magazine for 25- to 40-year-olds, distributed to Downtown Vancouver
- Megaphone Magazine, sharing stories that explore social justice, culture, politics, and independent arts in Vancouver and Victoria.
- MONTECRISTO Magazine, a lifestyle quarterly for discerning Vancouverites, published four times a year
- Resource World Magazine, a bi-monthly magazine distributed in 46 countries that reports on the business of mining and green technologies
- Vancouver Magazine, a lifestyle magazine with some news features, published 10 times a year
- What's in Magazine, a Chinese lifestyle magazine for new trends in the Asian community, published once a month
- WestCoast Families, a family lifestyle magazine, published 6 times a year, plus specialty issues.
Online media
- AX3 Battery, Asian news and events site
- BC Buzz with Dave Michael Garg, online TV & magazine outlet focused on the environment
- Cambie Report, local politics podcast
- Daily Hive (formerly Vancity Buzz), local news and lifestyle outlet
- HUSH Magazine, an editorial platform for lifestyle, social commentary and entertainment
- LifeVancouver, Japanese news and events site
- PolitiCoast, provincial politics podcast
- Taiyangbao.ca, a Chinese-language news website produced in association with The Vancouver Sun newspaper
- TheProvince.com, a news website produced in The Province newsroom
- The Tyee, alternative news site
- Vancouver Desi, a South Asian news portal produced in association with The Province newspaper
- The Vancouver Observer, alternative local news site
- Vancouver Weekly, alternative news weekly site
- VancouverSun.com, a news website produced in The Vancouver Sun newsroom
- VIES Magazine, independent entertainment magazine in Vancouver, B.C. with focus on music, sports, food and beverage
- The West End Journal, independent online community website serving Vancouver's West End / Coal Harbour neighbourhoods
Media ownership
Vancouver has some of the most concentrated media ownership in all of Canada. The Vancouver Sun, The Province, the National Post, and 12 community newspapers are all owned by Postmedia Network. Partly in response to that concentration, a group of journalists — many of them ex-Sun employees — started up an online news publication, The Tyee, that posts news and opinion pieces on a nearly daily basis.
Ethnic media
As of the 2000s there were various formats of media catering to ethnic minorities. They included 80 newspapers, 24 magazines, 15 television stations, 15 radio stations, and 10 printed business directories and online publications. Daniel Ahadi and Catherine A. Murray, the authors of "Urban Mediascapes and Multicultural Flows: Assessing Vancouver’s Communication Infrastructure," wrote that publication turnover, or the creation and failure and publications, was very high.[4]
References
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-10. Retrieved 2015-12-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Vancouver Film Industry". Canada.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2006-12-24.
- "Vancouver Boulevard - About us". Boulevard Chinese Magazine. 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
- Ahadi, Daniel and Catherine A. Murray (Simon Fraser University). "Urban Mediascapes and Multicultural Flows: Assessing Vancouver’s Communication Infrastructure" ( ). Canadian Journal of Communication, Vol 34 (2009) p. 587-611. CITED: p. 596. "The status of many of these ethnic outlets is manifestly precarious. Churn is high."