Canterbury Television
Canterbury Television is a Christchurch-based New Zealand regional television brand that evolved from a local free-to-air broadcaster into a web-based platform under Star Media.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Canterbury Television, commonly known as CTV, was an independent regional television station serving Canterbury, New Zealand. It became one of the country’s best-known regional broadcasters and was historically significant as the first regional television station to operate in New Zealand. The station began broadcasting on 17 June 1991 from the former TVNZ Christchurch studios on Gloucester Street. Its initial schedule ran from the late afternoon into the evening, seven days a week, and was built around locally produced programming rather than a purely relay-based service. CTV’s core identity was its focus on Canterbury communities. At its height, the station produced and screened more than twenty hours of locally based programming each week. Its output included local news, interviews, community affairs, entertainment, cooking, sport, shopping and current-affairs formats. It also carried selected international programming, including material from Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera. Among the presenters associated with the station were Sue Wells, Phil Gifford, Jo Giles and Jim Hopkins. The station also provided exposure to emerging talent; New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra appeared on CTV before her later recording career. The broadcaster experienced several ownership and operating changes. It initially aligned with Horizon Pacific Television, but that relationship ended when Horizon Pacific closed in 1997, leading to a suspension of CTV’s operations. The station subsequently operated in association with the Family Television Network through Canterbury affiliate CFTN and was at one stage known as CTV Family Television Network. This period brought some former staff back to the station. Family Television Network later sold its interest to businessman Dennis Chapman, with the Challenge Media Foundation becoming associated with ownership. Cost pressures led the new owners to reduce staffing. In 2002, CTV merged with NowTV, formerly known as CHTV, and the combined operation was based in the NowTV Building. CTV expanded its programming profile during the 2000s. It sponsored Canterbury United football in 2006, launched the nightly local news programme Today in Canterbury in March 2008, and gained a younger and specialist audience through the weekly broadcast of Impact Pro Wrestling’s IPW Ignition from October 2008. In 2009, it added syndicated cooking programmes including Graham Kerr’s Kitchen and Nick Stellino’s Cucina Amore. The station’s terrestrial signal was transmitted from the Sugarloaf site on Christchurch’s Port Hills using UHF channel 48. It later broadened its digital distribution: CTV joined Freeview on logical channel 40 on 18 March 2013 and extended coverage to South Canterbury from Cave Hill in Timaru on 1 June 2013. It was also carried on Vodafone channel 199. CTV’s history is inseparable from the Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011. The six-storey CTV Building at 249 Madras Street collapsed during the magnitude 6.3 earthquake, destroying the station’s studios and equipment and causing the deaths of 16 CTV staff members. The collapse was one of the earthquake’s major sites of loss of life. The building had sustained superficial damage in the September 2010 earthquake and had reportedly been assessed as safe by structural engineers, but it failed in February 2011. A later coronial inquiry reported that the building’s design was deficient and should not have been approved. The disaster forced CTV off air and profoundly affected its staff, audience and Christchurch’s wider community. CTV resumed broadcasting on 18 April 2011 from temporary premises at the Mainland Press building in Harewood. Its return began with an extended news and earthquake-recovery broadcast, followed by interviews with people involved in the recovery. The station later restored and expanded its distribution through Freeview and the Timaru relay. Star Media acquired CTV in August 2015, after which the operation moved to Star Media’s premises in Middleton. Traditional broadcasting ended at midnight on 16 December 2016. From 19 December 2016, CTV continued as a web-based platform under the Star Media brand, preserving the name and its regional-media association in a digital rather than terrestrial television format.
History
Canterbury Television began broadcasting in Christchurch on 17 June 1991 from the former TVNZ studios on Gloucester Street. As New Zealand’s first regional television broadcaster, it established a model based on local programming for a defined geographic community. Its early schedule ran from approximately 5 p.m. until late evening every day. CTV’s output eventually exceeded twenty hours of locally based programming each week, supported by selected overseas content from broadcasters such as Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera. The station’s ownership and operating structure changed repeatedly. It was initially associated with Horizon Pacific Television, but its operations were suspended after Horizon Pacific closed in 1997. CTV later became linked to the Family Television Network through Canterbury affiliate CFTN and used the name CTV Family Television Network for a period. The network’s interest was subsequently sold to Dennis Chapman, with the Challenge Media Foundation associated with the new ownership. Financial pressures resulted in staffing reductions. In 2002, CTV merged with NowTV, previously known as CHTV, and operated from the NowTV Building. During the 2000s, CTV strengthened its regional identity through local news, community affairs, lifestyle programming and specialist entertainment. It sponsored Canterbury United football in 2006. Today in Canterbury began in March 2008, while the professional wrestling programme IPW Ignition premiered on CTV in October that year. Cooking programmes were added in 2009, including repeats or syndicated presentations of Graham Kerr’s Kitchen and Nick Stellino’s Cucina Amore. The station transmitted from the Sugarloaf site on Christchurch’s Port Hills and later used digital distribution to make its service available beyond its original analogue footprint. The defining event in CTV’s history occurred on 22 February 2011, when the six-storey CTV Building on Madras Street collapsed in the Christchurch earthquake. The station lost its studios, equipment and 16 staff members. The disaster was also the site of many other deaths, including students and staff of the King’s Education school located in the building. CTV was unable to continue normal broadcasting immediately after the collapse. It returned on 18 April 2011 from temporary premises at the Mainland Press building in Harewood, beginning with extended coverage of the earthquake and recovery. A coronial inquiry later concluded that the building’s design was deficient and should not have been approved. CTV joined Freeview on 18 March 2013 as channel 40 and extended its broadcast reach to South Canterbury from Cave Hill in Timaru on 1 June 2013. The station was acquired by Star Media in August 2015 and moved to Star Media’s Middleton premises. Conventional broadcasting ended on 16 December 2016. Since 19 December 2016, the CTV name has continued as a web-based platform operating under the Star Media brand. The brand therefore represents both a pioneering regional television service and a continuing digital regional-media presence.
- 2016
Transition to a web-based platform
[1]Traditional broadcasting ends in December, after which CTV continues online under Star Media.
- 2015
Star Media acquisition
[1]Star Media acquires CTV and relocates it to the company’s Middleton premises.
- 2013
CTV launches on Freeview
[1]The station begins digital free-to-air transmission on Freeview channel 40 and later reaches South Canterbury.
- 2011
Christchurch earthquake destroys the CTV building
[1]The station’s building collapses on 22 February, killing 16 CTV staff members and ending broadcasting temporarily.
- 2011
CTV returns to air
[1]CTV resumes transmission from Harewood on 18 April with earthquake and recovery coverage.
- 2008
Local news and wrestling programming expand
[1]Today in Canterbury launches in March, and IPW Ignition begins weekly transmission in October.
- 2002
CTV merges with NowTV
[1]CTV and NowTV, formerly CHTV, merge and operate from the NowTV Building.
- 1997
Horizon Pacific association ends
[1]The closure of Horizon Pacific Television suspends CTV’s operations and leads to a later restructuring of the station.
- 1991
CTV begins broadcasting
[1]Canterbury Television starts broadcasting from the former TVNZ Christchurch studios on Gloucester Street on 17 June.
Products and positioning
A Canterbury-focused regional media brand centered on local news, community stories, locally produced programming and accessible regional broadcasting. Its historic positioning combined a strong local identity with selected international and syndicated content.
Broadcast service · 1991
Regional television broadcasting
CTV’s principal offering was a regional television service for Canterbury. Its programming emphasized local news, community affairs, interviews, lifestyle, sport and entertainment, supplemented by selected international and syndicated programmes. The service originally used terrestrial transmission from the Sugarloaf transmitter on Christchurch’s Port Hills and later became available through digital platforms including Freeview.
Local news · 2008
Today in Canterbury
Today in Canterbury was CTV’s nightly local news programme, introduced in March 2008. It reflected the station’s regional-news mission by covering Canterbury events and issues for a local audience.
Sports entertainment · 2008
IPW Ignition
IPW Ignition was a weekly programme featuring New Zealand professional wrestling promotion Impact Pro Wrestling. Its first CTV episode aired on 5 October 2008 and helped broaden the station’s appeal beyond news and community programming.
Digital media · 2016
CTV web platform
Following the end of terrestrial broadcasting in December 2016, CTV continued as a web-based platform under Star Media. The online service preserves the CTV name as a regional media presence after the closure of its conventional television operation.
Brand decisions
2016
Shift from terrestrial broadcasting to an online platformStrategyBackground
The station’s conventional broadcast operation was no longer sustained after its Star Media ownership transition.
Action taken
CTV ended broadcasting at midnight on 16 December and continued online from 19 December under the Star Media brand.
Aftermath
The CTV name remained in use as a web-based regional media platform rather than a conventional free-to-air television station.
2015
Acquisition by Star MediaM&ABackground
CTV had undergone several ownership and operating changes since its launch and remained a regional broadcaster in a changing media market.
Action taken
Star Media acquired CTV in August and moved the operation to its Middleton premises.
Aftermath
CTV became part of the Star Media group and later continued under that group’s digital-media structure.
2013
Digital expansion through FreeviewProduct launchBackground
CTV sought to restore and extend its audience reach after the 2011 earthquake and the loss of its original facilities.
Action taken
The station began free-to-air digital transmission on Freeview channel 40 and added South Canterbury coverage from Cave Hill in Timaru.
Aftermath
CTV broadened its terrestrial availability beyond its earlier analogue distribution area.
2011
Temporary relocation and broadcast restart after the earthquakeOtherBackground
The collapse of the CTV Building destroyed the station’s studios and equipment and forced it off air.
Action taken
CTV established operations at the Mainland Press building in Harewood and returned to air on 18 April with extended earthquake-recovery coverage.
Aftermath
The station resumed service and continued rebuilding its regional broadcast operation.
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