CFTO-DT
CFTO-DT is Toronto's CTV flagship television station and a major Bell Media broadcast operation.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
CFTO-DT is a Canadian television station serving Toronto, Ontario, on virtual channel 9 and currently broadcasting from VHF channel 8. It is the flagship station of the CTV Television Network and operates under Bell Media, a division of BCE. The station's studios are located at 9 Channel Nine Court in Scarborough, a complex shared with CTV's national headquarters and several Bell Media production operations. Its terrestrial transmitter is located at the CN Tower in downtown Toronto. CFTO first signed on January 1, 1961, with an opening telethon for the Ontario Association for Community Living hosted by Joel Aldred and accompanied by a fireworks ceremony. It was established by Baton Aldred Rogers Broadcasting, a partnership involving the Telegram Corporation, Aldred-Rogers Broadcasting, and Foster Hewitt Broadcasting. In October 1961, the station became a charter affiliate of the newly formed CTV network and was designated its flagship. The station's early prominence reflected Toronto's size and advertising market; CFTO was widely regarded as the largest and most profitable station in the original CTV cooperative. The station became an important source of network programming during CTV's cooperative era. Through Glen-Warren Productions, it contributed programs including The Littlest Hobo, Circus, and The Uncle Bobby Show. Its Agincourt facilities also hosted nationally distributed productions such as CTV National News, Canada AM, and W5, as well as later productions for CTV News Channel, TSN, and other Bell Media services. The complex has additionally been used for third-party productions, including studio work associated with the 1976 film Network, and formerly hosted national lottery drawings. CFTO's local identity has evolved alongside CTV's national branding. Its news programs were known by names including World Beat News, Noon Beat News, and Night Beat News before becoming CFTO News in 1998 and CTV News in 2005. The station's flagship CTV News at Six is described as Canada's highest-rated local newscast. Its Toronto news operation also supplies programming that is simulcast or coordinated with other Bell Media services, including CP24. CFTO began broadcasting local news in high definition in May 2009 and later added simulcasts of CP24's Live at 5 and Live at 5:30. CFTO has also played a central technical role within the CTV system. Its schedule is largely aligned with the CTV network, and it has served as master control for several Southern Ontario stations. The station launched a digital signal in the early 2000s, upgraded to high-definition transmission in 2005, ended analog broadcasting in 2011, and moved to its current post-2019 VHF channel while retaining virtual channel 9. Although its call sign remains CFTO-DT, the station generally presents itself on air as CTV News Toronto or CTV Toronto rather than emphasizing the call letters.
History
CFTO-DT began broadcasting on January 1, 1961, as CFTO-TV. Its opening transmission was a charity telethon for the Ontario Association for Community Living, hosted by Joel Aldred and accompanied by a fireworks display. The station was created by Baton Aldred Rogers Broadcasting, a partnership associated with the Telegram Corporation, Aldred-Rogers Broadcasting, and Foster Hewitt Broadcasting. An intended minority investment by ABC was sold before the station went on air. In October 1961, CFTO became a charter affiliate of the CTV Television Network and its flagship station. During the formative years of the CTV cooperative, CFTO's size and profitability raised concerns that it could exert disproportionate influence over the network. The cooperative structure consequently emphasized equal voting rights among station owners. CFTO nonetheless became increasingly influential as Baton expanded its interests and ultimately obtained control of CTV in 1997. The Baton Broadcast System was folded into CTV the following year. Ownership changed again in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Eaton family's interest in CTV was sold in 1998, and BCE reached an agreement to acquire CTV Inc. in 2000. Regulatory approval followed a substantial benefits commitment, and Bell's ownership later passed through the CTVglobemedia structure. BCE reacquired full control of the assets in 2011, after which the operating company became Bell Media. The station has occupied the Channel Nine Court complex in Agincourt, now part of Scarborough, for most of its history. Transmission moved to the CN Tower in 1976. CFTO contributed substantially to CTV's early Canadian programming through Glen-Warren Productions, including The Littlest Hobo, Circus, and The Uncle Bobby Show. The site also accommodated CTV National News, Canada AM, W5, and later productions for Bell Media specialty services. Non-news local production declined over time as the station became more closely integrated with the national CTV schedule. CFTO's local news identity changed from the World Beat, Noon Beat, and Night Beat titles used in earlier decades to CFTO News in 1998 and CTV News in 2005. Its Toronto newscasts are now branded CTV News Toronto. In 2008, CP24 added a simulcast of CTV News at Six following the end of its previous Citytv relationship. CFTO added a late-evening simulcast to CP24 in 2009 and began high-definition local news production that same year. Since 2017, it has also simulcast CP24's early-evening programs. The station's digital transition began with satellite and over-the-air digital services in 2003 and 2004. It upgraded the digital signal for high-definition programming in 2005, shut down analog channel 9 in 2011, and later moved its physical digital signal to VHF channel 8 in 2019 while retaining virtual channel 9. CFTO remains an active Toronto broadcaster and the principal flagship outlet of the CTV network.
- 2011
Analog transmission ends
[1]CFTO shuts down its analog VHF channel as part of Canada's digital television transition.
- 2005
Local news adopts CTV branding
[1]The station completes its transition from CFTO News branding to CTV News branding.
- 1998
Baton Broadcast System merges into CTV
[1]The Baton subsystem is absorbed into CTV as Baton becomes increasingly influential in the network.
- 1985
Stereo broadcasting begins
[1]CFTO starts broadcasting in stereo.
- 1976
Transmission moves to the CN Tower
[1]CFTO begins transmitting from the CN Tower while its studios remain at the Agincourt complex.
- 1961
CFTO begins broadcasting
[1]The station signs on January 1 with a charity telethon and becomes a charter CTV affiliate later that year.
Products and positioning
Toronto's flagship CTV broadcast station, combining a major local news operation with distribution of CTV network programming and access to Bell Media's national production infrastructure.
Local television news
CTV News Toronto
CFTO's principal local news service covers Toronto and the surrounding region through morning, midday, early-evening, late-evening, and weekend broadcasts. Its flagship 6 p.m. newscast is the station's central local offering and is also carried in simulcast form by CP24. The service uses the broader CTV News visual identity and is supported by the station's Toronto newsroom and Bell Media infrastructure.
Network television · 1961
CTV network programming
As CTV's Toronto flagship, CFTO carries a schedule that is substantially aligned with the national CTV network. It also functions as a master-control point for several Southern Ontario CTV stations, with differences generally limited to local commercial, infomercial, or religious-programming requirements.
Local news simulcast · 2017
CP24 Live at 5 simulcasts
Since 2017, CFTO has carried CP24's Live at 5 and Live at 5:30 programs. The broadcasts extend Bell Media's Toronto local-news reach across its conventional station and specialty-news channel, although CFTO presents them without CP24's information-sidebar format.
Television production
Glen-Warren Productions
During CTV's cooperative era, CFTO contributed nationally distributed Canadian programs through the Baton-owned Glen-Warren Productions unit. Associated productions included The Littlest Hobo, Circus, and The Uncle Bobby Show, although this type of locally originated non-news programming later became less common.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Toronto Santa Claus Parade broadcasting
Toronto
CFTO and CP24 became the television broadcasters of the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.
- 1961Ontario Association for Community Living opening telethon
Toronto · Ontario
CFTO's inaugural broadcast was structured as a public-service telethon supporting the Ontario Association for Community Living.
Brand decisions
2019
Move physical digital channel to VHF 8Generation changeBackground
Canadian broadcasters were updating assigned physical transmission channels after the digital transition.
Action taken
CFTO moved its physical digital signal from UHF channel 40 to VHF channel 8 while retaining virtual channel 9.
Aftermath
Viewers continued to identify the station through virtual channel 9.
2009
Convert local news to high definitionOtherBackground
Digital television and high-definition production were becoming standard across Canadian broadcast operations.
Action taken
CFTO converted its local newscasts to high definition and renovated its studio.
Aftermath
The station's local news presentation became integrated with CTV's high-definition broadcast infrastructure.
2008
Expand coordination with CP24StrategyBackground
CP24's former relationship with Citytv ended after Rogers pursued a separate Toronto-area news channel.
Action taken
CP24 began simulcasting CFTO's CTV News at Six.
Aftermath
The relationship expanded when CP24 later added CFTO's late-evening newscast and CFTO began carrying selected CP24 programs.
2005
Adopt CTV branding for local newsStrategyBackground
CFTO had historically used local titles such as World Beat News and CFTO News, while CTV was consolidating branding across its owned-and-operated stations.
Action taken
The station shifted its on-air identity to CTV and branded its local output as CTV News.
Aftermath
The Toronto service subsequently became known as CTV News Toronto.
Recent events
CTV News apologizes for airing non-consensual kiss clip[3]
Reported:
CTV News apologized for airing a clip in which a man kissed a woman being interviewed without permission. CTV News Toronto said the video demonstrated non-consensual behaviour and that airing it was wrong.
Sources3 sources
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