Media in Vancouver


This is an overview of media in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Newspapers

Vancouver has two major English-language daily newspapers, The Vancouver Sun and The Province. 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:
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 Straights 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, South Asian Post, 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.
NewspaperLanguagePublication frequency
24H EnglishCeased publication 2017
The Indo-Canadian VoiceEnglishWeekly, free, English
The Awaaz NewspaperEnglishWeekly, free, Punjabi
Asian Pacific PostEnglishWeekly, free, Chinese
The Canadian ImmigrantEnglishMonthly, free
DiscorderEnglishMonthly, free
Filipino PostEnglishWeekly, free, Filipino
The Georgia StraightEnglishWeekly, free
Good News WeeklyEnglishWeekly, free
La Source / The SourceFrench and EnglishBi-weekly, free, bilingual
L'Express du PacifiqueFrenchBi-weekly
Ming Pao ChineseDaily
Metro EnglishCeased publication 2019
The PeakEnglishWeekly free Simon Fraser University student newspaper
The ProvinceEnglishDaily, except Saturday
The RepublicEnglishBi-weekly, free
Sing Tao ChineseDaily
South Asian PostEnglishWeekly, free, Indo-Canadian / Pakistani
The Epoch Times ChineseDaily, free
The UbysseyEnglishWeekly free University of British Columbia student newspaper
Vancouver CourierEnglishSemi-weekly, free
Vancouver SunEnglishDaily, except Sunday
VoiceChineseWeekly, free, and online
WestEnderEnglishWeekly, free, ceased publication 2017
World Journal ChineseDaily

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, CITR-FM, and CFML are staffed by students from their respective schools. CFRO is located in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. CJSF, CITR, and CFRO are members of the National Campus and Community Radio Association.
FrequencyCall signBrandingFormatOwnerNotes
AM 650CISLSportsnet 650SportsRogers MediaLicensed to Richmond
AM 690CBUCBC Radio OneNews/talkCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
AM 730CHMJAM 730All-trafficCorus Entertainment
AM 980CKNWGlobal News Radio 980 CKNWNews/talkCorus Entertainment
AM 1040CKSTTSN Radio 1040SportsBell Media
AM 1130CKWXNews 1130All-newsRogers Media
AM 1200CJRJSpice RadioMulticulturalIT Productions
AM 1320CHMBAM1320 CHMBMulticulturalMainstream Broadcasting Corporation
AM 1410CFTEBNN Bloomberg Radio 1410Business newsBell Media
AM 1470CJVBFairchild RadioMulticulturalFairchild Radio
AM 1550KRPISher E PunjabMulticulturalBBC BroadcastingLicensed to Ferndale, Washington, United States, studios are in Richmond
AM 1600KVRIRadio IndiaMulticulturalMulticultural BroadcastingLicensed to Blaine, Washington, United States, studios are in Surrey
FM 88.1CBU-2-FMCBC Radio OneNews/talkCanadian Broadcasting CorporationFM translator for CBU 690 AM
FM 88.7CHNW-FMCHNWEmergency informationLicensed to New Westminster
FM 88.9VF2521Tourist informationCameron Bell ConsultancyLicensed to Surrey
FM 89.3CFVT-FMVancouver Tourist RadioTourist informationPaul Sander
FM 90.1CJSF-FMCJSF 90.1 FMCampus radioSimon Fraser University
FM 90.9CBUX-FMIci MusiquePublic musicCanadian Broadcasting CorporationFrench
FM 93.1CKYE-FMRed FMMulticulturalSouth Asian Broadcasting Corporation
FM 93.7CJJR-FMJRfmCountry musicJim Pattison Group
FM 94.5CFBT-FM94.5 Virgin RadioContemporary hit radioBell Media
FM 95.3CKZZ-FMZ95.3Hot adult contemporaryNewcap Radio
FM 96.1CHKG-FMFairchild RadioMulticulturalFairchild Radio
FM 96.9CJAX-FMJack 96.9Adult hitsRogers Media
FM 97.7CBUF-FMIci Radio-Canada PremièreNews/talkCanadian Broadcasting CorporationFrench
FM 98.3CIRH-FMRoundhouse RadioCommunity radioRoundhouse RadioServes Vancouver
FM 98.7CKPM-FMCKPM 98.7Adult album alternativeMcBride Communications & MediaServes Tri-Cities
FM 99.3CFOX-FMThe World Famous CFOXActive rockCorus Entertainment
FM 100.5CFRO-FMCo-op RadioCommunity radioVancouver Cooperative Radio
FM 101.1CFMI-FMRock 101Mainstream rockCorus EntertainmentLicensed to New Westminster
FM 101.9CITR-FMCITR 101.9Campus radioUniversity of British Columbia
FM 102.7CKPK-FM102.7 The PeakAdult album alternativeJim Pattison Group
FM 103.5CHQM-FM103.5 QMFMAdult contemporaryBell Media
FM 104.3CHLG-FMThe BreezeSoft adult contemporaryNewcap Radio
FM 104.9CKKS-FM-2Kiss RadioContemporary hit radioRogers Media
FM 105.7CBU-FMCBC MusicPublic musicCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
FM 107.7CISF-FM107.7 Pulse FMAdult contemporarySouth Fraser BroadcastingServes Surrey
FM 107.9CFML-FMEvolution 107.9Campus radioBritish Columbia Institute of Technology

In addition, both KARI from Blaine, Washington and KWPZ from Lynden, Washington are usually considered part of the Vancouver radio market; KARI and KWPZ both maintain offices in Vancouver.

Internet radio

Vancouver is the third-largest television market in Canada, and the largest in western Canada. It is also the second-largest television production centre in North America after Los Angeles.
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 channelShaw CableCall SignNetworkNotes
2.143 33CBUT-DTCBC Television
6.149 66CHEK-DTIndependent/Yes TVTransmitted from Victoria
8.122 1111CHAN-DTGlobal
10.133 1313CKVU-DTCitytv
12.135 --KVOS-TVHeroes & Icons
12.235 --KVOS-TVMovies!Transmitted from Bellingham, Washington; subchannel of KVOS-TV
12.335 3052KVOS-TVMe-TVTransmitted from Bellingham, Washington; subchannel of KVOS-TV
12.435 --KVOS-TVDecadesTransmitted from Bellingham, Washington; subchannel of KVOS-TV
17.117 1212CIVI-DT-2CTV 2Rebroadcaster of CIVI-DT
26.126 77CBUFT-DTIci Radio-Canada TéléVancouver's only French language station
32.132 99CIVT-DTCTV
42.120 88CHNM-DTOmni Television
66.147 104CHNU-DTIndependent/Yes TV
--55-Knowledge NetworkProvincial educational broadcaster
--21694-
--517940-Fairchild TV
--520941-Talentvision
--4--Multicultural community channel for Shaw Cable subscribers
--541--New Tang Dynasty
--2828--WOWtv
---10-Delta TVCommunity channel for Delta Cable subscribers

Vancouver 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, an affiliate of Sonlife Broadcasting Network on subchannels 24.1, in high definition, and 24.2, in standard definition; and K24IC-D, a rebroadcaster of PBS station KBTC-TV Tacoma.
American network affiliates on Vancouver cable are from Seattle, Washington, including KOMO, KING, KIRO, KCTS, KSTW, and KCPQ.

Magazines

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.