Global News
Global News is the news and current affairs division of Canada’s Global Television Network. It is owned by Corus Entertainment and runs national and local news on 21 owned-and-operated stations, along with a dedicated news website.
The brand started in 1994 as First National, a national news program aired mainly in central Canada. After Corus acquired the Western International Communications stations, First National was replaced in 2001 by Canada Tonight and then by Global National, anchored by Kevin Newman until 2010 and Dawna Friesen since. Global National is produced from the network’s Burnaby, British Columbia facilities and airs across the country at a standard 5:30 p.m. local start time since 2006.
Global National later added a Mandarin edition in 2012, and in 2013 Global expanded its Toronto morning program, The Morning Show, to a longer slot that extended across other Global stations. Local markets continue to produce their own morning shows, with some markets airing national segments as part of their schedules.
Global News has produced several notable programs. 16x9 - The Bigger Picture, an investigative series, launched in 2008. Focus: Decision Canada aired during the 2011 federal election, and The West Block began in 2011 as a national political program. 16x9 and Global National Mandarin were canceled in 2016, with Mandarin ending in 2017.
Over the years, Global standardized local news naming and scheduling, though some stations kept unique branding. In 2007, Canwest centralized news production at four main centers to support HD broadcasting, leading to many job reductions elsewhere. Beginning in 2011 and intensifying in 2015, Global shifted more local news production to centralized or hybrid models in several markets, while keeping some local reporting and production. These changes aimed to reduce costs while keeping strong local content.
Digital and streaming expansions followed. In 2020, Corus launched the Global TV app and website, offering live feeds of Global channels and 24/7 Global News. By 2022, feeds from most Global stations were available online, with some regional feeds and a national 24/7 feed accessible for free. Global News Weekend, a national morning show, launched on the app in 2020. Global News also began streaming content on Amazon Prime Video in 2020.
Radio branding began to fade from use in 2017 as Corus rebranded some stations as Global News Radio; today, many stations still air Global News bulletins even if the full radio brand isn’t used.
Global News continues to provide national coverage from Toronto and local news from its stations across the country, now supported by a growing digital presence and streaming options.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:42 (CET).