Editing Canada AM

{{Short description|Defunct Canadian morning news program}}
{{Infobox television
| image        = Canada AM.png
| runtime      = 3 hours
| creator      =
| location     = [[Toronto]] (1972–2016)<br/>[[Vancouver]] (2008)
| presenter    = [[Beverly Thomson]]<br>(2003–2016)<br>[[Jeff Hutcheson]]<br>(1998–2016)<br>[[Marci Ien]]<br>(2003–2016)
| country      = Canada
| network      = [[CTV Television Network|CTV]]
| num_episodes = Daily
| first_aired  = {{start date|1972|9|11}}
| last_aired   = {{end date|2016|6|3}}
| related      = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[Your Morning]]''
* ''[[Good Morning Canada]]'' 
}}
}}
'''''Canada AM''''' is a [[Television in Canada|Canadian]] [[breakfast television|morning television]] news show that aired on [[CTV Television Network|CTV]] from 1972 to 2016. Its final hosts were [[Beverly Thomson]] and [[Marci Ien]], with [[Jeff Hutcheson]] presenting the [[weather forecast]] and [[sports]]. The program aired on weekdays, and was produced from CTV's facilities at [[9 Channel Nine Court]] in [[Scarborough, Toronto|Scarborough]], [[Toronto]].

In addition to CTV's local [[owned-and-operated station]]s (O&Os) in [[Eastern Canada]] as well as affiliate station [[CITL-DT]] [[Lloydminster]], the program also aired on [[Independent station (North America)|independent station]] [[CJON-DT]] (NTV) in [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador]], as well as [[CTV News Channel (Canadian TV channel)|CTV News Channel]], the network's 24-hour national news service. The program previously aired on CTV's O&Os in [[Western Canada]], until they launched their own all-local morning news programmes called ''[[CTV Morning Live]]'' on August 29, 2011.

==History==
CTV's first attempt at a morning show, ''Bright and Early'', launched in 1966 and was cancelled the next year;<ref name="CCFCanAM">{{cite web |url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/programming/television/programming_popup.php?id=1947 |title=Canada AM |author=Pip Wedge |date=June 2008 |publisher=Canadian Communications Foundation |access-date=August 20, 2011}}</ref> among the presenter lineup was future federal [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] cabinet minister [[James Fleming (York West MP)|Jim Fleming]], who read the news headlines.<ref>Nolan, p.84</ref>

Ray Peters, the head of Vancouver's CTV affiliate [[CHAN-TV]], had been an avid viewer of [[NBC]]'s ''[[Today (NBC program)|Today Show]]'', and lobbied CTV to reinstate a morning program in order to compete with the American networks.<ref name="Nolan160">Nolan, p.160</ref> Peters had intended the show to be produced out of Vancouver, but agreed to a Toronto-based production in order to bring [[CFTO-TV]]'s owner [[John W. H. Bassett]] on board.<ref name="Nolan160"/> The 90-minute program launched under the title ''Canada AM'' on September 11, 1972, with [[Carole Taylor]] and [[Percy Saltzman]] as hosts,<ref>Nolan, p.161</ref><ref>Gittins, p.108</ref> and [[Dennis McIntosh]] as newsreader.<ref name="CCFCanAM"/> Taylor left the show in 1973 to host ''[[W5 (TV series)|W5]]'', and was succeeded by [[Elaine Callei]]; however, Callei left the program within a few months, and was in turn succeeded by [[Helen Hutchinson]],<ref>Gittins, p.110</ref> who for a time hosted concurrently with her tenure as co-host of the evening newsmagazine series, ''[[W5 (TV program)|W5]]''. Long-time host [[Norm Perry (journalist)|Norm Perry]] joined in 1975 and would remain with the programme until 1990, making him the longest-running co-host in the show's history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://canadaam.ctvnews.ca/40|title = Canada AM 40th Anniversary Celebrations}}</ref>

===Prior to 2008===
For most of the 1990s and 2000s, ''Canada AM'' had a consistent running time of two and a half hours, airing between 6:30 and 9:00&nbsp;a.m. local time, with most affiliates repeating the previous night's late local news at 6:00&nbsp;a.m. As the program is produced live for the [[Eastern Time Zone]], the program would be "delayed" in Atlantic Canada to 7:30-10:00 AT / 8:00-10:30 NT.

The first half-hour would typically consist of a rundown of news headlines, sports, and weather, followed by a lengthy business news segment produced by [[Business News Network]]; for a few years the 6:30 half-hour was in fact a semi-autonomous program known as ''AM Business''. From 7:00 on, the program used a format more in line with its U.S. counterparts. In its final seasons as CTV's Vancouver affiliate, CHAN-TV (known on air as BCTV) would pre-empt the first 30 minutes in favour of its own morning newscast, and eventually delayed the remainder of ''Canada AM'' by an hour, i.e. 8 to 10 a.m. (it did not carry the additional hour discussed below).

The program also includes opt-outs for news updates from a local anchor at each station at the end of each half-hour. The network would always produce an alternate national segment for stations not using the opt-outs, as well as CTV News Channel.

In fall 2000, CTV decided to match NBC's expansion of ''[[Today (NBC program)|Today]]'' by adding another hour of ''Canada AM'' from 9:00 to 10:00&nbsp;a.m. local, which aired on O&Os and some affiliates. This would include a "coffee talk" segment as well as other lifestyle features. As a result, CTV dropped the recently renamed ''[[Live with Regis and Kelly]]''. As ''Live'' continued to have strong ratings stateside, the Canadian network re-added the talk show in fall 2001, bumping the "coffee talk" hour to 10:00&nbsp;a.m. in most areas, before abandoning the final hour entirely later in the season.

During the early to mid-1990s, ''Canada AM'' also aired a one-hour weekend edition, although this was essentially a "best-of" package of that week's regular shows. Another weekend program, ''[[Good Morning Canada]]'', was launched in the early 2000s but was also pre-taped using segments from local stations; it was cancelled in 2009.

''Canada AM'' underwent a format change on January 28, 2008, which saw the show expand to six hours of live programming between 6 a.m. and noon ET every weekday.<ref>[http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada-am-moving-to-unique-six-hour-format-1.270406 Canada AM moving to unique six-hour format] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112064632/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080109/new_format_081109/20080109?hub=TopStories |date=January 12, 2008 }}, CTV.ca, January 9, 2008</ref> Local CTV stations across the country aired ''Canada AM'' live between 6 and 9 a.m. local time (7 and 10 a.m. Atlantic Time, 7:30 and 10:30&nbsp;a.m. Newfoundland Time), while the complete six-hour, live edition aired on [[CTV News Channel (Canada)|CTV Newsnet]]. Between 6:00 and 6:30 am ET was ''Early Edition'', originally aired only in the Eastern, Atlantic and Newfoundland time zones, while it still aired on CTV Newsnet.

The format change was marked by the addition of a second on-air team from [[CIVT-DT|CTV British Columbia]] in [[Western Canada]], consisting of host [[Mi-Jung Lee]] and weather presenter [[Rena Heer]] in [[Vancouver]], and news anchor [[Omar Sachedina]] in [[Toronto]]. The shift from the Eastern to Western hosting teams took place at 7 a.m. [[Pacific Time Zone|PT]] (10 a.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|ET]]), meaning that only viewers in [[Alberta]], [[British Columbia]] and part of [[Saskatchewan]] saw the western team on their local CTV station, although all other Canadians could watch the western team on CTV Newsnet or out-of-market CTV stations carried by cable providers.

On June 6, 2008, [[CKNW]] in Vancouver reported the cancellation of the Vancouver-based portions of ''Canada AM''. Biographies of Mi-Jung Lee and Rena Heer were taken off the show's website the same day. CTV announced that it would revert to the program's original format (the additional 6:00-6:30 half-hour will continue as well), stating that the decision was in response to viewer feedback from western Canada indicating a preference for the prior format.<ref>[http://www.ctvmedia.ca/ctv/releases/release.asp?id=10388&yyyy=2008 CTV press release] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706175034/http://www.ctvmedia.ca/ctv/releases/release.asp?id=10388&yyyy=2008 |date=July 6, 2011 }}, June 6, 2008</ref>

A few weeks prior, CTV cancelled the extra local news segments that appeared at :00 and :30 minutes past the hour, reverting to updates only at :25 and :55 minutes past the hour.

Following the cancellation of the western edition, CTV continued to produce the 9:00 ET hour of ''Canada AM'' until September 2008. During those three months, CTV Newsnet aired 4 hours of ''Canada AM'' from 6:00-10:00 ET (3:00-7:00 PT), and 2 hours of its own news content from 10:00&nbsp;a.m. to noon ET to replace the cancelled western edition. [[CIVT-DT|CTV British Columbia]] also reverted to its original local updates (until they were cancelled in March 2009).

The 9:00 ET hour of ''Canada AM'' was handled differently on the main network depending on the time zone:
* Eastern, Atlantic and Newfoundland Time Zone viewers did not notice a schedule difference at all because the 9:00 ET edition was only available on cable.
<!-- Central Time Zone line-up on Canada AM is not yet included -->
<!-- Mountain Time Zone line-up on Canada AM is not yet included -->
* Pacific Time Zone viewers were able to see the second and third hour of the eastern edition, but the first hour was preempted with the live 9:00 ET edition at 6:00 PT. The first hour of the eastern edition could only be viewed on CTV Newsnet between 3:00-4:00&nbsp;a.m. PT.

After the 9:00 ET hour of ''Canada AM'' was cancelled, CTV Newsnet (later rebranded as CTV News Channel) began airing an extra hour of its own news content, presented by Marci Ien. From that point onward, the program aired without deviations in every time zone, including ''Early Edition'' at 6:00 AM.

===2009 to 2016===

In March 2009, CTV stopped producing local opt-out news updates in most markets in order to reduce costs at its local stations.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090315193148/http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jVoiEjhISZbGHEavnHatPYlUhMqA CTV cuts 24 staff at Canada AM across the country, axes Montreal morning newscast], Canadian Press, March 10, 2009</ref> The two exceptions are [[CFTO-TV|CTV Toronto]] (where ''Canada AM'' is produced) and [[CTV Atlantic]] (which reuses the staff already on hand for sister channel [[CTV Two Atlantic]]'s [[CTV Morning Live#Atlantic Canada|morning show]]). Private affiliate [[CJON-TV|NTV]] also continues to utilize the opt-out for local news updates.

As part of [[Bell Canada]]'s re-acquisition of CTV in 2011, CTV's new owner [[Bell Media]] announced the launch of new all-local morning newscasts (titled ''[[CTV Morning Live]]'') to be produced at the network's stations in [[Winnipeg]], [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]], [[Saskatoon]], [[Edmonton]], [[Calgary]], and [[Vancouver]] effective fall 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-163.htm|title=Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-163, Appendix 1|author=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|date=2011-03-07|access-date=2011-03-17}}</ref> (In the latter three markets, [[Morning News (Canadian morning TV show)|local morning newscasts]] on [[Global Television Network|Global]] stations usually had higher ratings than ''Canada AM'' at that point.) As a result, ''Canada AM'' no longer aired on CTV's owned-and-operated stations in [[Western Canada]], and is instead available only via CTV News Channel, or out-of-market CTV stations from [[CITL-DT|Lloydminster]] or Eastern Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/corp/CTVShows/20110726/morninglive_20110725/20110726?hub=announce |title=Eleanor Coopsammy and Kris Laudien to host CTV MORNING LIVE, Launching this Fall (press release) |author=CTV |date=2011-07-25 |access-date=2011-08-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524204104/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/corp/CTVShows/20110726/morninglive_20110725/20110726?hub=announce |archive-date=2012-05-24 }}</ref>

The new programs complement existing local morning shows produced under the Bell Media corporate umbrella in Eastern Canada, namely ''[[CP24 Breakfast]]'' in Toronto, and ''CTV Morning Live'' in Ottawa and Atlantic Canada. However, the existing programs did not replace ''Canada AM'' on the CTV stations in their respective markets; instead, they air on co-owned local outlets ([[CP24]], [[CHRO-TV|CTV Two Ottawa]] and [[CTV Two Atlantic]] respectively) in competition with the national show.

[[Seamus O'Regan]] left the show on November 24, 2011 to become a correspondent for [[CTV National News]]. [[Marci Ien]] took over as co-host upon returning from maternity leave on January 9, 2012. No replacement for Ien's previous position as newsreader was named, and the duty of reading the news headlines at the top of each half-hour alternated between Thomson and Ien.

On June 2, 2016, after nearly 44 years on the air, CTV announced that ''Canada AM'' had been cancelled, and would air a series finale the next day. The following Monday, June 6, the program's replacement, ''[[Your Morning]]'', was announced. Since its premiere on August 22, 2016, it has been hosted by [[Anne-Marie Mediwake]] and [[Ben Mulroney]].<ref name="yourmorning">{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2016/06/06/ben-mulroney-anne-marie-mediwake-to-host-new-ctv-morning-program.html |title=Ben Mulroney, Anne-Marie Mediwake to host CTV's new show 'Your Morning'|publisher= [[Toronto Star]]|access-date=2016-06-06|date= 2016-06-06|author= Peter Edwards}}</ref>

Ien soon joined ''[[The Social (Canadian TV series)|The Social]]'' as a substitute cohost after [[Traci Melchor]] took a leave of absence, and would become permanent cohost of the show in 2017, remaining in that position until 2020,<ref name=ien>[http://www.torontosun.com/2017/03/29/former-canada-am-host-marci-ien-new-co-host-of-the-social "Former 'Canada AM' host Marci Ien new co-host of 'The Social'"]. ''[[Toronto Sun]]'', March 29, 2017.</ref> while Beverly Thomson became a correspondent for CTV News Channel. Jeff Hutcheson had already announced plans to retire.<ref name="torstar-canned">{{cite news|last1=Wong|first1=Tony|title=Canada AM abruptly cancelled by CTV, replacement show announced|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2016/06/02/ctv-cancels-canada-am.html|website=Toronto Star|date=2 June 2016|access-date=4 June 2016}}</ref>

==Theme music==
For several years, in the 1970s and 1980s, the theme music was an [[instrumental]] version of [[The Moody Blues]]' "[[Ride My See-Saw]]", which was recorded by [[Ronnie Aldrich]] and the [[London Festival Orchestra]]; by the mid-1980s "Ride My See-Saw" remained the theme music of ''Canada AM'', but an orchestral version was used rather than Aldrich's. During the same era, CTV's newsmagazine series ''[[W-FIVE|W5]]'' was using [[Supertramp]]'s "[[Fool's Overture]]".

==Personalities==
<div style="float:left; width:48%;">

===Hosts===
*[[Percy Saltzman]] & [[Carole Taylor]]: 1972–1973<ref name=Norm>Bawden, Jim (August 25, 1990). "Beyond the Norm". Toronto Star</ref>
*Percy Saltzman & [[Elaine Callei]]: 1973–1973<ref name=Norm /><ref name=Pringle />
*Percy Saltzman & [[Helen Hutchinson]]: 1973–1974<ref name=Norm /><ref name=Pringle />
*[[Pierre Pascau]] & Helen Hutchinson: 1974–1975<ref name=Norm /><ref name=Pringle>{{cite news|last1=Cuff|first1=John Haseltt|title=The Pringle factor, one month later|work=The Globe and Mail|date=February 11, 1993}}</ref>
*[[Norm Perry (journalist)|Norm Perry]] & Helen Hutchinson: 1975–1978<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*Norm Perry & [[Gail Scott (journalist)|Gail Scott]]: 1978–1981<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*Norm Perry & [[Pamela Wallin]]: 1981–1985<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*Norm Perry & [[Linda MacLennan]]: 1985–1987<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*Norm Perry & [[Nancy Wilson (journalist)|Nancy Wilson]]: 1987–1989<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*Norm Perry & Deborah McGregor: 1989–1990<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[John Roberts (journalist)|J.D. Roberts]] & Deborah McGregor 1990–1991<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*J.D. Roberts & Pamela Wallin: 1991–1992<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Keith Morrison]] & Pamela Wallin: 1992–1992<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*Keith Morrison & [[Valerie Pringle]]: 1992–1994<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Dan Matheson]] & Valerie Pringle: 1995–2001<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Lisa LaFlamme]] & [[Rod Black]]: 2001–2002<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*Lisa LaFlamme & [[Seamus O'Regan]]: 2002–2003<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*Seamus O'Regan & [[Beverly Thomson]]: 2003–2011<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*Beverly Thomson & [[Marci Ien]]: 2011–2016<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
</div>

<div style="float:right; width:48%;">

===Weather/Sports anchor===
*[[Percy Saltzman]]: 1972-1974<ref name="40th Anniversary">{{cite web|title=Canada AM 40th Anniversary Celebration|url=http://canadaam.ctvnews.ca/40|website=CTV.ca|publisher=CTV|access-date=January 19, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Wally Macht]]: 1977–1987<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Dan Matheson]]: 1987–1995<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Rod Black]]: 1995–1997<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Jeff Hutcheson]]: 1998–2016<ref name="40th Anniversary" />

===News anchor===
*[[Dennis McIntosh]]: 1972–1977<ref>{{cite news|title=Some Canadian television industry's Geminis are awarded|agency=CTV News|date=November 2, 2002}}</ref>
*Wally Macht: 1977–1980<ref>"CTV's Canada AM Celebrates 40 Years of Waking Up Canadians, Oct. 22 to 26". Canada NewsWire. October 11, 2012.</ref>
*[[Sandie Rinaldo]]: 1980–1985<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Tom Clark (journalist)|Tom Clark]]: 1986–1987<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Terrilyn Joe]]: 1987–1992<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Thalia Assuras]]: 1992–1993<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Wei Chen (journalist)|Wei Chen]]: 1993–1998<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Leslie Jones (journalist)|Leslie Jones]]: 1998–2003<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
*[[Marci Ien]]: 2003–2011<ref name="40th Anniversary" />
</div>
{{clear}}

==See also==
*[[CTV News]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
*{{Cite book | last = Nolan | first = Michael | title = CTV, the network that means business | publisher = University of Alberta | year = 2001 | url = https://archive.org/details/ctvnetworkthatme00nola | isbn = 978-0-88864-384-1 | url-access = registration }}
*{{Cite book | last = Gittins | first = Susan | title = CTV: The Television Wars | publisher = Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited | year = 1999 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/ctvtelevisionwar0000gitt/page/230 230, 296] | url = https://archive.org/details/ctvtelevisionwar0000gitt/page/230 | isbn = 0-7737-3125-3 }}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130116065649/http://canadaam.ctvnews.ca/ ''Canada AM'']
* {{IMDb title|0341708|Canada AM}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canada Am}}
[[Category:Television morning shows in Canada]]
[[Category:CTV Television Network original programming]]
[[Category:1972 Canadian television series debuts]]
[[Category:2016 Canadian television series endings]]
[[Category:CTV News]]
[[Category:Television series by Bell Media]]
[[Category:Television shows filmed in Toronto]]
[[Category:1970s Canadian television news shows]]
[[Category:1980s Canadian television news shows]]
[[Category:1990s Canadian television news shows]]
[[Category:2000s Canadian television news shows]]
[[Category:2010s Canadian television news shows]]