Vancouver traffic reporting takes a hit as CTN and Global News end partnership
Global News and the Canadian Traffic Network (CTN) are ending their TV partnership, but reports on Corus Vancouver radio stations will continue.
According to a statement Daily Hive obtained from CTN, Global News will no longer be running airborne traffic reports.
CTN says that it and Corus Entertainment came to a “mutual business decision.”
If you’ve ever listened to CKNW Radio or watched a traffic report on Global News, CTN handles traffic reports from the sky in a helicopter. The reports are helpful from the elevated perspective, offering insights into what drivers can expect with far greater visibility.
In a statement to Daily Hive from Corus, a spokesperson said that CTN advised that it could no longer support helicopter traffic services across TV markets that are currently being served by CTN.
“As a national broadcaster, it made little sense to have inconsistent coverage across our markets. As a result of this change, we mutually agreed to end their TV traffic services while continuing our radio partnership,” a Corus spokesperson told Daily Hive.
The change doesn’t just apply to Vancouver but to Global News outlets across the country. Corus Entertainment stations like CKNW Radio will continue to receive CTN traffic reports.
“Our 20-year partnership remains strong and intact to continue providing traffic reports for Corus Entertainment radio properties across Canada,” CTN added.
Traffic reporting in Vancouver has been impacted over the past couple of years, particularly with the loss of AM730, which was a radio station that offered all traffic all the time. CKNW, which previously could be heard on 980 AM, has now switched to the old traffic station’s signal at 730 AM.
AM730 quietly went off the air last summer. Earlier this year, CKNW took over the old signal.
In more positive traffic-related news, the Province updated its own traffic tool, DriveBC, earlier this year.