Vancouver: The seismic activity in the West Coast television broadcasting scene continues to rumble as the Vancouver-Victoria market nears an unprecedented shift of local ownership Sept. 1

Global Television has announced its rebranding of BCTV and CHEK-TV, the recently acquired assets from the defunct WIC Western International Communications.

BCTV will be known as Global BC and CHEK will be rechristened CH Global (which is not supposed to cause any confusion with the CHCH Hamilton station also known as CH Global.)

Among the local programming changes, the BCTV News Hour Final expands to a full hour beginning at 11 p.m., opposite Global’s popular SportsPage airing on CH Global in Victoria.

The 30-minute Canada Tonight will transform into a 60-minute national newscast fronted by veteran anchor Kevin Newman at his anchor desk in Vancouver.

Global BC also inherits CKVU’s powerful lineup of first-run U.S. network and syndicated programs such as Entertainment Tonight, Will and Grace and Friends. CH Global will feature a separate programming schedule.

Meanwhile, BCTV’s celebrity anchor team suffered another blow July 3 when veteran newsreader Pamela Martin, who had been with the Burnaby station for 24 years, announced her decision to follow colleague Bill Good and the CTV affiliation to VTV, which will become CTV BC this fall.

Her role will include cohosting the 6 p.m. news with Good and preparing special reports.

‘[Martin] has the trust and respect of the community, she’s a terrific professional, and she’s a perfect match for CTV News,’ says Tom Walters, news director for CTV BC, which is moving toward an older demographic. ‘We’re delighted that she is staying with the CTV family and is moving to the network’s new West Coast home.’

CIVI, the New VI, in Victoria will begin airing in September as the newest member of CHUM’s broadcasting family, and the old CKVU in Vancouver is being sold and programmed by CHUM prior to the CRTC hearing to approve its purchase of CKVU.

Religious station NOW TV is also set to begin airing from the Lower Mainland’s Fraser Valley in September. *

-www.globaltv.com