Major Milestones
2000s | 1990s | 1980s | 1970s | 1960s | 1950s | 1940s | 1920-1939
1950s
This was the decade of television. In 1952, the first CBC and
Radio-Canada television stations, CBLT-Toronto and CBFT-Montréal,
began broadcasting. By 1955, CBC/Radio-Canada’s television services
were available to 66 per cent of the Canadian population.
With the inauguration of Canadian television, work continued on the
regulatory framework for Canadian broadcasting. In 1951, the Massey
Commission endorsed the regulatory role of the national public
broadcaster. However, in 1957, the Fowler Commission on Broadcasting
recommended transferring regulatory authority to a separate body.
This took place in 1958, when a new Broadcasting Act established the
Board of Broadcast Governors (BBG) to regulate all Canadian
broadcasting.
History of CBC/Radio-Canada
Discover the history of CBC/Radio-Canada through a look at the major milestones of each decade. From the 1920s, when the need arose for a Canadian presence on the radio - to counter the American influence and protect Canadian culture, to the present day, when CBC/Radio-Canada is recognized as one of this country’s greatest cultural institutions, learn how Canada’s national public broadcaster has become a leader in producing and distributing distinctive Canadian content.
