CBC News Edmonton — Watch Live News Broadcasts from Alberta

History of CBC News Edmonton — From the First Broadcast to the Present Day

Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, got its own Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television channel in the early 1960s. CBXT-DT (channel 5) is a CBC Television network station in Edmonton that first went on the air on October 1, 1961. On the same day, the previous CBC-affiliated channel CFRN (channel 3) switched to the newly created CTV network, making CBXT the sole owner of public broadcasting in the city.

The station became the first television station in Alberta directly owned by CBC, underscoring Edmonton's strategic importance as a regional hub. By 1962, the network had expanded — on October 22, 1962, the CBXAT rebroadcaster in Grande Prairie began operations, repeating the CBXT signal for residents of the northern part of the province.

One of the station's first employees was Ken Mason, who joined CBXT in its launch year with experience from the Edmonton Journal. His career became part of the foundation of local journalism in Alberta.

What CBC News Edmonton Broadcasts

CBC News Edmonton is primarily local news content. The channel is the main source of local news, weather, traffic updates, and event coverage for the Edmonton metropolitan area and northern Alberta. Studio broadcasts originate from facilities at Edmonton City Centre — a shopping mall in the heart of the city's downtown business district, which houses shared studios with the French-language station Ici Radio-Canada Télé (CBXFT-DT, channel 11).

The schedule is dominated by live news broadcasts with anchors in business attire. The studio design features a black-and-white color scheme with the news channel logo — a clean and recognizable visual style typical of modern news broadcasts. Multiple anchors appear on screen simultaneously, allowing coverage of different topics within a single broadcast.

Broadcast Schedule and Key Programs

The channel's schedule is built around two main news blocks. The main CBC Edmonton News broadcasts air at 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM on weekdays directly from the Edmonton City Centre Mall studios. Additionally, during afternoon and evening hours, brief one-minute summaries — known as hourly summaries — air at the minute before the top of each hour (:59), keeping viewers up to date on the latest developments without waiting for a full broadcast.

The morning radio programming on CBC Edmonton features Edmonton AM — a local weekday morning show on CBC Radio One that airs from 5:30 AM to 8:30 AM. Host Tara McCarthy covers the top stories shaping the agenda for Edmonton and northern Alberta. Although it's a radio program, it complements the television broadcast schedule and forms a unified information space for the corporation in the region.

Who This Channel Is For

CBC News Edmonton is aimed primarily at residents of Alberta's capital and the northern territories of the province. It's a channel for those who want to stay on top of the local agenda: from city politics and transportation changes to cultural events and weather conditions that are critical for a region with a harsh climate.

The channel is also of interest to French-speaking audiences — thanks to the fact that CBXT-DT shares studios with the local bureau in Grande Prairie, serving the Peace River region and communities of northern Alberta, where French-language content is also distributed. For Canadians interested in life beyond Toronto and Vancouver, CBC News Edmonton offers a glimpse into real life in one of the country's key oil, gas, and cultural centers.

Broadcasting Technology and Innovations

CBXT-DT was technologically advanced from the start. The station was among the first television stations in North America to implement an automated broadcasting system. This allowed for more efficient management of airtime and minimized human error when switching between programs and commercial breaks — a notable technological breakthrough for 1961.

Today, the channel continues to develop its digital presence. The CBC News Edmonton live stream is available through official platforms, allowing viewers from anywhere in the world to connect to the live broadcast and follow events in real time.

What's on the Channel Right Now

On the CBC News Edmonton live broadcast, a studio news program with anchors in business attire is currently airing. On screen — multiple anchors (two women and a man) in formal clothing against a stylized black-and-white background with the news channel logo. The broadcast includes breaking news, reports, and coverage of events in the city of Edmonton and northern Alberta.

If you're watching CBC News Edmonton online during the day, you're most likely seeing one of the intermediate broadcasts or hourly summaries. The evening broadcast at 6:00 PM is a full edition covering the main events of the day, while the late-night broadcast at 11:00 PM wraps up and prepares the viewer for the next day. The broadcast quality allows for comfortable viewing of both studio discussions and field reports.