Then and Now: A 'thank you' note to our viewers

Then and Now: CTV News at Six - 1 See how the CTV News at Six has changed over the years in our 'Then and Now' vignettes.

CTV Atlantic has debuted four new "Then and Now" vignettes, thanking viewers for their decades of support and trust.

While the individual vignettes are new, they feature a lot of old elements from the CTV Atlantic archives.

We have spent hours scouring those archives, and sorting through hundreds of reports, air checks, clips, and sound bites, to highlight some of the people and places that have made CTV Atlantic part of life in the Maritimes for decades.

The result is four “thank you” videos to show our appreciation for our viewers, who keep CTV Atlantic their home for news.

Two of the vignettes concentrate on the CTV News at Six, while another focuses on the CTV News at Five -- formerly Live at 5. The fourth vignette is related to weather coverage.

Here is some background to some of the images captured in the vignettes:

Though the ATV Evening News -- now CTV News at Six -- has always been done from the same building, the inside of the building has undergone massive changes over the years.

Here is the news studio in the late 1970s, with the legendary Dave Wright getting ready to present a newscast.

Dave began at CJCH Radio in 1976, and was the face of early TV programs such as “The Notebook,” “The Wright Time,” and, of course, Live at 5.

But, not all of ATV’s history took place at 2885 Robie Street in Halifax.

When CJCB Television signed on the air on Oct. 3, 1954, station founder Nate Nathanson was the first to appear on the air to usher in -- in his words -- “a noteworthy hour in the history of electronical home life in the Maritimes.”

The Halifax studios underwent a major transformation in 1993.

The “new” newsroom featured desks around circular pods and a much more open-concept studio design. This version of the newsroom -- with variations made over the years -- was in use until another major renovation in 2014.

The old CKCW studio at 191 Halifax Street has been the home of Moncton reporters and producers for decades. Seen here in 1980, it is still the base for CTV Atlantic staff in Moncton, and the site of the New Brunswick portion of the Christmas Daddies Telethon each December.

Every election night brings an exciting energy and drama to the newsroom. In this image, Dave Wright is throwing to a live hit with Rick Grant during the Nova Scotia election on Oct. 6, 1981.

Another vignette looks at the history of Live at 5 -- now the CTV News at Five.

A spinoff of Dave Wright’s popular show “The Notebook,” Live at 5 premiered on Sept. 13, 1982.

In the 1980s, ATV News had a helicopter -- well, sort of.

ATV leased a helicopter to transport Live at 5 hosts Steve Murphy and Laura Lee Langley to various “Celebrate the Maritimes” locations during the 1980s.

Along with remotes around the region, interview guests were a big part of Live at 5 in the 1980s and 1990s.

On April 5, 1991, Steve Murphy interviewed Howie Mandel. The comedian was live at ASN studios in St. John’s, N.L., and his antics throughout the interview cracked Steve up, and made for a memorable Live at 5 moment.

The CTV News at Five vignette also features one of the more memorable “Celebrate the Maritimes” remote programs. In July 1989, The Beach Boys headlined the popular Parlee Beach concert, and Live at 5 hosts Steve Murphy and Nancy Regan shared the stage with the legendary band.

The fourth “then and now” vignette looks at weather coverage on ATV and CTV Atlantic over the years.

Here, weather presenter Marsha Andrews uses her weather board ink marker while chatting with Dave Wright about upcoming conditions.

The Maritimes have seen it all weather-wise over the years. One of the most notable storms featured in the weather vignette is Hurricane Juan. In September 2003 our all-night coverage -- anchored by Steve Murphy -- featured a storm-battered Peter Mallette asking Steve to “hold on” while he held on for dear life while reporting from hurricane-swept Eastern Passage, N.S.

In August 1971, Hurricane Beth flooded part of Nova Scotia, and some 500 homes were damaged in Dartmouth alone.

The weather vignette features three videos from that weather event.

The CTV Atlantic archive is a treasure trove of decades of Maritime history. We’re pleased that, with our new vignettes, we can use those treasures to spotlight the places, events, and personalities that have shaped our news coverage over the years.

We hope you enjoy them!