The station first signed on the air on September 1, 1974. CITV was originally owned by Allarcom, owned by Dr. Charles Allard, and launched under the brand "Independent Television" (ITV), a brand that the station used until 2000, when it became part of the Global Television Network. In 1991, Allarcom was purchased by Western International Communications' WIC Television division, which in turn was purchased by Canwest Global Communications in 1999. CITV joined the Global Television Network on September 4, 2000, along with fellow Alberta stations CICT in Calgary and CISA-TV in Lethbridge, but CICT had been carrying Global's programming since 1988.