CKCK first signed on the air on July 28, 1954, as the first privately owned television station in Western Canada. It was originally owned by the Sifton family, which also owned the "Regina Leader-Post" and CKCK radio. It was originally a CBC Television affiliate. Shortly after signing on, it took a secondary affiliation with American broadcast network CBS. In 1962, as part of a deal that allowed CTV to come to Saskatchewan, CKCK opened a rebroadcaster in Moose Jaw. In return, Moose Jaw's original station, CHAB-TV, switched to CTV and opened a semi-satellite in Regina, CHRE-TV.