The two outlets share studios with sister radio station CFRN (1260 AM) on Stony Plain Road in Edmonton; CFRN-DT's transmitter is located near Highway 21, southeast of Sherwood Park.

[4] Programs were initially received from CBC Television and the three major American networks by kinescope;[5] the Trans Canada Microwave and an accompanying tape delay centre at Calgary did not open until 1958.

[6] Longtime Edmontonians still reminisce about such programs as the Noon Show that aired during the 1950s and 1960s with Don Brinton, Ed Kay, Norris McLean and George Kidd.

Morning Magazine debuted when the station went on the air in 1954 and was hosted by Laura Lindsay, who was later replaced by Virginia Macklin.

[8][9] CFRN disaffiliated from CBC Television on September 30, 1961, as that network established its own station in Edmonton, CBXT (channel 5).

[13] Under Electrohome, CFRN-TV established regional newscasts with reporters/photographers located in Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray and Red Deer, as well as bureaus in Lac La Biche, Whitecourt, Edson and Peace River.

Also in 2000, master control for CFRN was relocated to the CTV Broadcast House at 80 Patina Rise Southwest in Calgary, home to sister station CFCN-TV.

On October 3, 2006, the CRTC granted CFRN to change the licence for CFRN-TV-4 Ashmont by deleting the CFRN-TV-12 Athabasca transmitter and attaching it to CFRN-TV.

In December 2008, the CRTC announced that it received an application from CTVglobemedia to create a direct-to-cable HD feed of CFRN-TV.

Local news, weather and traffic reports continued to be featured during Canada AM through a graphical ticker at the bottom of the screen.

These analog transmitters generate no incremental revenue, attract little to no viewership given the growth of BDU or DTH subscriptions and are costly to maintain, repair or replace.

The Commission has determined that broadcasters may elect to shut down transmitters but will lose certain regulatory privileges (distribution on the basic service, the ability to request simultaneous substitution) as noted in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015–24, Over-the-air transmission of television signals and local programming.

[25][26] On October 18, 2016, CFRN was taken off the air after a semi-truck collided at the studio facility on Stony Plain Road, destroying a guy-wire in the process.

Compromising the integrity of the transmission tower, the building was partially evacuated, including the news control room.

[27] On July 30, 2019, Bell Media was granted permission to close down six additional transmitters as part of Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2019-268.

[29] Download coordinates as: 1These and a long list of CTV rebroadcasters nationwide were to shut down on or before August 31, 2009, as part of a political dispute with Canadian authorities on paid fee-for-carriage requirements for cable television operators.

[30] A subsequent change in ownership assigned full control of CTVglobemedia to Bell Media; as of 2011, these transmitters remain in normal licensed broadcast operation.