The NewNet system expanded with the acquisition of four Baton Broadcasting stations in Southern Ontario, followed by the launch of CIVI-TV in Vancouver Island.

Although patterned after the original station in Barrie and since its acquisition by Bell, CTV 2 provides complementary programming to Bell Media's larger CTV network, though since the late 2010s it has increasingly aired repeats in primetime, with only a handful of first-run programs apart from late-night talk shows (simulcast from NBC) and stations' local newscasts targeting younger demographics.

The experiment was successful enough that CHUM replicated CKVR's format on stations it had acquired from Baton Broadcasting in 1997, namely CHRO in Pembroke, CFPL-TV in London, CKNX-TV in Wingham, and CHWI-TV in Windsor.

The rebrand took place on August 2, 2005, the same date that the former A-Channel stations in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary, recently acquired by CHUM from Craig Media, were relaunched as Citytv.

The company initially intended to keep CHUM's Citytv system, while divesting the A-Channel and Access stations in order for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to approve the acquisition.

[7] On April 9, 2007, Rogers Communications announced an agreement to purchase the A-Channel stations, along with the CBC Television affiliate in Brandon, Manitoba (CKX-TV) and several cable channels being put up for sale as part of the CTV transaction.

Notably, A-Channel picked up CTV's rights to 30 Rock, Scrubs, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Jeff Ltd.

In October, CTV also moved Dirty Sexy Money and Big Shots, both of which had originally premiered on the main network, to A-Channel.

[14] On February 25, 2009, CTV announced that, given what it saw as ongoing structural problems facing the conventional television sector in Canada and the current global economic crisis, it would not seek to renew the licences of Wheatley's CHWI-TV (and its rebroadcaster in Windsor) and Wingham's CKNX-TV.

The A Morning programs produced separately at CKVR and CFPL were cancelled outright effective March 4 and were replaced by repeats of the previous evening's newscasts, while CIVI replaced its A Morning show with a simulcast of CTVglobemedia's Victoria-based radio station CFAX (1070 AM), although those stations retain their evening newscasts.

[19] On July 8, 2009, CTV announced that it would keep CHWI open after the CRTC announced policy changes to increase funding for small-market television stations, and following lobbying efforts by the Windsor City Council, local Members of Provincial Parliament Sandra Pupatello and Dwight Duncan, and federal Members of Parliament Brian Masse and Joe Comartin to keep the only local privately owned television station in Windsor on air.

In the same announcement, CTV indicated its intention to file an application with the CRTC to convert CKNX into a rebroadcaster of CFPL once that station shut down on August 31.

The deal was expected to close by December 31, 2009, pending CRTC approval; however, it was rejected on October 1, prompting the station to cease operations the following day.

[28] On June 17, 2011, Bell also filed an application with the CRTC and Industry Canada to establish additional repeaters for CKVR-DT to expand its signal farther into the Golden Horseshoe area; on UHF 42 in Fonthill, serving Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and St. Catharines,[29] and a repeater on UHF 35 on CHCH-DT's Tower, serving Hamilton, Oakville, Haldimand County, Caledonia, Brantford, Milton and Cambridge.

On October 28, 2015, the CRTC made public an application by Bell to disaffiliate CJDC-TV and CFTK-TV from CBC Television effective February 22.

As NewNet, the system mainly carried programs from what were then the two U.S. "netlets" (The WB and UPN), movies, a few syndicated series, and lower-rated offerings from the U.S. "big four" networks.

Throughout most of the network's existence, CTV Two has aired NBC's The Tonight Show and Late Night since the mid–1990s under hosts Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

Like all other CHUM-owned properties, the system also aired several local programs inherited from Citytv and other CHUM channels such as CityLine, FashionTelevision, The NewMusic, Speakers Corner, MediaTelevision and Great Movies.

Most of the schedule consisted of anticipated new series such as Eleventh Hour and Fringe, and critically acclaimed or high-buzz (but lower-rated) sophomore series such as Gossip Girl, Mad Men, Private Practice, and Pushing Daisies, although a few older holdovers such as AFV and America's Next Top Model (previously on Citytv) remained in primetime.

Talk shows such as Ellen, Tonight, and Late Night remain, while Wheel, which moved to CBC Television, was replaced by TMZ.