Carte Blanche began its broadcast in 1988, anchored by Derek Watts and Ruda Landman.

[2] To celebrate 25 years on air on 1 September 2013, Carte Blanche broadcast from the Telkom Joburg Tower in Hillbrow, closed to the public in 1981 during a state of emergency.

A Carte Blanche channel featuring coverage of the Trial of Oscar Pistorius was launched on DStv on 2 March 2014.

[4] To celebrate 20 years on air in 2008, Carte Blanche launched the Making a Difference (MAD) Trust to raise funds for specialised paediatric units in selected state hospitals and several welfare organisations across South Africa.

Apart from several infrastructural upgrades at two child welfare organisations, the Carte Blanche Making a Difference Trust has in previous years supported feeding schemes and assisted in providing food parcels and managing supplies at Inchanga in KZN and Johannesburg Child Welfare and Johannesburg Parent and Child Counselling Centres in greater Johannesburg and at Hartebeespoort Dam in the North-West province.