Cadena Venezolana de Televisión (CVTV) was inaugurated as a privately owned television station on August 1, 1964, at 7:30 p.m.[2] President Raúl Leoni was chosen to be the one to cut the ribbon.

After June 1, 1979, VTV, as well as the other television networks in Venezuela, were allowed, by the government of President Luis Herrera Campins, to transmit completely in color using the NTSC-M system.

In 1990, VTV, after a government decision to close the Televisora Nacional due to the economic situation of the country, merged it with the latter and thus began simulcasting on channel 5, system M, color NTSC (starting midday).

This simulcast lasted until December 4, 1998, when the government handed over the signal of channel five to the Archbishopric of Caracas, which gave birth to Vale TV.

[1] On the evening of the 11 April 2002 coup attempt against Chávez, Enrique Mendoza, then governor of Venezuela's Miranda State, while being interviewed by Venevisión announced "a esa basura de canal la vamos a cerrar" ("We are going to shut down that trashy channel"), referring to VTV.

VTV would also alter images of pro-government rallies to make them appear larger and used outdated videos to attack opposition members or former supporters.

[citation needed] In 2005, the program Dossier was cancelled after its host and producer, Walter Martinez, accused the government of corruption.