This not correct. CTV like most other Canadian broadcasters chooses to air American progams in sync with the American originator because the CRTC allows them to use simulcasting.
Simulcasting works like this if for example, a CTV station is airing ER the same time ER is airing on NBC in the same market the local Cable company must air the signal that originates from that CTV station. More specificly if CTV is on channel 8, NBC on 12, if you turned to 12 you'd see channel 8's signal during ER.
The reason for simulcasting quite simply is a financial one, the ads you see will be the local CTV and not the NBC originator.
FYI programming generally is prefed to CTV and other markets via satelite hours (and sometimes days) before it airs.
Some (maybe quite a few) shows from the US have in the contract that they must air in Canada at the same time as they do in the USA. For example last year Global was airing 24 and The apprentice on Monday Nights. The contract for the apprentice stipulated the show must be on at 9:00 PM so when Fox started showing double episodes of 24 (2 hours) Global had to show episode 1 at 8 PM then the apprentice at 9:00 the the second 24 episode at 10 PM. Of course many shows do not have that stipulation but it is always in the best interest to simulcast with the USA for Canadian Networks becuse then..... They get the Canadian ADs aired on the US stations as well.
CBC is so horrendously run that it is almost beyond belief. CBC just made an acclaimed mini-series documentary about the 1970 FLQ October Crisis. When are they airing it? At 9:00 PM on THURSDAYS! The most watched time period on Televison. It was up against (in Ottawa) Deal or No Deal (which drew 1 million plus viewers in Canada) CSI (something like a godly 4 million viewers in Canada) SuperNatural on City TV which is popular with younger viewers, Grey's Anatomy which drew over 2 million Canadian Viewers, Sens Hockey on A-Channel that probably drew very well but no stats.
October 1970 - which is likely a qulaity production and is getting critical acclaim drew 110 thousand viewers across Canada 2 weeks ago and 105 thousand this week. Why would a network decide to air a mini series like this - One that is advertised on TV and on Radio and on Billboards - In the toughest time slot of the entire broadcast week. By far the toughest timeslot! It is beyond belief that anyone would be stupid enough to do that but CBC Did it. I would venture a guess that A-Channel's Sens broadcast drew nearly as many viewers in the local Ottawa market as did the CBC Mini Series did in the entire country.
This week the CBC announced they would not be making anymore News Satire shows. I am assuming they mean not creating anymore and not cancelling the 3 they have but with CBC who knows. Air Farce, 22 Minutes and Rick Mercer are BY FAR the most successful shows on CBC's prime time schedule aside from HNIC. They draw 500-600 000 viewers to every broadcast - even repeat broadcasts. Compared to say about 330 000 for the extensively advertised Intelligence - a Drama show.
I think the CBC has great quality shows. They certainly have the best website of any TV network in North America (I know I worked in Media Monitoring) but they are terrible at the TV business. they have no intelligence in marketing their shows, in schedualing their shows. They have run HNIC in a stupid way and get far less ratings from it then if they did it properly without octogenarian on air talent and without many more split broadcasts in local Canadian Markets. If Ottawa is playing on Saturday night I should be able to see the game on HNIC in the Ottawa Market. Same as if all of Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver are playing on Saturday night. All games need to be broadcast in their local market. The production cost of airing more games is easily offset by the increased viewership in each market when the cities team is on TV. And the CBC has a second National Network in CBC Newsworld. On Saturday from 7-midnight they should air an alternate game in each market on the News Channel. That would make more money and make more sense but CBc would never think of it.
The CBC makes excellent shows and no one watches them for the sheer and utter incompetance of the network. They will lose HNIC and they deserve to as they have been broadcasting 1980's quality broadcasts when what is demanded is 2006 quality broadcasts.