# 1979 in Canadian television

The following is a list of events affecting Canadian television in 1979. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches.

## Events

| Date | Event |
| February 26 | CBC Television broadcasts live coverage of the total solar eclipse that occurred over the Canadian Prairies and parts of what is now Nunavut (originally the eastern parts of the Northwest Territories). |
| March 21 | Juno Awards of 1979. |
| May 22 | Live coverage of the 1979 Canadian election airs on all the main networks. |

### Debuts

| Show | Station | Premiere Date |
| The Great Detective | CBC Television | January 17 |
| You Can't Do That on Television | CJOH-TV | February 3 |
| Romie-0 and Julie-8 | CBC Television | April 14 |
| Smith & Smith | CJOH-TV | May 2 |
| Read All About It! | TVOntario | May 2 |
| Cities | CBC Television | May 2 |
| Flappers | CBC Television | September 21 |
| The Littlest Hobo | CTV | October 11 |

### Ending this year

| Show | Station | Cancelled |
| Canada After Dark | CBC Television | January 26 |
| The Magic Lie | CBC Television | March 28 |
| Science Magazine | CBC Television | April 15 |
| A Gift To Last | CBC Television | December 16 |
| Celebrity Cooks | Global | Unknown |

## Television shows
### 1950s

* Country Canada (1954–2007)
* CBC News Magazine (1952–1981)
* The Friendly Giant (1958–1985)
* Hockey Night in Canada (1952–present)
* The National (1954–present)
* Front Page Challenge (1957–1995)
* Wayne and Shuster Show (1958–1989)

### 1960s

* CTV National News (1961–present)
* Land and Sea (1964–present)
* Man Alive (1967–2000)
* Mr. Dressup (1967–1996)
* The Nature of Things (1960–present, scientific documentary series)
* Question Period (1967–present, news program)
* Reach for the Top (1961–1985)
* Take 30 (1962–1983)
* The Tommy Hunter Show (1965–1992)
* University of the Air (1966–1983)
* W-FIVE (1966–present, newsmagazine program)

### 1970s

* The Beachcombers (1972–1990)
* Canada AM (1972–present, news program)
* Canadian Express (1977–1980)
* Celebrity Cooks (1975–1984)
* City Lights (1973–1989)
* Definition (1974–1989)
* the fifth estate (1975–present, newsmagazine program)
* Grand Old Country (1975–1981)
* Headline Hunters (1972–1983)
* King of Kensington (1975–1980)
* Let's Go (1976–1984)
* Live It Up! (1978–1990)
* The Mad Dash (1978–1985)
* Marketplace (1972–present, newsmagazine program)
* Ombudsman (1974–1980)
* Parlez-moi (1978–1980)
* Polka Dot Door (1971-1993)
* Second City Television (1976–1984)
* This Land (1970–1982)
* V.I.P. (1973–1983)
* The Watson Report (1975–1981)
* 100 Huntley Street (1977–present, religious program)

## TV movies

* Cementhead
* Certain Practices
* Every Person Is Guilty
* Homecoming
* Je me souviens / Don't Forget Me
* One of Our Own
* The Wordsmith

## Television stations
### Debuts

| Date | Market | Station | Channel | Affiliation | Notes/References |
| September 3 | Toronto, Ontario | CFMT-TV | 47 | Multicultural independent | |
| Unknown | Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec | CFEM-TV | 13 | TVA | |

### Network affiliation changes

| Date | Market | Station | Channel | Old affiliation | New affiliation | Source |
| Unknown | Vancouver, British Columbia (Licensed to Bellingham, Washington, USA) | KVOS-TV | 12 | CBS | Independent (primary) CBS (secondary) | Most CBS programs on KVOS-TV (with a few exceptions) were dropped by the station due to complaints made by Seattle-based KIRO-TV, which is also carried on Vancouver-area cable systems. |