CIVT format as how City might look "if it was moved from Queen Street to Bloor and Yonge". Znaimer went so far as to claim that Fecan had stolen CITY's format outright for CIVT. In July, channel 9 was assigned as its designation on Lower Mainland cable systems. Occupancy of the Robson and Burrard studios, which were designed by Vancouver firm James Cheng Architects, was granted with only a week to go until launch, with delays owing to waivers needed to place satellite dishes on the heritage building's roof and a strike of city workers that delayed permitting. For news coverage, Baton had counted on the services of former BCTV news director Cameron Bell in the application phase, and BCTV assignment editor Clive Jackson left after 18 years to join CIVT. As with the rest of the new station's mandate, the newsroom aimed to focus on Vancouver's diversity with an emphasis on the Asian community, which was perceived to not be reflected on the existing Vancouver television stations. New news bureaus were set up in communities around the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island—Victoria, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, Surrey, and Richmond—staffed with multilingual reporters. Baton seconded programming executive Susanne Boyce to Vancouver to manage the startup of CIVT's non-news programming. Meanwhile, the impending birth of CIVT was already having an impact on the television industry in Canada. When WIC carried out a round of layoffs in April 1997, analysts ascribed the reasoning to the new competition forthcoming in Vancouver. At the time that the licence was awarded, BCTV bought 18 hours a week of programs from Baton's Baton Broadcast System (BBS) division, consisting of 12 hours of American series and six hours of Canadian productions. These shows, which included Melrose Place, Home Improvement, and The Cosby Show, all moved to CIVT. Baton also owned the Canadian rights to some programs that CKVU aired in the Vancouver market. The entertainment schedule was rounded out by several CTV cast-off shows. CIVT, branded as Vancouver Television (VTV), began broadcasting on September 22, 1997; the channel had changed from 42 to 32 prior to launch. The station's local programs at launch included a two-hour morning show, Vancouver Breakfast, and Vancouver Live newscasts at noon, 6 p.m., and 11 p.m., as well as Gabereau Live!, a talk show hosted by former local CBC radio personality Vicki Gabereau, and several weekly news and political satire