ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti fˈoːɹ, hˈɜːst ɹᵻtˈɜːnd tə kˈænədə ænd bɪɡˈæn tˈeɪkɪŋ ɛɡzˈɛkjuːtˌɪv ɹˈoʊlz æt sˌiːtˌiːvˈiː nˈuːz, ɪŋklˈuːdɪŋ lˈiːdɪŋ ðə dɪvˈɛləpmənt ænd lˈɑːntʃ ʌvðə dᵻvˈɪʒənz nˈuːz tʃˈænəl sˌiːtˌiːvˈiː nˈuːz wˈʌn, ænd bɪkˌeɪm ɛɡzˈɛkjuːtˌɪv pɹədˈuːsɚɹ ʌv ɪts nˌuːzmɐɡˈæziːn dˈʌbəljˌuː fˈaɪv—wˌɪtʃ ɹɪzˈʌltᵻd ɪn ɐ mˈeɪdʒɚ ɹᵻtˈuːlɪŋ ʌvðə pɹˈoʊɡɹæm.
In 1994, Hurst returned to Canada and began taking executive roles at CTV News, including leading the development and launch of the division's news channel CTV News 1, and became executive producer of its newsmagazine W5—which resulted in a major retooling of the program.