Thanks for the memories

[johnsykes]

Friends, I had some time on my hands tonight. I went searching on Radiowest for something that could inspire me. I found it. If you young radio stars of the future could spend a few minutes....I would suggest you investigate the history of CKNW. May I repeat, the history of CKNW. That was what radio was all about....not the crap poured out today. I just spent almost an hour listening to Bill Hughes from 1994 on his 15,000th broadcast of the Roving Mike. This is what radio WAS all about.....too bad you young 'uns have no idea what we're talking about. This was PERSONALITY radio.....not the stuff spilled out of the airwaves today. Sorry. I know times have changed....but can you young guys believe it's for the better? You could force a change back, really! I don't hold out much hope.....but it could be done. Don't ever believe newer is better.....not so in radio.

If you ever read Red Robinson's Reditorials, he's suggesting the same thing. We aren't alone.....Someone today suggested I was all hot under the collar because I was defending today's CKNW......far from the truth. Today's CKNW is not what I remember as being Top Dog in Vancouver. Far from it. Thanks Radio Fan for having this 1994 memory available. It was wonderful radio then.

[cart_machine]

Friends, I had some time on my hands tonight.? I went searching on Radiowest for something that could inspire me.? I found it.? If you young radio stars of the future could spend a few minutes....I would suggest you investigate the history of CKNW.? May I repeat, the history of CKNW.? That was what radio was all about....not the crap poured out today.? I just spent almost an hour listening to Bill Hughes from 1994 on his 15,000th broadcast of the Roving Mike.? This is what radio WAS all about.....too bad you young 'uns have no idea what we're talking about.? This was PERSONALITY radio.....not the stuff spilled out of the airwaves today.? Sorry.? I know times have changed....but can you young guys believe it's for the better?? You could force a change back, really!? I don't hold out much hope.....but it could be done.? Don't ever believe newer is better.....not so in radio.

John, to be honest, I don't find someone talking to people on a bus to be scintillating radio. But people tuned into the corny old shows, even as Bill Hughes hawked encyclopedias in mid-stream, so what do I know? (At CJJC, I did a parody called 'Roving Miles' with the bus driving off and the driver unwilling to let the Hughes doppelganger off as foreign tourists continued to spill their guts to him with ridiculous life stories. Now THAT'S personality!)

People can read the history of ANY local radio station that's been around awhile and they'll find tales of personality broadcasting. And if people talk to old personalities, they'll find that the oldtimers bitched about the condition of the industry way-back-when. Nothing's really changed in that respect. OK, other than there aren't six-day-weeks today.

People complain about satellite programming on the small stations, yet if they go back to the 1960s, they'll discover CFVR ran very few hours of local content; the rest was out of CHWK, which wasn't local itself for hours, having to run CBC Dominion network programming. The interior was no different. So what's changed?

But despite that, I'll agree with you. Years ago, I listened to hear what the jocks did. I don't now (what'll I do, say 'Wow! What a great positioning statement!"? ). Maybe that'll change. There are so many sources you can hear the same music, radio's got to offer something more. Personality is it. Podcasters have already figured that out.

cArtie.

[gwp]

People complain about satellite programming on the small stations, yet if they go back to the 1960s, they'll discover CFVR ran very few hours of local content; the rest was out of CHWK, which wasn't local itself for hours, having to run CBC Dominion network programming. The interior was no different. So what's changed? cArtie.

Not a valid comparison between then and now.

CFVR was the first private re-broadcaster (satalite station) in Canada. It was a huge gamble to put a station into Abbotsford in 1962. Initially the station provided local programing 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and the noon hour. As revenue increased, the hours increased. By 1969 CFVR was providing local programing from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 6 to noon on Saturday. A couple of separate hours on Sunday were fed from the CHWK control room.

As for the CBC Dominion Network. It was a condition of license that those stations where there was no CBC signal carry a directed amount of CBC hours. Even CJVI in Victoria was carrying CBC hours up until the 1980's. As the CBC expanded the network in the 1980's radio stations were allowed to reduce their CBC content and eventually disaffiliate.

What's changed? It is a concious decision not to provide local content rather than deciding to provide local content. There are no entry level "all night shows" left where a young announcer can learn "what it's all about". That trend began in the late 1970's ... remember when NW was heard throughout BC between midnight and 6 a.m.? Local commercials were cued with a 25hz tone.

On the other hand. People listen to radio differently today.