I HEART CKWX

[cart_machine]

Ada Evening News, The | Ada, Oklahoma | Thursday, April 18, 1957 | Page 3

<span style='font-family:Arial'>Billboard Wooing
Takes Too Long
<span style='font-family:Times'>VANCOUVER, B.C. (UPI)?A billboard sign across the street from radio station CKWX shows entwined hearts and the cryptic question: "Tiny, is it yes?"
The station explains: an advertising agent went affectionate a week ago soliciting its account.
First, station manager F. H. (Tiny) Elphicke received an elaborate mash note. Then, another letter brought an inexpensive engagement ring. The next day, a cake. Next, flowers, a magnum of champagne and a silver slipper.
Yesterday it was the sign. So Elphicke sent a return note: "Enough of this love-making. Get down to business."

[Jack Bennest]

"The industry was shocked when it learned that Tiny, while visiting Edmonton in 1959
had died in his sleep"

So much for love so much for business.

Frank Elphicke was a character - maybe Island Kid can comment.

[islandkid]

F. H. Tiny Elphicke was of my father's generation. He was more of an imposing figure to me & my peers than a character.

Tiny showed great leadership in battling the then growing threat of Television.
(Built Vancouver's first standalone radio station on Burrard. BC's first 50,000 watt transmitter.)

But he might have been a little slow in dealing with the threat from Bill Rea & "little" NW.
Like the rest of the industry, he underestimated it.

Too much of Tiny's time was occupied with being an industry figure, leaving too little time for dealing with CKWX's day-to-day challenges.

And his Assistant Manager, Sam Ross, while a great newsman, was no broadcast visionary.

[Jack Bennest]

the word I used was character but I did not know him as I am a youngster.

I based the comment on this excerpt from Canadian Communications Foundation:

"When Taylor-Pearson-Carson formed the radio management company All-Canada Mutually Operated Radio Stations, they appointed Tiny to the managership of CJCA Edmonton. In 1940, when the Sifton group bought CKRC Winnipeg, ACMO transferred him to the Manitoba capital. Shortly after ACMO principals acquired a major interest inCKWX Vancouver, Tiny became president and managing director in 1942. During his tenure at 'WX, he had a shareholding in CFUN (formerly CKMO), and also founded CKPG in Prince George. Six-feet tall, broad-shouldered and a whirlwind of energy, Tlny Elphicke was one of the best known and probably the most popular private broadcaster of his day"


Thanks to Island Kid for giving us his insight as he was there on the ground.

Now one question - would the station just prior to the Burrard St outlet not quality as as a stand a lone station?

[islandkid]

The 2nd floor at 543 Seymour was a TERRIFIC facility .. one of my all time favorites. But it was a station built in an existing structure. As are MOST stations.

Tiny built the "Rock House on Burrard" from the ground up. It was only for radio. (And of course staff parking! lol.)

He intended it to show that radio was here to stay .. at a time when there were many doubters.

I don't know what the CHUM and Rogers stations are housed in today. But until the mid-50's, no Vancouver radio station had put up it's OWN building.

[Jack Bennest]

then it would be fair to say that cknw never built a station

they were in the windsor hotel, the swanrite building, the food store at 8th and mcbride
and in the tower of doom

[radiofan]

By the looks of things in the Royal City Record, it looks like the old Windsor Hotel and first home of CKNW will soon be history.

The request stems from an application to redevelop the 700 block of Columbia Street, which includes the Windsor Hotel. Nirmal Walia, owner of the Windsor Hotel, is willing to sell his land if he can relocate the liquor store portion of his business to 804 12th St.


Full Story in the Royal City Record

[Jack Bennest]

Tony was talking about that at the BB - a couple of words exchanged about our visit to the Windsor.

You had better get down there and check out those locked rooms. I think Dave Armstrong hid a mic in the wall.