CKMO signs on

[cart_machine]

CKMO appears to have made its first broadcast on Thursday, July 19, 1928. That?s when the station appears in the Sun ?Tuning In? column. The Province begins listing it the next day. Several radio histories say CFCQ became CKMO but the radio listings show otherwise. CKMO took the place on the dial, and the programming, of CKWO.

The change in call-letters isn?t noted in any news stories.

The Sun and Province didn?t have identical radio summaries at this time. The Sun had a little column written by Charles M. DeFieux on radio highlights and gave NBC listings, while the Province gave listings for stations all down the West Coast, and featured cartoon rhymes dealing with radio.

I?m going to combine material from both papers to give you the local and regional broadcast day when CKMO signed on.

CKMO (411 metres) - 9 ? 10:30 am: morning programme; 12 ? 1 pm: luncheon programme; 3 ? 4:30 pm: matinee programme.
CJOR (291) - 11 am ? noon: music; 6 ? 7 pm: dinner programme.
CNRV (291) - 10 ? 11 am: morning hour of music; 10 ? 11 pm: CNRV trio
CKCD (411) - 8:30 ? 8:50: The Province news summary.
CKWX (410) - 10:30 am: morning hour of music; 4:30 pm: music hour; 6:30 pm: talk on milk; 6:45 pm: programme; 10:30 ? 11 pm: studio programme.

Other Coast Stations

CFCT (475) Victoria ? 8 am, market quotations; 6:20, sunset organ recital.
KFOA (447) Seattle ? 12:30, Shrine Club luncheon; 2:45, baseball; 8, studio programme.
KOMO (309) Seattle ? 1, Totem Concert orchestra and soloists; 6, orchestral; 7, N.B. Co.; 8, Imperial Hour; 9, N.B.C.
KJR (348) Seattle ? 10-1:30, characteristic programme, 6:30, dinner concert; 7:30, studio programme; 9, A.B.C. broadcast pla[i]n writing contest; 10, dance.
KGA (260) Spokane ? 12:30, music recital; 5, kiddies? programme; 9, simultaneous broadcast, KEX and KJR.
KEX (289) Portland - 6:30, studio programme; 7, dinner dance; 8:15-10, studio programme.
KGW (491) Portland ? 6, dinner concert; 9, N.B.C. programme; 10, orchestra and soloists.
KGO (384) Oakland ? 6:30, dinner concert; 7, N.B.C. programme; 8, studio; 9, N.B.C.
KPO (422) San Francisco ? 2:45, baseball; 5, children?s hour; 9, N.B.C.; 10, novelty programme.
KFRC (454) San Francisco ? 12, luncheon concert; 7:30, entertainers; 8, Mona Motor Merrymakers; 10, dance.
KFI (468) Los Angeles ? 6, dinner programme (male quartet); 7, N.B.C. programme; 8, orchestra; 9, N.B.C.
KFWB (361) Hollywood ? 2:15, league baseball; 6, dinner concert; 8-11, studio programme.

TUNING IN
Seven masters of musical composition will be represented by selections in the program from the Los Angeles studios of the NBC from 7 to 8 tonight. Artists participating in the program will include Purcell Mayer, violinist; Gacia Nord, soprano; Everton Seldham, baritone; and Prior Moore and his concert orchestra. The selections to be played include the aria from Massenet?s ?Le Cid? and ?False Suite? by Brahms. The Rounders will be heard from 9 to 9:30 and will be assited by the Atlan Trio. Among the harmony numbers will be ?Gypsy Love Song? from Victor Herbert?s ?The Fortune Teller.? Another of the popular campfire offerings will be given from 9:30 to 10 and then the Trocederans aree to entertain from 10 to 12.
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CFCT, Victoria, offer an organ recital from 7:20 to 7:30 tonight.
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From 9 to 10 tonight, KFRC, San Francisco, will present its weekly movie club offering.
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Radions are reminded that the Greater Vancouver Radio Association picnic will be held Sunday from the Union S.S. Co. dock at 9 a.m. to Selma Park.
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Billy?s Hawaiian Trio will entertain from 10 to 11 tonight, over KOIN, Portland.
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There will be a special program broadcast simultaneously from 8 to 9 tonight over KOMO, Seattle, KGW, Portland, and KHQ, Spokane.
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Many excellent programs are to be broadcast Friday evening, but features among the out-of-town offerings will likely be: KFRC, San Francisco, Skagway Journeys, 8 to 9; KOMO, Seattle, male quartet, 9 to 9:30; KGW, Portland, KFOA, Seattle and KHQ, Spokane, Hoot Owl?s Frolic, 10:30 to 12; and CFCT, Victoria, concert orchestra, 6:20 to 7:20.

ABC, by the way, is not the network we know today. It was a regional net out of Seattle that ended with its owner sent away for embezzlement. He stole money from his bank to run the network!

Note how advertising was still frowned upon. Few shows have names.

The Hoot Owls show, not too many years later, featured Mel Blanc before he went to California and became Bugs Bunny.

CKWX may want to bring back "talk on milk."

cArtie.

[Jack Bennest]

I agree cArtie - because we were not there listening to the crystal set - its really hard
to confirm the real facts of frequencies and call letters etc of the stations.

There is a lot printed about the early days and lot of it appears not to be accurate or better to say - consistent with other information.

It is impressive to me in this time of call letter changes that
ckwx (news 1130)
cjor (ckbd 600)
ckmo (cfun 1410)
lasted so long

I am impressed with your new toy JB - keep it up

soon you will have your own site and be one of the gang of great radio historians in
Vancouver.

check out http://www3.telus.net/vanradiomuseum/

[cart_machine]

I agree cArtie - because we were not there listening to the crystal set - its really hard
to confirm the real facts of frequencies and call letters etc of the stations.

There is a lot printed about the early days and lot of it appears not to be accurate or better to say - consistent with other information.

Same thing happened with CKWX. It was CFDC one day and CKWX the next. Pulled off the air for being a Vancouver station, then returned later as CKWX after a public outcry? It didn't happen that way, if contemporary newspaper listings are correct. Yes, I have Duffy's book where an eyewitness relates that tale. But the facts are garbled somewhere.

There were no stories on the call-letter changes, even in the short notes that accompany the listings. It's a puzzle.

It is impressive to me in this time of call letter changes that
ckwx (news 1130)
cjor (ckbd 600)
ckmo (cfun 1410)
lasted so long 

The attitude was different. There was no need to change them. Now, the feeling is whenever you change format, you have to sweep away the smell of the last, failed one. Pattison got rid of CJOR because a classic rock station couldn't have a stigma of a station where oldsters called in and blabbered on and on. The message to listeners - this is NOT CJOR. On the other hand, CKWX kept its call letters during the format change because they were "heritage" and management saw some value in that. But the call-letters are downplayed now - management's selling a brand - NEWS - and the frequency - 1130. The call-letters are rarely mentioned as they're practically irrelevant, except to sentimental old geezers like me (I miss the CKWX jingle package, too. Jingles can add something to station that some ballsy guy reading a liner can't).

  I am impressed with your new toy JB - keep it up

soon you will have your own site and be one of the gang of great radio historians in
Vancouver.

Now that summer's over, I'm busy in the evenings as well as during the days, so I won't have time to post much of this. I've got some pieces in my computer I'm saving.

I don't know how interested people are in 20s and 30s radio anyway. I like the later eras myself. But we keep talking about anniversaries and changes in radio today, and thought I'd go back to the early days. I'll put up the first CKWX broadcast day later. It's pretty lacklustre.

cArtie.

P.S.: To get in the 20s mood, I'm listening to a station that streams music 1925-35 at http://www.loudcity.com/station/440/listen.aspx

[johnsykes]

cArtie...don't quit on the old stuff...even if it's once in a while. And, thanks for all you've done so far.
J.S.

[cart_machine]

cArtie...don't quit on the old stuff...even if it's once in a while. And, thanks for all you've done so far.
J.S.

Thanks, John. The '20s stuff isn't going to create a pile of discussion; no one was around then and has no memories of it to share. The local radio names of the day are lost in time .. kinda like we'll all be some day.

My time is really limited as of Sept. until the end of June; I have commitments almost every evening in addition to work, so there isn't much time for much else (eg. post old newspaper copy here).

From a sports standpoint, it's interesting to see Coast League baseball was broadcast in 1928 on three stations, including KPO San Francisco (now KNBR). The Seals won the pennant that year and Smead Jolley (who played in Vancouver in 1942, I think) won the Triple Crown.

cArtie.