CKVN 40 Years Ago

[jon]

I just got to thinking about how sad it is that no one thought to put together a CKVN Reunion last July 1st. That was the 40th anniversary of the call letter switch from CFUN to CKVN, as the station got closer and closer to being All News, hence the Voice of News -- the VN in the CKVN call letters. You can read about and hear the change here: http://www.radiowest.ca/airchecks07.html

What prompted the thought was the realization of just how much great talent was on the air at one time or another during the CKVN years. OK, it's stretching it a bit, but it felt like half of Vancouver's Newsmen went through CKVN during the short period of "almost All News". The much longer Top 40 period saw some of Canada's best DJs on the air for some period of time.

The station certainly was not a flop. In Spring 1971, CKVN knocked CKLG-AM off its #2 Ratings Roost, less than 18 months after LG took away the #1 spot from CKNW (for one ratings period, thanks to the History of Rock and Roll). I'm not say that CKVN actually beat CKLG at any point, but just stole enough listeners that CHQM hit #2 in the Ratings, thanks to the BBM combining that AM & FM Ratings. I was there (CHQM) for the excitement that greeted that single ratings period when the BBM released the ratings in late June 1971. History never repeated itself until December 2002, when QM-FM again earned the #2 spot.

If I recall correctly, Terry David Mulligan was eased out the door as Program Director of CKVN just before those 1971 ratings came out that June. His had been the winning team that had dethroned CKLG.

Not that there weren't other eras of CKVN with amazing amounts of on-air talent. Because that is my point: a lot of amazing on-air personalities went through 1900 W. 4th Avenue during the CKVN years. We've lost some of the very best already -- Hal Weaver and Daryl B. come immediately to mind -- so it doesn't pay to wait much longer for a Reunion. Perhaps Terry himself could put one together for next April 1st, the 40th anniversary of "his" CKVN. But open it up to anywhere who ever worked there under those call letters.

[hagopian]

Sign me up - many great people walked through 1900 West 4th Avenue - and there is no time like the present.

CKVN....best memory would be the PNE in the summer of 1972 - sitting in a big Cardboard box that looked like a Radio, in those wonderful Orange and Blue colours....and thinking "wow - big time".

Too many gripes.....it was fun....

[Anotherwpgguy]

Hey .... put me on the list too .... this could be a real hoot .... if ya catch my drift!

It would be delightful to see some of the old fellas again .... just don't schedule it for the summer, because I'm working at saving Bambi by doing stuff like this .....

http://www.opinion250.com/blog/view/666 ... debriefing or maybe this ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lQ6JSX78-w

Anotherwpgguy