Wednesday, July 28

[Russ_Byth]

[jon]

In 1967, England's fourth pirate radio station, Radio Invicta, signed off the air forever. It had launched in June 1964, but disaster struck just before Christmas when the tender (boat used to transport between the pirate ship and shore) sank, killing DJ Simon Ashley and engineer Martin Shaw. There are early pictures of the station here: http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/album35.htm. And an aircheck of Simon and details of the tragedy here: http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/djsa.htm#ashley.

[radiofan]

CJME Regina, SK - Boss 50 - July 28, 1967

[radiofan]

CKLG Vancouver - Thirty - July 28, 1972

[drmusic]

In 1954 at 4:00 p.m., CKCK-TV signed on in Regina on Channel 2. Sources vary on whether this occurred on July 25, 27 or 28th. Locally owned by the Sifton family, who also owned CKCK-AM, CKCK-TV was Western Canada's first privately-owned television station. It was, however, a CBC affiliate. But that meant airing kinescopes, as there was no live video connection to the CBC. The station had a 670 foot tower, but only 19,000 watts video and 10,000 watts audio. The Siftons sold CKCK-TV in 1977, and the station was resold in 1986 to Baton Broadcasting, which has since become CTVglobemedia Inc. CKCK-TV had switched from CBC to CTV affiliation in 1969 when the CBC purchased CHAB-TV and its Regina repeater CHRE-TV.

I believe CKCK was supposed to have signed on July 25th, coinciding with the start of the Regina Exhibition. However there was a lot of rain that delayed transmitter construction, and it was all they could do to get a test pattern on the air early the morning of the 27th. (July 27 is the date the station has always used to celebrate its birthday.) By the way, I'm pretty sure the Siftons were based in Toronto, and not local. I still remember the mailing address for Armadale Communcations that used to appear in the Leader-Post: Buttonville Airport, Buttonville, ON.

[jon]

The CCF bio of Clifford Sifton implies that he was living in the Toronto area when CKCK-TV came on the air: http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/personalities/personalities.php?id=78

I've removed the item from Today's history (so I'll get it right next year) and made appropriate changes to an addition I created for yesterday's Today in Broadcast History.

Thanks for that!