Friday, June 15

[Russ_Byth]

[jon]

In 1930, CKAC Montreal began daily reports from the R-100 Zeppelin, on its return trip to England from Montreal. CKAC reporter Jacques-Narcisse Cartier was on-board, writing those reports and sending them by telegraph. He was already an established journalist and radio technician when CKAC signed on in 1922, and he was appointed the station's founding Director General. Tuberculosis side-lined Cartier in 1927, but he had returned as a journalist in time for this flight. In April 1922, CKAC was issued one of the original commercial radio licenses in Canada. Others included CFCF and CHYC (Northern Electric). Less than a month later, on May 2, 1922, CKAC owner La Presse (newspaper) created what it claimed was the most powerful radio station in the Americas: 2000 watts on 430 metres. Today, the station runs an all sports format.



In 1936, CFRN Edmonton received approval from the CRBC for a frequency change from 1260 KHz to 960. The change was made on September 13th. During the great frequency shuffle of 1941, CFRN moved back to 1260 KHz -- perhaps the only station to regain an old frequency during this shuffle -- and was granted a power increase to 1000 watts. Today, CFRN-AM is The Team 1260, CFRN-FM is CFBR "The Bear", both owned by Astral Media, and CFRN-TV is owned by CTV. CFRN-AM began as CHMA (Christian and Missionary Alliance), launched on April 17, 1927, the date selected because it was Easter Sunday that year. The station had 100 watts and shared time on 580 KHz with several other Edmonton stations. In 1934, Taylor & Pearson Ltd. bought CHMA, obtained sole use of 1260 KHz, and changed the call letters to CFTP. Part of the deal was that the original owners (C&MA) controlled all Sunday broadcast time. But, later that year, Taylor & Pearson were the successful bidders for the Edmonton Journal's CJCA, and they then sold CFTP to Dick Rick and Hans Nielsen, who had been the second (and unsuccessful) bidder on CJCA, where Dick had worked since its 1922 signon. On November 1, CFTP was licensed as CFRN (Rice and Nielsen), signing on November 3rd. Dick Rice became sole owner in 1946, added FM and TV stations and sold them all to Electrohome in 1988, passing away in 1992 at 91 years of age.



In 1971, it was my first day of work at CHQM AM & FM Vancouver, as a part-time board operator. Exactly four months earlier, February 15, 1971, I was listening to 1320 KHz, but to KCPX Salt Lake City, as CHQM-AM was off the air for transmitter maintenance after midnight. They played one of my favourite songs, and it was the first time that I ever heard it: "Nothing Rhymed" by Gilbert O'Sullivan. I found a copy in the CHQM throw-out box not long after I arrived.

In 1978, CFQC-600 Saskatoon was granted a power increase from 5000 to 10,000 watts, with the addition of a third 305 foot tower. They had been running 5000 watts from two towers since 1944. As well as adding a tower, they may finally have had to print new QSL cards. The one I received in 1965 had obviously been printed in 1944, as the back of it had a preprinted 1 cent stamp with a young King George VI on it. CFQC began on July 18, 1923, with 200 watts on 400 metres.



In 2001, CHDH-FM on Alberta's Siksika Reserve was approved by the CRTC as a 50 watt Aboriginal-owned station operating in both English and Native language(s). The Reserve is located about 100 km East of Calgary, and is the site of Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park.

[radiofan]

CFUN Vancouver - CFUNTASTIC FIFTY - June 15, 1963





Thanks to Larry "Firedog" Morton for sharing his re-creation of the column that
appeared with the June 15, 1963 C-FUN-TASTIC FIFTY in The Province. And
thanks to Jim at Vancouver Top 40 Radio for sharing the survey!

[radiofan]

CKLG Vancouver - Boss 30 - June 15, 1968



Thanks to Larry "Firedog" Morton for sharing the June 15, 1968 CKLG/Province blurb.

[radiofan]

CJVI Victoria, BC - Sound Scoreboard - June 15, 1970

[radiofan]

CKLG Vancouver - Top 20 - June 15, 1978

[radiofan]

AM 106 [CFCN] Calgary, AB - Calgary Countdown - June 15, 1985