B.C. Radio — Christmas 1923

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B.C. Radio — Christmas 1923

Postby cart_machine » Tue Dec 25, 2007 3:03 am

I've mentioned elsewhere that CFCB appears to have been on the air on Dec. 25, 1922, if The Province is to be believed (the standard station notice was in the classified ad template). If so, the first local Christmas radio broadcast consisted of two roundups of news.

However, 1923 is the year of the first special Christmas programme in Vancouver Radio. It was on CKCD. Note how listeners didn't have to cope with endless Christmas music as we do today. Nothing says "Merry Christmas" than the Volga boatman song:

Radio Programme Tonight
[Daily Province, Monday, Dec. 24, 1923]
The Province radio station CKCD will broadcast a programme tomorrow night on 410 metres wave length between 8:30 and 9:30, featuring Victor records.
The programme as follows:
[line missing] Symphony.
News bulletins and weather forecast.
Cantique de Noel (Holy Night), tenor solo by Enrico Caruso, 6029-A.
Roses of Picardy, waltz, The Troubadors, 19117-A.
Love is Mine, tenor solo by Enrico Caruso, 510-A.
Annabelle, fox trot, Brooke Johns and his orchestra, 10108-B.
Song of the Volga Boatman (Russian Folk Song), baritone solo by
Feodor-Chaliapin, 6059-A.
The House of David Blues, fox trot, played by The Virginians, 19140-B.
Answar (Robyn), tenor solo by Evan Williams, 6039-B.
Just for Tonight, waltz, Benson Orchestra of Chicago, 19191-B.
Tales of Hoffman-Barcarole, vocal duet by Geraldine Farrar and Antonio Scotti, 3025-A.
Always Looking for a Little Sunshine, fox trot, Melody Kings Dance
Orchestra, 216435-B.
Victor records used exclusively on this programme.


The Sun's CJCE advertises a special music programme on its station on Dec. 26th. It didn't for the 25th, so one can assume it merely broadcast the programming as listed in the usual note in the classifieds, if it was on the air at all (the paper was closed on the 25th; it published for that date the night before)

[Vancouver, Dec. 25, 1923]
Station C.J.C.E., wave-length, 420 metres, operated by Sprott-Shaw Radio company.
Tuesday—7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. News Bulletins.


CFYC (the Vancouver World station) was licensed at this point but there's no indication in the paper for Dec. 24, 1923 that it was still operational.

CFDC (now CKWX) was still in Nanaimo, but the Free Press avoided any mention of the fact the city had a radio station, so I don't know if there was any Christmas programming.

CFCL was supposedly on the air in Victoria but the Colonist makes no mention of a radio station. It does contain a nice, page two article about the Omaha Newspaper's station beaming programming to a boat near the North Pole, though.

Humbug to all
cArtie. :violent1:
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