NW Wants To Be 730 - 1953

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Around Your Radio Dial
By DICK DIESPECKER, {Province, Sat. Feb. 28, 1953}
A press release from Bill Rea of CKNW states that his station is making application to change its position on the dial from its present 1320 to 730. The press release states that the application calls for construction of a new 412-foot steel tower on Lulu Island, to match an existing tower of the same height and throw a directional pattern up the Fraser Valley to provide better rural service.
The reason for the request is that it would eliminate American interference for CKNW in places like Abbotsford and Mission. The application is to go before the Board of Governors of the CBC on March 27.
One paragraph of the release is interesting. It says “The CKNW application would not change KIRO reception. All radio sets which can separate CBU, with 10,000 watts at 690 k.c., from KIRO at 50,000 watts on 710 k.c., would easily separate CKNW with just 1000 watts on 730 k.c.”
While I am quite sure that the other radio stations in this general area will be filing voluminous briefs before the CBC board of governors on this subject, speaking as a radio listener I should like to hear this before I would be prepared to believe it. We were all told that there would be no trouble to KIRO listening when CBU went to 690 k.c., and there are several thousand people in British Columbia who will tell you very definitely on the drop of a radio switch, that it has made all the difference in the world. Many of them can no longer get either CBU or KIRO with any degree of clarity. Putting in a third station, no matter, what its power, in such close proximity to two other stations (20 k.c. away from KIRO and 40 k.c. away from CBU) does not sound as though it would improve reception for anybody.
The directional antenna might be of some assistance but I can hardly credit that an astute businessman as Bill Rea is going to sacrifice the listenership of half a million people in the Greater Vancouver area to pick up a few thousand more in the Fraser Valley.
Only time will tell what happens to this latest application. If it is granted, it will, incidentally, be the third time CKNW has moved its position on the dial. It started at 1230, moved to its present position of 1320, and now asks for 730.

[jon]

Anyone stuck with 1320 KHz as a frequency in Vancouver has always had my sympathy. CHQM-AM still got significant interference a few miles North of their Lulu Island transmitter, in Burnaby, where I was getting the equivalent of between 100,000 to 150,000 watts because of their tight northern pattern after they went 50,000 watts.

At night, one look at KCPX Salt Lake City's coverage map told the story. The main lobe in their directional pattern was straight at Vancouver! Even at 5000 watts, KCPX made a huge mess for CHQM most nights, even when CHQM had 50,000 watts. Can you imagine what it was like for CKNW with 1000 watts?

In the daytime, especially at sunset and sunrise, KXRO in Aberdeen, Washington, could be easily heard under CHQM.

Day and night, there were lots of other stations on the frequency.

[cart_machine]

Anyone stuck with 1320 KHz as a frequency in Vancouver has always had my sympathy. CHQM-AM still got significant interference a few miles North of their Lulu Island transmitter, in Burnaby, where I was getting the equivalent of between 100,000 to 150,000 watts because of their tight northern pattern after they went 50,000 watts.

And 'NW would have had 1000 watts which, I guess, isn't unusual for a station at that spot on the dial.

Dick's column mentions KIRO. There was a huge uproar when CBU signed on at 690 because people couldn't hear KIRO any more. I guess much like American TV today, people in Vancouver listened to a fair amount of American radio then.

cArtie.

[jon]

Actually, in Vancouver, I think Radio in the late 1940s and early 1950s was more like Television in the late 1950s. The CBC was the only Canadian network, and they only carried 25% or less of the U.S. network shows. Admittedly, on Radio, the CBC actually ran two networks.

Even though the CBC often did pick the most popular U.S. programming, chances were pretty good that the average listener/viewer had favourites not being carried by the CBC. So, of course, most people were interested in U.S. stations. On television, KVOS was built on that fact. Pretty much anyone with a televison South of the ridge that bisects Vancouver/Burnaby had an antenna to pick up Channel 4 and 5 from Seattle.

On Radio, it would have been the same before TV took hold (after the War and up into the mid-1950s). KIRO was hugely popular because of their CBS network programming. They were still carrying Art Linkletter's House Party in the late 1960s! I know, as I listened to it most lunch hours when I came home from junior high school, for lunch.

[radiofan]

Take a good look at any old radio from the 30's or 40's with push button presets.

You'll usually find presets for CJOR, CKMO, CKWX, KIRO, KOMO and KJR.

Many of the daily radio schedules that Mr Cartie has posted include Vancouver and Seattle staton highlights.

As for NW and 730 ... 47 years after the application, they ended up owning 730. As has been stated many times in the past, they should now move NW to 730 with it's superior city grade signal thanks to a transmitter site that is south of the city rather than 20 miles to the southeast.

[cart_machine]

As for NW and 730 ... 47 years after the application, they ended up owning 730. As has been stated many times in the past, they should now move NW to 730 with it's superior city grade signal thanks to a transmitter site that is south of the city rather than 20 miles to the southeast.

But, RF, listeners are still wondering why they don't hear that nice Wally Garrett any more. Changing dial positions will confuse them even more.

cArtie.