This is the Canadian History section of
The Broadcast Archive

Maintained by:
Barry Mishkind - The Eclectic Engineer
Last Update 9/2/10

On this page, you will find station histories for:

More stations will be added as information is received!

CINW - Montreal, Quebec

600 kHz - 10/5 kW, DA-1
(Deleted January 29, 2010)

Call letter sequence: XWA - VE9AM - CFCF - CIQC - CINW

Facility History:

Experimental License: November, 1919
First Licensed: May 15, 1922 (as CFCF)
First Broadcast: May 20, 1920

Original: 833 kHz at W. as XWA

5/20/20:     Operating on 1200 meters.
5/1/21:       Calls changed to VE9AM.
5/ /22:        Moved to 680 kHz.
5/15/22:     Calls changed to CFCF.
                  Moved to 750 kHz.
2/23/25:     Moved to 730 kHz at 1650 W.
9/21/29:     Moved to 1030 kHz.
4/16/33:     Moved to 600 kHz at 400 W.
            :     Power increased to 500 W.
4/12/48:     Power increased to 5 kW, DA-1.
            :     Power increased to 10/5 kW, DA-1.
9/9/91:       Calls changed to CIQC.
        /99:     Moved to 940 kHz at 10/5 kW.
        /99:    Calls changed to CINW.
 1/29/10:    Goes Dark and deleted.

Ownership History:

Original:    Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company.

7/ /72:         Purchased by CFCF, inc.
10/ /88:       Purchased by Mt. Royal Broadcasting.
                   Purchased by Corus Entertainment.

Misc:

The first experimental transmissions were in late 1919, according to Canadian historian Professor Mary Vipond, who wrote a book on early Canadian broadcasting called "Listening In".

The first thing broadcast was a concert by a female vocalist, Dorothy Lutton.

CJCA - Edmonton, ALBERTA

930 kHz - 50 kW

First licensed: May 1, 1922
First Broadcast: May 22, 1922

12/3/93 - Western World returns CJCA license to CRTC in dispute over Canadian content.

Ownership:

Original: Edmonton Journal.

....................... Purchased by Selkirk Communications, LTD.
September 1989 - Purchased by Maclean Hunter Ltd
May 1991 - Purchased by Western World Comm. Corp.
January 1994 - Purchased by Radio One Edmonton Corp ($350,000).
11/28/94: Purchased by The CJCA Limited Partnership

CKCK - Regina, Saskatchewan

620 kHz - 10 kW

 

Call Letter Sequence: CKCK - CKRM

Facility History:

First Licensed: July 1922
First Date of Broadcast: July 28, 1922

Original Facility:    713 kHz at 500 W

    4/07/24     Station temporarily off the air.
    4/22/24     Returns to the air.
    3/18/25     Moved to 960 kHz. 
    3/24/25     Split operation on this date: 713 kHz (morning), and 960 kHz (evening).*
    4/15/25     Split operation on this date: 713 kHz (morning), and 960 kHz (evening).*
    5/16/25     Moved to 630 kHz.
    8/28/25     Temporarily off air. 
    8/31/25     Returns to air on 740 kHz.
    9/10/25     Moved to 630 kHz.
  12/16/25     Moved to 960 kHz.
  12/26/25     Operation on 740 kHz (for the morning programs only).
    5/07/26     Intermittent operation on 960 kHz. 
    4/16/33     Moved to 1010 kHz.
    1/11/37     Power increased to 1 kW.
    3/29/41     Moved to 620 kHz.
    xx/xx/xx   Power increased to 10 kW.
   10/01/01    Station Closes and gives up license.   (Frequency taken over by CKRM).

Ownership History:

    Original:     

Miscellaneous:

* In 1925, CKCK collided with allocations for both WCCO Minneapolis MN (715kc) and KPO San Francisco CA (710kc). The station tried to improve reception in the Regina area so with the permission of the Canadian government, CKCK tested different frequencies for the morning and evenings programs.

A couple of broadcast firsts have been attributed to CKCK:

 

CKLW - Windsor, Ontario

800 kHz - 50 kW

Call Letter Sequence: CKOK - CKLW

CKLW = "London, Windsor"

Facility History:

First Licensed:        June 1, 1932
First Broadcast:      May 31, 1932 (Ref: Windsor Star 6/1/32)

Original: 540 kHz at 5 kW as CKOK.

6/1/32: Joins CBS.
11/6/33: Merges with CJGC (London Free Press).
11/6/33: Moved to 840 kHz.
11/6/33: Calls changed to CKLW
9/1/34: Moved to 1030 kHz.
/35: Joins Mutual and CBC.
3/29/41: Moved to 800 kHz.
9/7/49: Power increased to 50 kW.
    /63:    Drops Mutual

Ownership:

    Original:     Essex Broadcasters. Ltd.

         / /    :    Purchased by Western Ontario Broadcasting Co.
    10/1/63:    Purchased by RKO General.
           /70:    Purchased by Baton Broadcasting Ltd.
    1/29/93:    Purchased by CHUM Ltd.

Miscellaneous:

AM & FM simulcast from 1948 to 10/1/63.

This was a famous powerhouse station all over the midwest US, as well as Canada.

CBW - Winnipeg, MN

990 kHz - 50/46 kW

Call Letter Sequence: CKY - CBW

Facility History:

First Licensed: March 13, 1923
First Broadcast:

Original: 666 kHz at 2 kW.

2/26/25     Moved to 780 kHz
3/31/27     Moved to 740 kHz
10/17/28   Power increased to 5 kW
6/05/33     Moved to 910 kHz
2/12/34     Moved to 780 kHz
12/01/34   Moved to 960 at 15 kW
3/16/36     Moved to 910 kHz
9/16/37     Moved to 960 kHz
10/17/37   Moved to 910 kHz
3/29/41     Moved to 990 kHz
9/03/48     Calls changed to CBW. Power increased to 50 kW.        
10/15/93:  New transmitter installed, night power reduced to 46 kW.

Ownership History:

Original:  Manitoba Telephone System

7/1/48:     Purchased by The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Miscellaneous:

Prior to CKY, both the Manitoba Free Press (CJCG) and the Winnipeg Evening Tribune (CJNC) broadcast in Winnipeg. On March 7, 1923, the Manitoba Government Telephones' assumed control of CJNC and CJCG and shut them down about three days before putting their own station (CKY) on the air, March 13, 1923.

From 3/27/24 to 3/10/32 Canadian National Railways leased time on CKY AM, using (from 7/17/24) the call sign CNRW during programming.

CBU - Vancouver, BC

690 kHz - 50 kW, DA-1

Call Letter Sequence: CNRV - CRCV - CBR - CBU

Facility History:

First Licensed: 1925
First Broadcast: August 11, 1925

     Original: 1030 kHz 

    4/16/33:    Calls changed to CRCV.
    2/16/37:    Power increased to 5 kW.
    10/1/37:    Calls changed to CBR.
  10/22/40:    A Low Power Repeater Transmitter (LPRT) was established on 840 kHz at 20 W in Revelstoke. VE9BC later became CBRA until it moved to FM in 1995, and discontinued AM operations.
    3/29/41:    Moved to 1130 kHz.
           /42:    Additional authorization for low power relay transmitters.*
     9/   /50:    Power increased to 10 kW, DA-1.
    1/25/52:    Moved to 690 kHz as CBU.
    12/  /67:    Power increased to 50 kW, DA-1.

Ownership History:

     Original: The Canadian National Railways

      3/10/33: Purchased by The Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission.
     11/2/36: Renamed: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Miscellaneous:

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was formed on November 2, 1936

CNRV was the 3rd CNR owned radio station to go on air. (The first was CKCH, Ottawa ON on 02/27/24. The second CNR radio station is CNRA AM Moncton NB which went on the air 11/07/24. It became CRCA on 04/16/33 and went off the air for good on 10/31/33).

* 9/11/42 CBRN AM North Bend until replaced by an LPRT FM in 1982.
 12/14/42 CBRF AM Fernie until replaced by an LPRT FM in 1983.
 12/17/42 CBRR AM Cranbrook until replaced by an LPRT FM in 1981.
 12/18/42 CBRK AM Kimberley still on the air.
 12/22/42 CBRM AM Creston until replaced by an LPRT FM in 1988.

CBO - Ottawa, ON

(deleted 5/1/91)

Call Letter Sequence: CKCH - CNRO - CRCO - CBO

Facility History:

First Licensed: 1924
First Broadcast: February 27, 1924

     Original: 

    7/16/24:    Calls changed to CNRO.
    4/16/33:    Calls changed to CRCO.
    10/3/37:    Calls changed to CBO.
    2/18/48:    Begins simulcast operation on CBO-FM.    
    5/1/91:      AM operations terminated. Operation solely on FM. 

Ownership History:

     Original: The Canadian National Railways

Miscellaneous:

CKCH was the first CNR owned radio station to go on air.