CKCD-CFCB June 1922

A look back at various radio stations

CKCD-CFCB June 1922

Postby cart_machine » Sat May 21, 2022 4:42 am

This was the month the federal government informed Vancouver radio stations what call-letters they were to use. In the case of the Vancouver Daily Province, they were given CKCD for their 2,000 metre station. That didn’t last long. Later in the month, the paper fired up a station on a different frequency, and it was awarded different call-letters. The Province hung on to CKCD and eventually revived them.

The frequency change made sense. Nobody else was operating at 2,000 metres (150 kcs.); most of the American stations were on 360 metres (about 830 kcs).

For about the first two weeks of June, the paper had an agate-type announcement and gave no further promotion to its station on its pages. That changed with the new call-letters.

You can see a picture of what the Province’s new transmitter looked like at http://jproc.ca/britishmarconi/yc3.html

Here’s what “radions” heard on the station.

Tuesday, June 13, 1922
NEW STATION CALL ALLOTTED PROVINCE
Radio Broadcast is Now CKCD—Gyro Orchestra Will Play Tonight.
From now on the station call of The Province radiophone broadcast will be CKCD. Up to the present the station call FE has been used, but the wireless branch of the department of the naval service has adopted a series of four letter calls for this district, and The Province has fallen into line with the new scheme.
Tonight is the big music night for those who listen in for station CKCD. The Gyro Club orchestra, which has already delighted those receiving The Province broadcast, will give a twenty-minute concert. Dance music will predominate in the programme rendered.
A feature of the broadcasts on Saturday and Monday night were the number of calls from people who were "getting" The Province for the first time. They telephoned the sending station to say how much they enjoyed the programme. Some of those people imagined that their apparatus would not tune up to 2000 metres and had never tried to get in on the good things provided nightly. Others were newcomers into the radio telephony field.

RADIOPHONE BROADCAST
The Province radiophone broadcasts news bulletins and music every night except Sunday between 8:30 and 9:30 o’clock. Station call, CKCD, Wave-length 2000 metres. Station telephone Seymour 2434.

Wednesday, June 14, 1922
POTLATCH NIGHT ON RADIOPHONE
Gyros "Tell the World" of Big Celebration Over Province Set.
It was Gyro night with The Province radiophone on Monday. The members of that young men's organization took almost entire charge of the programme in connection with advertising the big Tyee Potlatch, to be held from June 30 to July 5.
The big feature was the playing of the Gyro band under Freddy Lang. Three numbers were played. They were "Good-bye Shanghai," "Tell Her at Twilight" and "On the Gin, Gin, Ginny Shore," all foxtrots.
After the concert Gyro Alex H. Urquhart, chief of the speakers' section of the potlatch publicity committee, gave a short speech. He told of the many wonderful features which promise to make this gathering one of the best celebrations of its kind that Vancouver has ever staged. Citizens of all classes were invited by Mr. Urquhart to co-operate with the Gyro Club in making the potlatch a success worthy of the city.
The next item on the programme was Gyro Alf. Mariacher, possessor of a pleasing tenor voice. He sang two songs, "On the Road to Mandalay" and "Tommy Lad," accompanied on the piano by Gyro "Bill" Tweedie.
For the remainder of the broadcast news bulletins giving the latest big league baseball results and other up-to-the-minute information and gramophone music were sent out.

Saturday, June 17, 1922
PROVINCE SET SHORTENS WAVE
Commencing Monday, Radiophone Will Operate On 440 Metres.
Small Stations Far and Near Will Benefit By Reduction.

Starting with the broadcast on Monday night, The Province radiophone sending set will work on a wave length of 440 metres. Up to the present the set has been sending on a wave length of 2000 metres.
A new Marconi YC3 sending set with an input of 600 watts has been set up on the top floor of The Province Building. The broadcasts will be sent out from this new station commencing on Monday night.
A six-wire aerial, over 100 feet long, will send the radiophone waves out into the ether. The aerial runs from a mast atop The Province Building to the adjacent Carter-Cotton Building and is about 160 feet above the street.
BETTER RESULTS EXPECTED.
Theoretically the longer the wave length the better the results. In practice it has been found that in tuning up to 2000 metres interference is often so bad that, the best results can not be obtained, bending on a long wave has also frequently interfered with high-powered government stations when atmospheric conditions have been unusual. It is to enable small stations to pick up The Province broadcast and to do away with any possibility of interference that the wave length has been reduced.
With the new wave length The Province does not expect to duplicate its feats of sending to Windsor, Connecticutt [sic], Trenton, New Jersey and other point on the Atlantic Coast, but no one in British Columbia will suffer from the reduction, and many amateurs will gain by It. The new set will have a night sending radius of from 300 to 500 miles. In a short time The Province set will be stepped up to 2000 watts input, which will just about compensate for any loss of distance which will arise from the cutting down of the wave length.
ALL WILL HEAR CONCERTS.
Amateurs operating crystal detector sets will undoubtedly welcome the wave length reduction. Many users of short coil sets have been unable to listen in on The Province broadcast up to date. They have, therefore, missed the playing of Mr. J. D. A. Tripp, the Cherniavsky Trio, the Lodge orchestra, the Gyro Jazz Band and the excellent singing of such artists as Madam Edith Lever Hawes, Miss Kathleen MacDonald, Mr. Russel G. MacLean and others who have performed for The Province.
With the new set the broadcasts will be made even more interesting than in the past. Not only will the most up-to date gramophone records be used, but the services of talented local artists will he secured.
It is hoped that all those who listen in for The Province broadcast on Monday will let the radio department know just what results were obtained. A postcard addressed to the Radio Department, Daily Province, Vancouver, giving a statement or the result obtained will enable a check to be kept on the radiophone apparatus and will be greatly appreciated.

Monday, June 19, 1922
BROADCASTING SET PROVES SUCCESSFUL
Test Programme of New Province Radiophone Is Heard Distinctly.
The new YC3 radiophone sending set of The Province working on a 440-metre wave-length was given a test on Sunday and proved entirely satisfactory.
Vancouver amateurs operating small stations heard The Province station excellently and called up to say so. In New Westminster it was also clearly audible.
Telegraphing from Bellingham, Dr. J. T. Turner said: "Broadcaster excellent. Ten times louder than any other station heard." In Nanaimo the receiving station of the Sparks Company also heard the test and sent a wire to say how well it came in.
Everything is ready for the regular nightly broadcasts which will commence over the new set tonight at 8:30 o'clock. The latest news, including big league baseball scores and other athletic results will be sent out. In addition there will be an attractive programme of gramophone music.
The heart of every radion would be made glad by ownership of The Province set. It is a very compact and neat-looking bit of apparatus. On the left-hand side are the switches used in sending while on the right are the receiving valves, tuning coil switches and many other "gadgets" dear to the heart of the true fan. The two valves which amplify the sound waves before they go up the aerial are located in the centre.

Wednesday, June 21, 1922
PROVINCE BROADCAST CLEARLY AUDIBLE
Shortened Wave Length Is Appreciated By Radio Amateurs.
Shortening the wave length on The Province radiophone sending set from 2000 to 440 metres has proved extremely popular to judge by the numerous communications received from radions.
"With one exception every one of the very many telephone calls, telegrams and postcards have been to the effect that the new broadcaster is working excellently.
From Port Angeles, Wash., Mr. Herman Helgesen wires: "I receive your concerts loud and clear with one detector tube."
Mr. Basil Irvine at Port Coquitlam, in the course of an Interesting letter regarding The Province broadcast, says: "With a valve and good phones you are audible three feet from the phones. Your hum is only slightly audible and with a slight sacrifice in signal strength is entirely eliminated."
Station 5 B in New Westminster, operated by Mr. W. E. Nelson, has picked up CFCB, the signal call of The Province's new set, excellently. "Your reduction in wave length is greatly appreciated," Mr. Nelson writes.
"Music comes in excellently with no distortion," says Mr. Frank Sawford jr. of 2076 Forty-ninth avenue west. Speech while clear was faint the first night, Mr. Sawford reports.
Working with one valve, Mr. R. M. Bradshaw of New Westminster has also been able to enjoy the concerts over the new set to the full. Mr. H. Davidson of Central Park operates a crystal set and has heard exceptionally well. He called up on the telephone to congratulate The Province on the new machine.
During Monday and Tuesday evening telephone calls were very numerous from radions who wished to report that they were hearing the news and music well. The station telephone Is Sey. 567K.

RADIOPHONE BROADCAST
The Province radiophone broadcasts news bulletins and music every night except Sunday between 8:30 and 9:30 o’clock. Station call, CFCB, Wave length 440 metres. Station telephone up till 9 p. m., Seymour 566. After 9 p.m. Seymour 567K.

Thursday, June 22, 1922
POLICE LISTEN IN ON PROVINCE RADIO
New Broadcast Proves Popular, Judged By Numerous Enquiries.
The various police forces in the Greater Vancouver area have gone in for wireless of late. In the district of North Vancouver an aerial and receiving set have been installed at police headquarters. In Vancouver the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Vancouver city police both listen in on The Province each night.
On Wednesday night the electrician of the Vancouver force called up The Province station to say how well the broadcast was being received. With a one-stage amplifier set up in the big room used by members of the force it was possible for all those members of the police force whose duties keen them around headquarters to listen to the news and music, he said. The music and voice were both wonderfully clear according to his report.
So far the police have not used the radiophone for catching wrongdoers. No portable radio receiving sets have been issued to the constables for the purpose of keeping in touch with them as they pace their beats, such as has been done In Chicago, New York and many other American cities.
There are people who ask if interest in radio telephony is being maintained in Vancouver. It would not take them long to decide if they could spend an evening in the radio room of The Province when the broadcast is on. The telephone hardly ever stops ringing. People call up to say how well the broadcast is coming in, to ask for the replaying of some speciaily popular musical number or to seek technical advice. It keeps one man pretty busy answering the calls, but they are quite welcome nevertheless.
Appparently the interest in radiophony is just as intense in other parts of Canada as in Vancouver. According to recent figures no fewer than thirteen new broadcasting stations have been established In Canada since the middle of April. Two of these new stations are in Montreal, two in Toronto, one in Winnipeg, three in Calgary, two in London, one In Ottawa and one in St. John, N.B.
Up to April 15 the number of radiophone broadcasting stations In the United States was 185. Stations were increasing so rapidly when these figures were compiled that alarm was being felt by the department of commerce as to how far the business of broadcasting would go. In October last year, the number of stations in the whole country was about twenty or twenty-five.

Friday, June 23, 1922
WOMAN MEMBER IS HEARD OVER RADIO
Mrs. Smith Gave Reasons For Buying B.C. Products—New Crystal Record.
Mrs. Mary Ellen Smith, M.L.A., spoke over The Province radio set on Thursday night on the subject of "Buy B. C. Products."
Mrs. Smith's address was part of the campaign which is being waged this week to induce more people to buy goods made in this province. She gave some very interesting statistics as to the volume of business which annually goes outside British Columbia and urged her hearers to benefit the province and themselves by purchasing at home.
What is regarded as a new record for receiving with a crystal detector set was established on Tuesday night when the Canadian Government wireless station at Gonzales Hill, Victoria, clearly heard The Province broadcast with this inexpensive type of receiving apparatus. Reports from this station were to the effect that every word of the news bulletins was clearly audible and that the music sounded as loud as if it had come from a gramophone in the same room.

Wednesday, June 28, 1922
HEAR RADIOPHONE AT SPROAT LAKE
New Province Set Successful—Mary Arnold Sings Tonight.
To Miss Mary Arnold, a well-known Vancouver ballad singer, will fall the honor of being the first to sing to radions by way of the new 440-metre radiophone sending set of The Province. Commencing at 8:30 tonight, Miss Arnold is going to sing four ballad numbers.
For her programme she has chosen the following: "Break o’ Day" (Sanderson), "The Prayer Perfect" (Stenson), "Homing" (del Riego), and "If Love is a Dream" (D. Forster). Miss Constance Waterman will play her piano accompaniments.
Reports from outlying points would indicate that the new set of The Province Is bringing pleasure to a large number of people. From Sproat Lake, Vancouver Island, Lieut-Col. Clalr Foster, on the reserve of the Quartermasters Corps, United States army, writes in to extol the excellence of the music received each night.
"I enjoy your broadcasts very much," writes Mr. H. M. Gow from East Sound, Wash. Mr. Gow uses three spider web coils and one volt tube, and has been able to pick up broadcasts from as far east as Great Falls, Montana, about 500 miles from his station.
Up at Gibsons Landing, Mr. William W. Winn has installed a receiving set for the benefit of summer visitors. With the ear phones resting on the table, The Province broadcast comes in so loud that it can be heard all over the room, Mr. Winn writes. The class of music sent out by The Province Is greatly appreciated by him. "I wish to thank you for the happy selection of the pieces played," writes Mr. Winn. "It is refreshing to hear good classical music such as The Province sends out."

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Thursday, June 29, 1922
ROYAL CITY HEARD RADIO PROGRAMME
Mary Arnold First Artist to Test Province Recording Horn.
The singing of Mrs. Mary Arnold over The Provides radiophone on Wednesday night was a great success. After her recital the telephone man at the broadcasting station in The Province Building was kept busy receiving messages of congratulation on behalf of Mrs. Arnold from all parts of Greater Vancouver.
For the purpose of recording singers and other musicians who perform for the radiophone a huge galvanized iron horn has been installed in the radio station. This horn is nearly five feet in diameter and is lined inside and out with asbestos sheets to prevent it from "ringing" when the artists perform. Wednesday night was the first time that it was used and the results obtained were all that could be desired. From the small end of the horn a microphone takes the sound over wires into the sending apparatus where it is amplified and sent out over the aerial to be picked up by receiving stations far and near.
In addition to the four song numbers of Mrs. Arnold the regular news bulletin service was broadcasted and a gramophone concert featuring dance records and classical music sent out.
At New Westminster, St. Paul's Anglican Church held a concert at the home of Mr. F. A. Mark at which The Province radiophone broadcast was the principal feature. After the broadcast was over Rev. H. R. Haddon, rector of St. Paul's sent the following message: "On behalf of my congregation I wish to thank The Province for Its splendid assistance In making our radiophone concert, the first of its kind over held In New Westminster, a huge success. Every number was distinct and as clear as a bell. The solos by Mrs. Arnold were excellent and the news items were exceptionally clear. We were able to distinctly hear every word. The large audience present expressed entire satisfaction with the whole programme."
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