Mystery Radio Building

[jon]

What you see above is a photo taken within the last 2-3 years of a very famous radio station building. To the best of my knowledge, the building is currently vacant, though a restaurant occupied the site as recently as 5 years ago. Which, of course, means that the radio station hasn't been there in decades.

If you're game, lets play Name That Building.

In the morning, I'll have a couple of shots of the building in its heyday. Side by side, it is very clear that it is the same building. Despite significant renovations after the station departed.

[Mike Cleaver]

Looks a little like the old CKXL building in Calgary.
I had a shot of the building when it was still in use taken in 1971 but I can't track it down.
There was a small park in front of it as well.
I recall the building was white at that time and the station was upstairs.

[jon]

Great guess, though sadly not correct.

I should have mentioned at the outset that these shots (this one and any future ones) are taken by Google and I've obtained them through StreetView.

One hint: this building was custom built for the radio station involved.

[freqfreak2]

That site was once the home of Mighty 630 CHED. The entire operation was situated on the lower level, practically the basement.

[jon]

Right you are!

Here is Bob Coe's picture of the building:



A more recent version can be found at the bottom of this page: http://www.soundspark.com/NewSoundsparkMemorabillia.htm
And a different era one at the top of this page: http://www.soundspark.com/NewSoundsparkScrapbook2.htm
(I prefer not to display the picture directly here without Keith James' permission)

[jon]

Wrong again (me), I'm afraid!

A former CHED DJ just sent me a message through this board telling me, quite correctly that this building is NOT the CHED building, but the one next door visible in the Bob Coe picture, on the right. He is right, of course.

He also reminded me that the name of the restaurant that occupied this yellow building until recently is Il Portico.

Although not shown in my picture from Google StreetView, this all means that the CHED building was leveled and was Il Portico's main entrance, patio, a sidewalk and some trees. And the building to left in Bob Coe's picture was Il Portico's parking lot on the corner.

[jon]

Here is what I mean:

[Tape Splicer]

The link below is to a google street view of a building (top left) that sits on the south east corner of a downtown Vancouver intersection. The radio stations that were there in it's own building "rocked' Vancouver and people also learned their craft in a basement school at the same location ... can you name the stations and school?


http://cbk1.google.com/cbk?output=thumb ... =300&h=118

[radiofan]

The link below is to a google street view of a building (top left) that sits on the south east corner of a downtown Vancouver intersection. The radio stations that were there in it's own building "rocked' Vancouver and people also learned their craft in a basement school at the same location ... can you name the stations and school?


http://cbk1.google.com/cbk?output=thumb ... =300&h=118

This pic is way to small to see anything .. but I'll guess it's 1006 Richards home of CKLG, CKLG-FM and The National Institute of Broadcasting.

[Tape Splicer]

Bingo! I could not figure how to copy andpaste the larger google street view image, so I copied the link to the image. I would have liked to have had a larger image. good eye "radiofan". I was tempted to post the building two blocks north that housed a radio station until 13 years ago.

[Tape Splicer]

The link below shows the image of the building (at left) which was the home of a radio station where language was not an problem.


http://cbk0.google.com/cbk?output=thumb ... =300&h=118

[radiofan]

The only other station I ever recall being on Richards Street was CJVB 1470.

[Tape Splicer]

Radiofam; you are correct. In the final weeks before Fairchild moved the station from Richards street to Broadway and Cambie (at the time combining with their Richmond operation). the cjvb sign was hanging up-side-down on the building face as a cue to the sign company to remove it from the building. It was hard to go in to work and see the sign that way. But that was then....

[radiofan]

Not many old radio station buildings become a Blockbuster store then a Salvation Army Thrift Store ..

That's what has become of the old FUN House at 4th and Cypress in Vancouver ..

[Tape Splicer]

I remember going to C-FUN each week to borrow a box of records to use while doing a weekly "DJ" show over my high school's PA system ('67-'68). I enjoyed hanging out there allowing myself to be infected with the "radio bug" As I recall Terry David Mulligan was at CKLG at the time did some ID's for me to use. great fun... About the same time I was doing the DJ show, I met Jack Cullen at his "Howe Street Social Club" during one summer afternoon... A very nice fellow very encouraging, he told me to keep trying and not give up on my radio dream.