Broadcast History - April 25

[jon]

In 1928, Toronto's CFRB-960 increased power to 5000 watts at a time when it was still sharing the frequency with CKGW. Later, CFRB would be the #1-rated station in Toronto, but 1928 was only the station's second year on the air. As 9RB in 1927, the station was built to demonstrate that radio stations could run solely on AC (Alternating Current), rather than the batteries and motorized DC converters currently in use. In fact, the call letters stood for Canada's First Rogers Batteryless. The founder was Ted Rogers, who died in 1939 when Ted Jr. was only five years old. The late Ted Jr. headed the Rogers media empire until his death in 2008. Rogers Sr. also built a company around radio receivers that would run on AC, rather than batteries.

In 1986, CFRY-920 in Portage La Prairie (Manitoba) was granted a power increase from 10,000 watts to 25,000 watts day and 15,000 watts night.



In 1988, the CRTC turned down a (AM-FM) swap between Toronto's Adult Contemporary CKEY-590 and All News CKO-FM-2.

In 1991, CKKC-1390 in Nelson (B.C.) was given permission to move to 880 KHz, but had to decrease their night power to 700 watts from the previous 1000 watts. Their day power remained at 1000 watts. CHQT Edmonton had already moved from 1110 KHz to 880 KHz with 50,000 watts, so the logic of the CKKC frequency change eludes me.

In 1996, the CBC French TV (Radio-Canada) CBLFT-TV-25 was licensed to decrease video power to 615,600 watts, after a peak of 2,140,000 watts in 1976. The station originally signed on March 23, 1973, but became a mere repeater of Ottawa's CBOFT-TV after CRTC approval on June 28, 1991.

Other transmitter News on this day in 1996: 50,000 watt CFGO-1200 Ottawa had to move its stick 7.5 km SW of the existing site after interference complaints by local residents.

In 1997, CKUA signed on after more than a month off the air. After the CKUA Radio Foundation shut the station down on March 20th, the following were but a few of the measures required to save the station:

• a new Board of Directors;
• staff volunteering their first month without pay;
• staff taking a 50% salary cut, which required IBEW union buy-in;
• a two week on-air fundraiser beginning May 2.

CKUA is a totally simulcast Alberta network of 16 FM transmitters spread throughout the province.

In 2001, Vancouver's CKST-1040 switched to All Sports as "The Team - 110% Sports". The previous format had been a mixture of Adult Standards and 1970 CHQM.



In 2005, one of at least two Flin Flon natives who became Edmonton radio legends, passed away: Wes Montgomery had been Morning Drive since 1968 in Edmonton, first at CHED, then CKRA-FM, CISN-FM, CFRN-AM and, finally, CFCW-AM. Prior to that, he had been doing Sports since 1959 at CKSA-TV in Lloydminster, then CFQC AM & TV in Saskatoon before moving to CHED to be Sports Director in 1964. He was 66.

Wes Montgomey pic, bio and CHED "Good Morning" jingle in 2014's "Jingle Of The Day" section http://www.radiowest.ca/forum/viewtopic ... 53&t=16885