Broadcast History - October 30

[jon]

In 1999, Stuart Craig died two days before he was inducted into the CAB Hall of Fame. His father led a group of Brandon businessmen who bought CKX Brandon from Manitoba Government Telephones, when the provincial government was forced (by the federal government) to sell CKY and CKX just after World War II. Stuart succeeded his father as President and General Manager of CKX, by then an AM, FM and television station. And launched Craig Broadcast Systems, which expanded into other areas, both geographically and technology-wise. At the time of his death, his three sons held key positions in the company. In the years that followed, some stations were sold to Standard Radio, and the rest of the company sold to CHUM in 2004.



In 2001, Jack Stark passed away at the age of 83 in Vancouver. It may well have been exactly 30 years prior that I first met him, as a part-time Operator at CHQM AM & FM at 1134 Burrard Street in Vancouver. He stopped by the station record library, as he often did, to find some albums to take home to listen to on the weekend. Jack was friendly and eager to talk, as I helped him find what he was looking for. He made sure that I knew that it was he, not station manager Bill Bellman, who had put up most of the money to start CHQM. Mr. Bellman's share was only 15%, he informed me.

And it was only two years later that the chickens came home to roost, as Bill Bellman took CHQM-AM to light rock. And Jack took Bill out the back door for the last time. I don't believe that Bill was ever involved with CHQM after that.

It was not until I read Jack's bio at http://broadcasting-history.ca/personalities/stark-jack that I realized that he loved radio as a teenager, both as a DX'er and creator, producer and host of a program on CJOR in 1935.

A decade before his death, Jack sold CHQM to CHUM "for estate planning purposes", but continued his involvement in radio with Fairchild (CJVB/CHKG-FM) as Vice Chairman. He was named Broadcaster of the Year in 1998 by the B.C. Association of Broadcasters, and posthumously inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame in 2003.