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A Look Back At When Cdn. Radio Was Young - From A 1953 Perspective
I came across this article from MacLean's Magazine. It was written and published in 1953 but was looking back somewhat nostalgically at the 1920s and 30s, the early days of radio in Canada. It's not for everyone, but there certainly are a lot of interesting anecdotes and stories about that time that I'd never heard of.
It tells the story of what's believed to be the first ever radio broadcast in Toronto, and the excitement it created. And it claims that a station called CJGC in Winnipeg was the first ever licenced by the government - not CFCF. CKPR was in Midland and CFCO was in Montreal. It talks about the first person to ever broadcast a hockey game - and his name wasn't Foster Hewitt. And it reveals a ton of accidental bloopers caused by the primitive equipment in use back then and the people who didn't quite know what they were doing with it.
Finally, it shows that even then, as some here miss CHUM and CKFH, there was nostalgia for an era that was also long in the past. Worth a read if you like radio history you may never have known about.
MacLean's' Magazine 1953: Remember When Radio Was The Rage?
- MJ Vancouver
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Re: A Look Back At When Cdn. Radio Was Young - From A 1953 Perspective
I think the magazine might be wrong about CJGC starting in Winnipeg. Those were the call letters of the Free Press station, alright - but in London. That station started in 1922 and is now CFPL.
It would be easy for someone to confuse the two Free Press papers, which have never been under common ownership. (Heck, in Southwestern Ontario the “Free Press” could even refer to Detroit’s paper.)
Last edited by MJ Vancouver (February 12, 2021 11:57 am)
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Re: A Look Back At When Cdn. Radio Was Young - From A 1953 Perspective
MJ Vancouver wrote:
I think the magazine might be wrong about CJGC starting in Winnipeg. Those were the call letters of the Free Press station, alright - but in London. That station started in 1922 and is now CFPL.
It would be easy for someone to confuse the two Free Press papers, which have never been under common ownership. (Heck, in Southwestern Ontario the “Free Press” could even refer to Detroit’s paper.)
To make things even more confusing than just the dual Free Presses, I think there's a typo in the original MacLean's story.
According to the History of Canadian Broadcasting site, CJCG was owned by the Winnipeg Free Press and came on the air in 1922, and was, indeed the very first commercial radio licence ever given out in Canada on May 1st of that year. The station lost money right from the start and was gone by 1923.
CJGC (the last two letters reversed) were the call letters of what would become CFPL and started in September, 1922.
So as mind numbing as it is, CJCG technically beat CJGC by a few months.
The article has the latter as the Winnipeg calls. I can see how that can happen, given the similarities between both of them. What an odd coincidence of history.
CJGC-AM, London
CJCG-AM, Winnipeg
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Re: A Look Back At When Cdn. Radio Was Young - From A 1953 Perspective
But wait, there's more! According to Blackburn Radio's site of its own history:
1932: "Unhappy with the growth of radio, Arthur Blackburn strikes up a deal to merge CJGC-AM with Windsor’s CKOK-AM. CKLW-AM is born, with the goal to serve both the London and Windsor Market."
But then, in 1933:
"The merger between CJGC and CKOK sparked outrage from London residents and businessmen, forcing the Blackburns to withdraw from their partnership and open a new station in London, CFPL-AM."
Which means CKLW actually came before CFPL, which started as part of CJGC, which was not CJCG, which was in Winnipeg.
Anyone else feeling a bit dizzy?
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Re: A Look Back At When Cdn. Radio Was Young - From A 1953 Perspective
Thanks to Alan Cross for the SOWNY shout out in his latest post. I wasn't even aware he visited the site. Appreciate it Mr. Cross!
A Journal of Musical Things
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