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Radio Documentaries On YouTube
You can find just about anything on YouTube - including documentaries on local stations and other radio. Here are just a couple of some interesting videos I found while poking around the site.
1944 On The Air
A vintage history of the medium from a long time ago. It's very dated, but it's a look at radio in its early days.
Revisiting the Studios of American Top 40
You remember the show but not long after it was created, there were questions about where to produce it every week. This rather unique video looks at AT40's long journey from one studio to another.
How Todd Storz Invented Top 40
The title says it all. A look at the origin of the format you grew up with, focusing on the man who first discovered it off a jukebox.
And finally:
CHUM 40th Anniversary Special May 28, 1997
It ran on City TV in 1997 but is forever preserved on YouTube. A ton of interviews, some great vintage pics and a look back at one of the true pioneers of Toronto radio.
- BowmanvilleBob
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The 1944 documentary was interesting for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the concept of "stratovision" to allow TV and radio signals to reach larger audiences outside of the metro broadcasting areas. The discussion on this interesting topic begins around the 21:00 mark in the documentary, but you can also learn more about it here:
"It's Stratovision"
- Forward Power
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Re: Radio Documentaries On YouTube
Portions of the CKLW documentary from the early 2000s are on the production company's YT channel, but I haven't yet found the doc in its entirety.
- mace
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After listening to the Todd Storz documentary, I wonder if Allan Waters looked into WHB and WQAM before making his final decision on what to do with CHUM's format. Despite stiff competition from FM stations in the mid 1970's, WHB continued with its top 40 format for an amazing 31 years. [1954-85] I am sure if Top 40 had been permitted on FM in Canada, CHUM, CKOC and CKLW would have all moved the format to FM very early 1980's.
- Dale Patterson
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mace wrote:
After listening to the Todd Storz documentary, I wonder if Allan Waters looked into WHB and WQAM before making his final decision on what to do with CHUM's format. Despite stiff competition from FM stations in the mid 1970's, WHB continued with its top 40 format for an amazing 31 years. [1954-85] I am sure if Top 40 had been permitted on FM in Canada, CHUM, CKOC and CKLW would have all moved the format to FM very early 1980's.
He did listen to WQAM on a trip to Florida, according to "The CHUM Story" book.
"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
- TheWiz
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My favourite one is Ken Burns "Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio"
For those who like the technical side of the industry, this is a must watch.
Last edited by TheWiz (May 6, 2025 6:36 pm)
- paterson1
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CKLW FM would have moved to some sort of a rock format back in the early 80's, but I am not sure it would have been the same format as CKLW AM. The Big 8 had a dated sound by the early 80's and was already moving away from top 40 and more adult hits. CKLW FM could very well have ended up with a album rock format which was popular at the time in Detroit. If CKLW FM had adopted a top 40 Big 8 format, what becomes of CKLW AM?
In the early 80's in Toronto, CHFI, Q107 or CKFM would have been more likely to flip to top 40 if it had been allowed on FM. But what happens to CFTR which was doing well on AM with top 40 if CHFI flipped? Simulcast CHFI and CFTR? Not going to happen. CKO was struggling with it's all news format and making no headway against news heavy CFRB, CBC and CKEY AM. So all news wouldn't be an option for CFTR.
CHUM AM and CKOC would have had to find an FM frequency to move to. CKOC didn't have an FM sister station until 1986. CHUM FM was doing well in the early 80's with it's album rock format, so not so sure they would have flipped to top 40. In the early 80's oddly enough CHUM AM was sounding less and less like a true top 40 station with a heavier format that included album cuts.