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The Man Behind CKNX Wingham Gets A Tribute
His name was W.T. Cruickshank and he turned his amateur radio station into a mini-empire in a very small town. He started CKNX, first on radio and then on TV, making Wingham the smallest market in Canada to have an actual TV station. The television arm is long gone, but there are three radio stations in the city that trace their roots directly back to him.
The story at the link is about a local festival which will present a play about his life, but the video is worth a watch, thanks to some vintage black and white shots of the station's early days. It harkens back to a day when things were much simpler in the industry - including the weather graphics.
The story of a broadcasting pioneer
- BowmanvilleBob
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My late mother-in-law lived in Kincardine, part of the CKNX coverage area. Although she detested country music, she tuned in everyday at 11:45 am for the obituaries and for the noon news. If we were visiting, we were instructed to listen in absolute silence until after the weather forecast at the end of the news. Normal activity was then allowed to resume.
- darcyh
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In 1964 my parents bought a cottage at Sauble Beach. CKNX-TV, channel 8 was the only station we could receive. Even with an outdoor antenna the picture had a bit of snow. It was part of the CBC network and we watched the moon walk on CKNX-TV.
I recall in the early 70's CKNX added a FM station at 101.9. This was the only FM signal we could receive. They had a rock music show every week day from 4 - 6 pm known as four o'clock rock.
Again, in the early 70's, I was sure happy when CKCO-TV Kitchener fired up a new transmitter (located north of Wiarton) on channel 2 to rebroadcast its signal. This gave us twice the choice in viewing options.
CKNX-TV eventually stopped producing their own content and rebroadcast CFPL from London. It appears operation costs like the electricity bill for the transmitter, the pending change to digital and possible frquency repack versus the revenue generated by over the air reception probably sealed its fate. The channel eight analoge signal was turned off. The broacast tower near Formosa is used for the FM stations.
Last edited by darcyh (December 18, 2024 12:01 pm)
- paterson1
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CKNX AM 920 was a little like CBC Radio One. Listeners of 920 in mid-western Ontario would turn the station on in the morning and leave it on all day. So the hours tuned were unbelievable, which is great for advertisers. Needless to say, their listeners were very loyal, even though Kitchener and London radio was available.
AM 920, similar to CFOS in Owen Sound had lots of features, information, news, talk. For music they played country. Most of CKNX's revenue for the two radio stations and TV didn't come from Wingham but rather from the Huron,Bruce and Grey region and the communities in that area.
When you tuned in CKNX you would hear more advertising, and news from Hanover, Walkerton, Listowel, Kincardine, Port Elgin, Durham, Goderich, Palmerston than Wingham. Today Wingham has a population of a little over 3,000.
Like the report mentioned, the CKNX building holds the three radio stations. Not sure if the highschool next door still rents out space for a few classrooms. F.E. Madill Highschool in Wingham used part of the building for a time after CKNX TV became a repeater of CFPL TV and ceased any production.
- unclefester
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Went for a job interview there many many years ago
- Dani Elwell
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My uncle Roy Major was a broadcast engineer for CKNX. Love looking at old pics of him from there.
d.
Thread Starter- paterson1
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Re: The Man Behind CKNX Wingham Gets A Tribute
On the CTV London segment yesterday the graphic identified the reporter as Scott Miller CKNX TV. A nice touch since Scott, as he mentioned is all that is left of the TV station in Wingham. Scott was also the reporter in the clip from CKNX's last day in 2009.
Owner of CKNX Doc Cruickshank died on February 28, 1971, the day before the Blackburn Group out of London officially took over CKNX AM and TV. Years later when Blackburn Media sold the London Free Press, CFPL TV, CKNX TV along with CFPL AM and FM, the only broadcasting segment they held onto was CKNX AM and FM.
- MJ Vancouver
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paterson1 wrote:
On the CTV London segment yesterday the graphic identified the reporter as Scott Miller CKNX TV. A nice touch since Scott, as he mentioned is all that is left of the TV station in Wingham. Scott was also the reporter in the clip from CKNX's last day in 2009.
Owner of CKNX Doc Cruickshank died on February 28, 1971, the day before the Blackburn Group out of London officially took over CKNX AM and TV. Years later when Blackburn Media sold the London Free Press, CFPL TV, CKNX TV along with CFPL AM and FM, the only broadcasting segment they held onto was CKNX AM and FM.
There are several CTV London reporters who got their start at CKNX-TV. Sean Irvine and Bryan Bicknell both started there before moving to CFPL. Sean Irvine was the reporter who broke the Walkerton water tragedy story in May 2000 on CKNX.
Last edited by MJ Vancouver (December 18, 2024 4:22 pm)
- haydenmatthews14
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Re: The Man Behind CKNX Wingham Gets A Tribute
On the CTV London segment yesterday the graphic identified the reporter as Scott Miller CKNX TV. A nice touch since Scott, as he mentioned is all that is left of the TV station in Wingham. Scott was also the reporter in the clip from CKNX's last day in 2009.
Owner of CKNX Doc Cruickshank died on February 28, 1971, the day before the Blackburn Group out of London officially took over CKNX AM and TV. Years later when Blackburn Media sold the London Free Press, CFPL TV, CKNX TV along with CFPL AM and FM, the only broadcasting segment they held onto was CKNX AM and FM.There are several CTV London reporters who got their start at CKNX-TV. Sean Irvine and Bryan Bicknell both started there before moving to CFPL. Sean Irvine was the reporter who broke the Walkerton water tragedy story in May 2000 on CKNX.
Here is a clip of Sean Irvine doing the election coverage from Wingham in 2003.
CKNX-TV Wingham - 2003 Municipal Election Special