1947
CKUA applied for an FM licence. It was recommended for approval by the CBC Board in December.
1948
CKUA-FM signed on the air on June 28. It broadcast on a frequency of 98.1 MHz and had a power of 250 watts. CKUA-FM simulcast CKUA-AM's programming.
1950
Hon. D.B. MacMillan, provincial minister of public works, announced equipment for the province's CKUA radio would be offered for public sale. Formerly run by the University of Alberta, CKUA had been operated by the province as a non-commercial outlet since April of 1945. Manager Walker Blake had no comment on the possible sale of CKUA. A story in the Edmonton Journal said, "it is understood that a stipulation of the prospective sale will be the new owner's ability to obtain a commercial licence." Edmonton commercial stations CFRN and CJCA had applied to use CKUA-AM's 580 kHz frequency. The CBC board told the applicants that 580 kHz was being used by CKUA so the frequency was not available. This seemed to put to sleep, the possibility that the CKUA stations would be leaving the air.
Walker Blake resigned as manager. He left radio. He was succeeded by John Langdon, drama producer and music commentator at the station.
1955
CKUA moved to the Alberta Block on downtown Edmonton’s Jasper Avenue.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, CKUA pulled back from popular music and concentrated on music not generally found on other stations, experimenting with an eclectic program style combining jazz, classical, folk and other genres. It also introduced talk programs featuring discussion of arts, ideas and current events.
1957
CKUA 98.1 had a power of 352 watts. It had no network affiliation and operated commercial-free. The University of Alberta was listed as the licence holder. The owner was ultimately the Government of Alberta.
1960
Power was increased to 10,000 watts, pushing CKUA’s signal to almost all points in Alberta. Alberta Government Telephones was listed as the licence holder with John W. Hagerman as President.
1967
Slogan: Canada's unique station.
Roger Steinhauer was program director.
1970
June 9 – Federal government directive to CRTC stating that broadcast licences could not be granted to provincial governments, their agents or educational institutions put CKUA’s licence, still held by the university, in jeopardy.
1972
July 13 – Federal government issued a directive allowing a broadcast licence to be held by an independent corporation not directly controlled by a provincial government -- programming must meet a strict definition of “educational programming.”
1973
Alberta government created a crown corporation, the Alberta Educational Communications Corporation (later known as ACCESS), to assume control of CKUA and the province’s educational television operations.
1974
On March 31, the broadcast licences of CKUA-AM and CKUA-FM were transferred from the University of Alberta to the Alberta Educational Communications Corporation. The station was now called ACCESS Radio CKUA.
On December 18, CKUA-FM was authorized to move from 98.1 to 94.9 MHz, increase effective radiated power from 352 watts to 64,000 watts, change from an omnidirectional to directional antenna, broadcast in stereo, and operate from a new transmitter site.
CKUA was authorized to add transmitters at Calgary (93.7 MHz with directional effective radiated power of 74,000 watts) and Lethbridge (99.3 MHz with directional ERP of 100,000 watts).
1975
On October 1, the technical changes approved last December went into effect. CKUA was now broadcasting in stereo on new frequency – 94.9 MHz.
A transmitter was authorized for Medicine Hat (97.3 MHz with ERP of 100,000 watts, non-directional).
1976
On February 27, CKUA-FM began its planned construction of 15 FM repeaters throughout the province. The expansion began on this date with the launch of the Lethbridge (99.3 MHz) and Medicine Hat (97.3 MHz) transmitters.
The Calgary (93.7 MHz) transmitter signed on September 10.
On November 21, the Peace River (96.9 MHz) transmitter opened.
The Grande Prairie transmitter (100.9 MHz) was launched.
The licence for CKUA AM-FM and the FM network of the Alberta Educational Communications Corp. was renewed for only two years. The CRTC was concerned about the provincial Act establishing AECC contained a potential for lessening the independence of the Corporation and wished to assess, on a continuing basis, its eligibility to hold licences. The programming of the stations must also be educational and distinctly different from other broadcasting services.
1979-80
John Mann was appointed general manager, technical services.
1980
On February 23, the Red Deer transmitter opened (101.3 MHz, 100,000 watts).
ACCESS received approval to use SCMO for experimental educational purposes. SCMO would be used on the Grande Prairie and Peace River transmitters on a temporary basis.
1981
On July 13, CKUA opened the Hinton transmitter (102.5 MHz, 20 watts - not 98.3 as originally proposed). Transmitters opened on the same date at Edson (103.7 MHz, 20 watts), Whitecourt (107.1 MHz, 20 watts) and Fort McMurray (96.7 MHz, 20 watts).
1982
On February 1, the Athabasca transmitter opened (98.3 MHz, 20 watts).
Peter L. Senchuk was named president of Access Alberta, succeeding Larry Shorter. He had been vice president and general manager of CKSA-AM-TV Lloydminster. At this time he was president of the Broadcast Association of Alberta and a director of CAB.
Jack Hagerman retired after 33 years with CKUA.
The Drumheller/Hanna rebroadcaster (91.3 MHz, 100,000 watts) opened December 31.
1983
A transmitter (99.5 MHz, 50 watts) was opened January 14 at Spirit River.
1984
Don Thomas was general manager of Access Alberta Radio.
1985
On June 30, CKUA-FM began feeding its FM network of repeaters via the Anik C3 satellite replacing the original microwave system.
1987
On June 10, the Banff/Canmore repeater opened on 104.3 MHz. Power was 84 watts.
1990
CKUA-FM was authorized to move its transmitter site from one located about 9 km from Edmonton to one situated about 16 km southeast of the city. It would be co-located with Access Alberta's yet to go on the air CJAL-TV. The change would result in improved coverage.
1992
The Access Radio Network received approval for a rebroadcaster at Lloydminster (200 watts on FM channel 248).
1993
Access appointed Don Thomas as president and chief executive officer. His 44 years in broadcasting included 21 years at CFCN in Calgary. At Access, he was general manager of CKUA Radio for seven years, and interim president for the past 14 months.
1994
ACCESS entered an agreement to sell the CKUA radio network to the not-for-profit CKUA Radio Foundation. The Alberta government would provide transitional funding for the move: $2.6 million in year one, $1.3 million in year two and $650,000 in year three. Public support would be required to continued the operation of the Edmonton AM and province-wide FM service.
1995
CKUA Radio Foundation purchased CKUA-AM-FM and its 15 FM rebroadcast transmitters from Alberta Educational Communications. The nominal purchase price was ten dollars. CKUA Radio Foundation would receive grants from the provincial government for a three year transition period. Licensed to August 31, 2000, CKUA would be allowed to sell up to 504 minutes of restricted advertising per week. The station would continue with its alternative format, and offer at least 6.5 hours per week of formal educational programming.
1996
Chairman Gail Hinchliffe announced CKUA could now be heard around the world thanks to the internet.
1997
Just weeks after celebrating its 70th anniversary, CKUA went silent at midnight, March 20. A new board of directors was hoping to return the station to the air. The CKUA network had operated on an annual budget of $2.8 million, and had been struggling to attract commercial sponsors and public donations since the cancellation of provincial funding. The controversial chairman of the CKUA foundation, Gail Inchliffe, was asked to resign. Employees had been laid off and others were forced to take wage cuts of up to 40%. Three weeks after the station closed, the foundation was replaced by the Save Alberta Public Radio Society, led by musician Tommy Banks. After five weeks of silence, CKUA returned to the air on April 25. With the new board seeking funding for a $1.4 million budget, all-request fund-raising programs were the order of the day. Edmonton lawyer Bud Steen was the new chairman. Tommy Banks headed up the fundraising committee. Other directors included Orv Kope (former GM of CHAT Medicine Hat) and Terry Wickham (producer of folk festivals in the province). Alberta's audiotor general found nine cases in which the previous board violated its agreement to take over the network in 1994 in return for $4.7 million.
The station resumed operations on April 25.
When CKUA returned to the air in April, it had half of its former staff. Jack Hagerman came out of retirement to act as operations manager. He joined CKUA in 1949 and retired in the 1980s.
Listeners supported CKUA to the tune of $1.1 million during a two week fundraising drive. That was double the goal. Some 16 staffers were hired back, taking pay cuts of ten to 15%.
1998
The CRTC approved the purchase of the radio division of ACCESS (CKUA-AM, CKUA-FM and its 15 rebroadcasters) for Ten Dollars by CKUA Radio Foundation. The Foundation received provincial grants for three years and was allowed to sell up to 504 minutes per week of restricted advertising. CKUA-FM thus became part of an independent foundation. The TV division of ACCESS was sold to CHUM Limited of Toronto.
2000
CKUA Radio Foundation’s Group 3 Specialty (AM & FM simulcast) licence was renewed through August 2007.
2002
CKUA celebrated its 75th anniversary.
Following a successful spring fundraiser, listener support reached 60% of the network’s revenue. The remainder of CKUA’s budget came from advertising and a fee-for-service contract to operate Alberta’s Emergency Public Warning System.
2003
CKUA-AM and FM began broadcasting 24 hours a day.
2008
CKUA-FM received approval to reduce the average effective radiated power of CKUA-FM-3 Medicine Hat from 100,000 watts to 63,000 watts (maximum power would remain 100,000 watts), switch to a directional antenna, and decrease effective antenna height from 221.5 metres to 219.5 metres.
Written by Bill Dulmage - Updated June, 2010
