1923
Jim Taylor and Hugh Pearson (who, over the next 50 years, went on to play a dominant role in the development of Canadian radio broadcasting), then the operators of Radio Supply Company, put Edmonton's second radio station on the air. CFCK, utilizing a 50-watt transmitter built by Alan Matz and Ted Sacker, broadcast from a studio on the top floor of the Royal George Hotel at 10229 - 101 Street. On 580 kHz, CFCK shared airtime with the Journal's CJCA. 

1925
University of Alberta (U of A) Department of Extension began broadcasting weekly lectures aimed at a rural audience, using free air time on CJCA.

1927
U of A Extension Department bought CFCK and changed the call letters to CKUA ("UA" for the University of Alberta). In a letter to the Department of Marine and Fisheries requesting a transfer of CFCK’s private commercial licence, university president Henry Marshall Tory wrote that “the work carried on by us will be of a purely educational character.”

November 21 -- CKUA signed on, powered by a 500-watt transmitter built by W.W. Grant (then operating CFCN in Calgary). The transmitter consisted of two 80-foot-tall farm windmill towers topped by 20-foot masts. Because of a glitch on opening night, CKUA couldn’t be heard on its own frequency, so Grant took CFCN off the air and let CKUA broadcast on the Calgary station’s frequency.

CKUA shared 580 kHz with three other stations and broadcast only during the academic year, September through June.

CKUA’s programming during its first decade tended toward classical music, lectures and historical dramas, but also included formal courses and live broadcasts of sporting events.

Sid Lancaster joined CKUA, starting his radio career.

1930
To extend its reach, CKUA made a deal with 1,000-watt CKLC Red Deer whereby CKLC carried simultaneous broadcasts of CKUA’s lecture program.  

1930-31
CKUA became affiliated with the CNR national network. 

1934
CKUA was granted exclusive use of the 580 frequency.

CKUA collaborated with CFAC Calgary and CJOC Lethbridge to form the Foothills Network, which disseminated the U of A’s agricultural lectures. CKUA also used the network to set up a “Citizen’s Forum” between Edmonton and Calgary.

Sid Lancaster left CKUA for CFRN.

1935
Sid Lancaster started in radio with the University Players on CKUA.

1936
Foothills Network ended. CKUA formed Alberta Educational Network with CFCN Calgary and, later, CJCJ Calgary. This network lasted until 1940.

1937
CKUA entered an agreement with the CBC to carry some CBC programs not carried by the national broadcaster’s official Edmonton outlet, CJCA. 
 
1939
Government of Alberta began a formal school broadcast program using CKUA facilities.

1944
CKUA began sending news and weather reports by telephone line to CFWH Whitehorse at the request of the American army, which was in the North building the Alaska Highway.     

Strapped for funds, the University of Alberta decided to sell CKUA’s assets to the Government of Alberta, which expected to take over the licence and operate the station commercially. The federal Department of Transport turned down The University of Alberta's application for a commercial licence for CKUA. The university had a licence to carry purely educational programs. 

1945
May 1 -- Alberta Government Telephones assumed operation of CKUA while the university still held the licence. The university continued to program the station for three hours a day, Monday through Friday.

CKUA’s studios were re-located to the downtown Provincial Building.

F. Walter Blake became CKUA's manager. He had been assistant manager at CJCA.

Efforts were again being made to obtain a commercial licence for CKUA, the station formerly operated by the University of Alberta and now in the charge of Alberta Government Telephones. The application for commercial status was again turned down.

1946
The federal government announced a decision that broadcasting licences would not be issued to other governments or corporations owned by other governments, leaving the Alberta government in the awkward position of owning and operating a radio station with a licence held by the University of Alberta. Although this was illegal, the federal government turned a blind eye to the situation for more than 25 years. 

On May 4, the CBC (broadcast regulator) refused to grant a public commercial licence to CKUA. It also turned down the station’s application to build a 50,000 watt transmitter at Red Deer. Alberta Telephones Minister W.A. Fallow said the federal government was determined "to make a closed corporation of the national broadcasting facilities of Canada."

Over the next decade the station took on a more commercial sound, presenting pop music, news, sports and ethnic programs in addition to university programming, school broadcasts and classical music.

1947
Walker Blake was manager.

CKUA applied for an FM licence. It was recommended for approval by the CBC Board in December.

1948
CKUA-FM was licenced on 98.1 MHz. with 250 watts to simulcast CKUA-AM’s programming; signed on June 28.

1949
Jim McRae left CKUA for Toronto where he became a freelancer.

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."

With CKUA reportedly ready to close down, CJCA and CFRN applied to use CKUA's 580 kHz frequency. The CBC Board of Governors told the applicants that 580 kHz was being used by CKUA so the frequency was not available.

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 580 had a power of 1,000 watts (non-directional). One listing had it being owned by the University of Alberta (owned by the Government of Alberta) while another had the owner as Alberta Government Telephones. CKUA had no network affiliation. John Hagerman was manager and program director.

1960
Power was increased to 10,000 watts, pushing CKUA’s signal to almost all points in Alberta.

1967
CKUA marked its 40th anniversary on November 21.

Slogan: Canada's unique station.

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.

1976
ACCESS began expanding CKUA-FM transmitter coverage throughout Alberta. The CKUA Radio Network would eventually include 580 AM, plus 16 FM transmitters. 

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.

1978
CKUA began regular broadcasts of Question Period from the Alberta Legislature. 

1980
CKUA created a unit to dramatically increase production of instructional programs and documentaries to meet “educational broadcasting” licence requirements.

CKUA began a partnership with Athabasca University, Alberta’s distance learning university. Over the next decade, CKUA and Athabasca University collaborated to develop programs to supplement the university’s courses.

1982
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.

1984
Don Thomas was general manager of Access Alberta Radio.

1985
Alberta government discontinued school broadcasts, creating a funding shortfall for CKUA.

1987
Alberta government considered selling CKUA, but backed down after a massive letter-writing campaign by listeners.

CKUA held its first semi-annual on-air fund drive to supplement its government support.

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.

April 14 -- CKUA Radio Foundation board stepped down and turned over control to a new board. 

April 25 -- CKUA resumed broadcasting with staff volunteering for one month without pay.

August 7 – Alberta government released a forensic accounting review finding that the former directors of the CKUA Radio Foundation breached their fiduciary duty by receiving remuneration from CKUA without prior court approval. 

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.

(In May) 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%.

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.

Written by Bill Dulmage with additional information from Marylu Walters (from her book: CKUA: Radio Worth Fighting For) - Updated July, 2010