1944
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| BIll Rae |
On April 1, CKNW was licensed to operate at 250 watts, on 1230 KHz. The transmitter would be on Lulu Island. The station was owned by William Rea Jr. CKNW would use a Northern Electric 200 watt transmitter.
Staff appointments: Ross McIntyre (formerly of CKWX) as chief engineer - put CKNW together, David M. Armstrong (formerly of CKBI) as commercial manager, and Bill Fox (formerly of CKOV) would be program director. CKNW would use the following services: World Broadcasting System library and British United Press wire service.
On August 15, CKNW began daily broadcasts from the Hotel Windsor Building, New Westminster. The station was scheduled to officially open on September 1.
The station officially signed on September 1, playing both live and recorded Country and Western music. Morning host was sixteen-year-old Jim Cox; chief announcer Bill Duncan with Dave Armstrong and Ross MacIntyre. From the outset, the station ran hourly newscasts from 6 a.m. to midnight, unique in its day.
On September 18, Bill Rea hosted the first broadcast of “The Roving Mike”. Starting off as a morning show remote, Fridays and Saturdays, Bill Rea would interview passersby. It would finally culminate with over 15,000 total broadcasts.
1944-45
Donald Wilson joined CKNW as announcer & commentator. He had worked in the past at CBM Montreal and CJOR Vancouver.
1945
Bill Rea and CKNW established the CKNW Orphans' Fund to raise money for orphaned children at The Loyal Protestant Home. $1,200 was raised the first year.
Omar Blondahl left CKNW for CKMO's announce staff. Patsy Smethurst was appointed traffic manager.
The B.C. government certified the Radio Stations Employees Union (Local 23757) as sole bargaining agent between management and employees of CJOR, CKWX, CKMO and CKNW. The union was affiliated with the AFL.
Bud Rogers and McIntosh McDonald joined CKNW's production department following active service. Both had been with CJCA in Edmonton. Al Reush joined CKNW production from CJCA.
1946
On January 3, Hal Davis joined CKNW as Copy Chief to begin over fifty years with the company.
On September 1, future GM and Roving Mike personality, Bill Hughes, came to CKNW. “Bill Hughes with the News” became a familiar voice. Hughues had been with CKWX and was hired at CKNW as "special" newscaster.
Ken Hutchison joined the CKNW announce staff. Alan McNab was CKNW's continuity editor. Euice Hoffman joined CKNW from CJCJ Calgary's continuity department. Eunice Hoffman joined CKNW's continuity department after stints with CJCJ Calgary and CFRN Edmonton.
David M. Armstrong was appointed assistant manager of CKNW. He had been commercial manager since 1944. He started his career at CFCT (CJVI) VIctoria around 1939, as technician and announcer. He then went to CKBI Prince Albert as program director and then did a two year stint as salesman at Vancouver's CKMO.
Gladys Hansen joined CKNW to take over continuity editing from Dot Tupper. Allan MacNab was appointed production manager. He had been staff pianist and continuity writer. Warren Johnstone was the announcer on "Breakfast Time". Ferdie Baglo and Bon Fox produced the new CKNW staff paper, ChucKles and NeWs (the CKNW calls are in the title). Sports commentator Leo Nicholson was on the air twice a week with a new season of lacrosse game coverage. Larry McCance was an announcer at CKNW. Hal Davis and Warren Johnstone were heard on-air at CKNW. Marg Duncan, with CKNW since its inception, left the station to move to London, England. Ed Dahlin was on-air at CKNW. Just out of the navy, former newspaperman Stan Moncreiff joined CKNW as the new editor. Former CKNW scripter Allen McNab was appointed production manager.
Dorothy Tupper was continuity editor. Anne Papay was traffic director. Night news editor Stan Moncreiff was appointed chief news editor at CKNW. Chuck Rudd joined CKNW from the army. He had worked in the past at CKMO. Ross McIntyre was CKNW's chief engineer. Announcer Bill Hughes joined CKNW from CKWX. Gordon Reid, formerly assistant manager at CFRN Edmonton, joined the CKNW staff. Ken Hutchinson also joined CKNW. Ruth Asson joined CKNW's office staff from CKWX.
1947
CKNW commenced 24 hour a day operation in January. The all night program was an extension of "Long Distance Request" which had aired between midnight and one a.m.
David Armstrong was assistant manager at CKNW. Philip Baldwin was the station's musical director.
In October Bill Rea hired Joe Chesney, who soon filled the morning position before moving to rival CJOR in the early 1950s. Chesney founded country music station CJJC Langley B.C. in 1962 and was inducted into the B.C. Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. During his career he continuously promoted country music and worked with several musicians who turned out to be country legends, including Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. He also booked shows and acted as MC for Loretta Lynn when she was on tour.
Michael Giraud, CKNW assistant news editor, left to become news editor at CJAV Port Alberni. Announcer Vic Fergie left for CKNW. Susan Wilder joined the continuity staff. Bill Ward hosted the "Doghouse" broadcast. Gordon Reid was production manager. Warren Johnstone was in the news department. Hugh Wallace and John Jackson left CKMO's continuity department for similar jobs with CKNW. Hal Davis returned to CKNW after taking a course in Toronto. He was now continuity editor.
1949
On January 2, CKNW moved to AM 1320 and increased power to 1000 watts. Jack Cullen brought over the ever-popular “Owl Prowl” program from rival CKMO. He regularly hosted the “1320 Club” at 3:10pm and the Owl Prowl from 10:05pm to midnight. On December 19, the station moved into the Swanrite Building at 227 Columbia Street, New Westminster.
1954
On May 9, a fire ripped through the Swanrite Building, destroying much of the studio and equipment. The entire staff and operations were moved to Bill Rea's Vancouver “Danceland” Dance Hall on Alexandra Street. In November, Jimmy Pattison signed a contract with CKNW to broadcast the B.C. Lions Friday evening games. On November 5, power was increased to 5000 watts and the station began using the slogan “B.C.’s Most Listened To Station”. Warren Barker became News Director, a post he held for over three decades during which he introduced many new features.
1955
The station introduced its first mobile studio dubbed the “Crystal Palace”.
After a very successful decade as morning host on rival CKWX, Bob Hutton was hired to take over the same time slot on CKNW. The move was a good one for ‘NW, as he took a vast majority of his listeners with him. He was known for numerous zany antics at a time when morning shows were beginning to gain listeners. Hutton continued in the position until 1973, when he moved to part time remote broadcasts, retiring to Ontario in 1975.
1956
In February, after a bout with medical problems, Bill Rea sold CKNW to accountant Frank Griffiths and the Ballard family, who later would form Western International Communications (WIC). Bill Rea and family moved to California. Bill Hughes became General Manager.
1958
On November 17, the station moved to AM 980 and “98” became the trademark.
1960
On February 22 power increased to 10,000 Watts.
1962
On October 12 and 13, CKNW claimed to be the only station north of the California border to remain on the air overnight, after Typhoon Frieda raced up the west coast of North America. Chief Engineer Jack Gordon had prepared an emergency broadcast system allowing it to serve as a coordination and information centre. All-night fill-in announcer Gerry Gawne anchored the program. Gawne later moved on to be Program Director and then Station Manager of KING Radio in Seattle from 1964-75.
1963
Jack Webster was hired from the competition as Talk Show Host and on April 19th did his famous broadcast from the British Columbia Penitentiary, negotiating freedom for prison guard Patrick Dennis, acting as negotiator on behalf of prison inmates. This brought many new listeners to the station.
1965
On March 26, Chief Engineer Jack Gordon, completed a 50,000-watt transmitter site on 10 acres of farmland at 176th Street and 88th Avenue in neighbouring Surrey.
1969
On January 15, CKNW moved into a former Safeway grocery store building at 815 McBride Boulevard in New Westminster. With 15,000 square feet of studio and office space, it was now prepared for the launch of new sister station CFMI-FM.
1970
On March 22, CFMI-FM began broadcasting in mono with 110,000 watts from Mount Seymour. It added stereo the following year.
1972
B.C. Entrepreneur Jimmy Pattison, owner of rival CJOR, bought Jack Webster away from CKNW with an offer of $110,000 per year.
Jim Robson joined the station as the voice of the Canucks hockey team doing the play-by-play.
1973
Brian "Frosty" Forst, who came to the station from CFUN in 1964, took over the reins as morning host from Bob Hutton. Frosty’s morning drive show was a powerhouse in Vancouver radio and he continued in the position until retirement in 2005.
1974
On February 28, staff was informed that CKNW had more listeners than any other station west of Toronto. Hal Davis, having moved up the ranks from Copy Chief, to Production Manager, to Program Manager was appointed General Manager.
1975
On September 16, the station’s first permanent remote broadcast facility was brought on line. "The Investigators" studio at the Holiday Inn at Coal Harbor, Vancouver, became a signature piece.
1976
When CKNW had its licence renewed, the station was told by the CRTC that open-line programs should be of high standard, affording reasonable, balanced opportunity for the airing of different views.
1979-80
Ronald S. Bremner became CKNW's general sales manager.
1981
In August a new remote facility, the “CKNW Crystal Palace” debuted at the Abbotsford Air Show.
1983
On April 15, CKNW founder Bill Rea died in Santa Barbara, California at the age of 74. On October 3, the station began broadcasting in AM Stereo.
1984
On June 18, the Western Information Network was launched. Through satellite broadcasts from the Anik E Satellite, programming became heard throughout British Columbia. The station opened a news bureau in Victoria. On June 26, Bill Hughes made it into the Guinness Book of World Records by hosting the 12,000th broadcast of the “Roving Mike”.
1986
In March, CKNW opened its doors to a studio at the 1986 Expo site in Vancouver.
Dave Hodge became CKNW's sports director. He would continue on with Hockey Night in Canada (Saturdays on CBC-TV).
1988
Bill Good Jr. joined CKNW from CBUT-TV where he had been anchorman for 11 years.
1990’s
During the nineties, the station moved from a mix of news, live sports, talk-shows and middle-of-the-road music, which had been the mainstay since the sixties, to full time “News/Talk/Sports” by the end of the decade.
1990
Western International Network introduced a new digitized satellite transmission service to carry ready to air programs and data to 71 sations in British Columbia and Alberta. The six channel system increased the number of audio signals that could be simultaneously transmitted, providing WIN-linked stations with a greater range of programs. The system has a single uplink located at CKNW and is beamed to the ANik C2 satellite. It replaces the two channel C-band satellite system that had been in operation since 1984. The WIN network produces and transmits about 95 hours a week of live programming.
1991
Dave Rutherford was appointed vice president and assistant general manager of CKNW and CFMI. He would also continue on as program director of CKNW.
Longtime CKNW sportscaster and commentator Al Davidson died August 9. He was 66. Davidson had been a mainstay at NW for 30 years but was fired in October of 1987 "for cause". He launched a wrongful dismissal suit and eventually won. The station appealed the award and the case was due to be heard in December.
1993
In November, news veteran Warren Barker, having retired in 1991, was presented with the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to journalism in British Columbia.
1995
CKNW became the radio voice of the NBA's Vancouver Grizzlies.
1996
On January 15, CKNW moved to the Pacific Center, 700 West Georgia, Vancouver. The new facilities included 30,000 square feet of workspace, five studios and 13 control rooms. General Manager Rod Gunn hosted the official grand opening, with the ribbon cutting performed by Emily Griffiths. Her husband, Frank had purchased CKNW from Bill Rea 40 years earlier.
CKNW was now streaming live on the internet.
1997
Emily Griffiths, president of Western Broadcasting and controlling shareholder of WIC, retired on the third anniversary of her husband Frank's death. She said she had always intended to leave at age 75. Mrs. Griffiths remained with the company as chairman emeritus.
CKNW eliminated the last of its music programming.
Rick Honey did his final afternoon drive show on CKNW on May 30, ending 24 years at the station.
Al Anaka was now general sales manager of CKNW/CFMI-FM. John Iacobucci was no longer vice president and director of sales. Anaka had been with CHQR/CKIK-FM in Calgary.
1998
Warren Barker again received recognition from his peers when he was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame for his many inovations during his thirty yeasr as New Director at CKNW.
2000
After sale of the station was announced two years earlier, and after considerable restructuring, on July 6, the CRTC approved application by Corus Entertainment Inc. to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of WIC Premium Corporation, owner of CKNW and sister station CFMI-FM.
2001
Radio pioneer, early CKNW morning host and founder of CJJC Langley, Joe Chesney died in that city November 10 at ag 82.
The B.C. Association of Broadcasters named morning show host Frosty Forst Broadcast Performer of the Year.
2004
As a feature of sixty years on air, CKNW aired the “Jack Benny Program” at 12:05 a.m. on April 23rd. The show originally ran live from Vancouver on the same day in 1944. On May 14th the British Columbia Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) named mid-morning talk show host Bill Good “Broadcaster of the Year” for 2003.
2007
In a decision made March 26 but released July 19, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council ruled that CKNW violated the Radio-Television News Directors Association Code of (Journalistic) Ethics by simulcasting a feed from sister station CINW Montreal that revealed the location of students barricaded in Dawson College during a gunman's rampage on September 13, 2006. In the incident, a student was killed and 19 others injured. A listener complained to the CRTC, which forwarded the complaint to the CBSC. Even though CKNW is at the opposite end of the country, the CBSC noted that it was possible the gunman might have been in contact with an accomplice anywhere in the world. The station was required to read the decision twice on-air. Station manager J.J. Johnson was quoted as saying, “It was a complicated decision that we really don't necessarily agree with, but we'll accept it…” While CKNW was sanctioned, the CBSC did not apply the same ruling to CINW, since no complaint was received about that station.
2009
On August 28, the CRTC renewed the transitional digital radio licence of CKNW-DR-2.
Written by Gord Lansdell , Bill Dulmage - Updated January, 2010
