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CKWX (AM)
Encyclopedia
CKWX is a 24-hour all-news radio
station broadcasting to residents of Vancouver
and the Lower Mainland
, British Columbia
. Upon the switch to its current format in 1996, News1130 introduced up-to-the minute frequent traffic reports every 10 minutes, a service already present in major American metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, but nonexistent in Vancouver. News1130's biggest influence on Vancouver radio has been regular and frequent traffic reports, and numerous other stations now offer scheduled traffic reports.
on April 1, 1923 as CFDC, then owned by automotive and electronics store owner Arthur "Sparks" Halstead and operating on its original wavelength of 430 meters (670 kHz) with 10 watts of power (later increased to 50 watts). In 1925, the station switched frequencies to 730 AM and cut its power back to 10 watts to share time with Vancouver stations CFCQ, CKCD, CKFC and CJKC.
In 1927, Halstead opened a new branch of his auto-electric business in Vancouver and decided to relocate CFDC there. The Department of Marine and Fisheries
(which then regulated broadcasting in Canada) had not authorized CFDC's move to Vancouver and revoked the station's licence as a result, but listener complaints led to the department granting a new licence to the station, on the condition that it use new call letters; Halstead complied and the station returned as CKWX, now using 100 watts of power. It broadcast briefly from the Belmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver before moving to the Hotel Georgia, still sharing air time at 730 AM with CFCQ and CKCD in 1928, then with CHLS, CKFC and CKMO
in 1929.
In 1933, CKWX moved from 730 to 1010 AM, then to 950 AM in 1938 before settling at 980 AM in 1941 following the Havana Treaty, which took effect on March 27 that year to settle problems with AM radio interference. Arthur Halstead later sold a 40% share of the station to Taylor, Pearson & Carson, which took over station management, moved the studios to Seymour Street and increased its transmitting power to 1000 watts. By 1947, CKWX's power further increased to 5000 watts and it became an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System
, while its transmitter was moved to Lulu Island
(now the site of Richmond
).
CKWX went to 24-hour operation on January 1, 1954 at 12:30 AM, with a program called "Concert Under the Stars." In 1956, the studios moved to 1275 Burrard Street
, and on August 15, 1957, CKWX switched from 980 (soon taken by CKNW) to its present 1130 AM. The station adopted a rock and roll
/Top 40 music format in the same year when Red Robinson
joined the station's on-air staff (CKWX was, in fact, the first Vancouver radio station to use that format full-time). CKWX increased power to 50,000 watts in 1958, becoming the first 50 kW station in Western Canada.
Harold Carson, one-third of the Taylor, Pearson & Carson firm that owned CKWX, died in 1959; the firm would change its name to Selkirk Holdings Ltd.
later in the year. CKWX switched formats from Top 40 to MOR music in 1962, and Red Robinson left the station at that time to join CFUN
. Selkirk became a publicly traded company in 1965, and it purchased 100% ownership of CKWX (with approval from the Board of Broadcast Governors
) on October 10, 1966.
On March 7, 1973, CKWX underwent a major change as it dropped its mixed MOR/talk radio
format for the country music
format the station would become famous for. On February 13, 1979, the CRTC granted CKWX parent Selkirk Holdings a licence for an FM station with a jazz
format. Selkirk originally wanted 93.7 FM, but were advised to find a different frequency; after doing so, CJAZ signed on at 92.1 FM on March 1, 1980, as the first Canadian station with an all-jazz format. CJAZ later moved to 96.9 FM, then switched call letters and formats in 1985 as it became CKKS, with an adult contemporary format.
CKWX and CKKS moved to their present studios on 2440 Ash Street on June 17, 1988, with the official opening on July 20. On September 28, 1988, Maclean-Hunter Ltd. purchased Selkirk Communications and its stations (including CKWX and CKKS) and also received approval from the CRTC to transfer the former Selkirk stations to Rogers Communications Inc..
On February 8, 1996, CKWX ended its country music broadcasts after almost 23 years and switched to its present all-news format. In 2003, CKKS switched formats again and became CKLG-FM
, under the Jack FM
banner.
A fairly extensive personnel shuffle took place at the station on September 2, 2003. Program Director George Gordon replaced Andrew Dawson as morning co-anchor, joining Kenya Anderson, while Dianne Newman moved to middays joining Brian Brenn. That same day, Jim Bennie joined Joanna Mileos to co-anchor the p.m. drive. Pamela McCall became the newest afternoon anchor, replacing Joanna Mileos, in the Spring of 2007. McCall would later leave the station and be replaced by Karen Thomson in 2008. Following the departure of Kenya Anderson in 2005, Treena Wood and Tammy Moyer alternated in the anchor chair only to be replaced by Dianne Newman in 2006. Ben Wilson was named permanent evening anchor with Tom Bricker in November 2007. That same month, Brian Brenn took early retirement and was replaced in the midday anchor chair by Reaon Ford. George Gordon was terminated July 15, 2009. Reaon Ford was promoted from midday anchor to morning anchor in August 2009.
The license for shortwave
transmitter CKFX-SW (6080 kHz
, 10 watt
s) was deleted on June 8, 2007 after an extended silence
. The CKFX
calls are now on an FM radio station in North Bay, Ontario
.
News1130 is the only Vancouver station with a full-time meteorologist, Russ Lacate, who broadcasts weather reports with traffic every 10 minutes. News1130 is also the only Vancouver radio station with a $1,000 Weather Guarantee.
All-news radio
All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of news.All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried in some form on both major US satellite radio networks...
station broadcasting to residents of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and the Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Upon the switch to its current format in 1996, News1130 introduced up-to-the minute frequent traffic reports every 10 minutes, a service already present in major American metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, but nonexistent in Vancouver. News1130's biggest influence on Vancouver radio has been regular and frequent traffic reports, and numerous other stations now offer scheduled traffic reports.
History
CKWX first began broadcasting in Nanaimo, British ColumbiaNanaimo, British Columbia
Nanaimo is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown...
on April 1, 1923 as CFDC, then owned by automotive and electronics store owner Arthur "Sparks" Halstead and operating on its original wavelength of 430 meters (670 kHz) with 10 watts of power (later increased to 50 watts). In 1925, the station switched frequencies to 730 AM and cut its power back to 10 watts to share time with Vancouver stations CFCQ, CKCD, CKFC and CJKC.
In 1927, Halstead opened a new branch of his auto-electric business in Vancouver and decided to relocate CFDC there. The Department of Marine and Fisheries
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO , is the department within the government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters...
(which then regulated broadcasting in Canada) had not authorized CFDC's move to Vancouver and revoked the station's licence as a result, but listener complaints led to the department granting a new licence to the station, on the condition that it use new call letters; Halstead complied and the station returned as CKWX, now using 100 watts of power. It broadcast briefly from the Belmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver before moving to the Hotel Georgia, still sharing air time at 730 AM with CFCQ and CKCD in 1928, then with CHLS, CKFC and CKMO
CFUN (AM)
CFTE is a Canadian radio station in Vancouver, British Columbia. On 1410 AM, it is owned by Bell Media and currently carries a sports format as TEAM 1410, a secondary station to CKST .-History:...
in 1929.
In 1933, CKWX moved from 730 to 1010 AM, then to 950 AM in 1938 before settling at 980 AM in 1941 following the Havana Treaty, which took effect on March 27 that year to settle problems with AM radio interference. Arthur Halstead later sold a 40% share of the station to Taylor, Pearson & Carson, which took over station management, moved the studios to Seymour Street and increased its transmitting power to 1000 watts. By 1947, CKWX's power further increased to 5000 watts and it became an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
, while its transmitter was moved to Lulu Island
Lulu Island
Lulu Island is the name of the largest island in the estuary of the Fraser River. The island makes up most of the City of Richmond, a major suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia...
(now the site of Richmond
Richmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
).
CKWX went to 24-hour operation on January 1, 1954 at 12:30 AM, with a program called "Concert Under the Stars." In 1956, the studios moved to 1275 Burrard Street
Burrard Street
Burrard Street is a major thoroughfare in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is the central street of Downtown Vancouver and the Financial District. The street is named for Burrard Inlet, located at its northern terminus, which in turn is named for Sir Harry Burrard-Neale.The street starts at...
, and on August 15, 1957, CKWX switched from 980 (soon taken by CKNW) to its present 1130 AM. The station adopted a rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
/Top 40 music format in the same year when Red Robinson
Red Robinson
Red Robinson was the first Canadian disc jockey to play Rock and Roll music, both in the Vancouver, British Columbia and Portland, Oregon markets....
joined the station's on-air staff (CKWX was, in fact, the first Vancouver radio station to use that format full-time). CKWX increased power to 50,000 watts in 1958, becoming the first 50 kW station in Western Canada.
Harold Carson, one-third of the Taylor, Pearson & Carson firm that owned CKWX, died in 1959; the firm would change its name to Selkirk Holdings Ltd.
Selkirk Communications
Selkirk Communications was a Canadian radio and television broadcasting company, which operated from 1959 to 1989. Evolving out of Taylor, Pearson & Carson, a local broadcaster in Vancouver, British Columbia, the company grew to own 14 radio stations, six television stations and cable television...
later in the year. CKWX switched formats from Top 40 to MOR music in 1962, and Red Robinson left the station at that time to join CFUN
CFUN (AM)
CFTE is a Canadian radio station in Vancouver, British Columbia. On 1410 AM, it is owned by Bell Media and currently carries a sports format as TEAM 1410, a secondary station to CKST .-History:...
. Selkirk became a publicly traded company in 1965, and it purchased 100% ownership of CKWX (with approval from the Board of Broadcast Governors
Board of Broadcast Governors
The Board of Broadcast Governors was a Canadian arms-length government agency created in 1958 to regulate television and radio broadcasting, originally taking over that function from the CBC. It was replaced by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 1968....
) on October 10, 1966.
On March 7, 1973, CKWX underwent a major change as it dropped its mixed MOR/talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format for the country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format the station would become famous for. On February 13, 1979, the CRTC granted CKWX parent Selkirk Holdings a licence for an FM station with a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
format. Selkirk originally wanted 93.7 FM, but were advised to find a different frequency; after doing so, CJAZ signed on at 92.1 FM on March 1, 1980, as the first Canadian station with an all-jazz format. CJAZ later moved to 96.9 FM, then switched call letters and formats in 1985 as it became CKKS, with an adult contemporary format.
CKWX and CKKS moved to their present studios on 2440 Ash Street on June 17, 1988, with the official opening on July 20. On September 28, 1988, Maclean-Hunter Ltd. purchased Selkirk Communications and its stations (including CKWX and CKKS) and also received approval from the CRTC to transfer the former Selkirk stations to Rogers Communications Inc..
On February 8, 1996, CKWX ended its country music broadcasts after almost 23 years and switched to its present all-news format. In 2003, CKKS switched formats again and became CKLG-FM
CKLG-FM
CKLG-FM is a Canadian radio station in the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia. It broadcasts at 96.9 MHz on the FM band with an effective radiated power of 75,000 watts from a transmitter on Mount Seymour in the District of North Vancouver...
, under the Jack FM
Jack FM
JACK FM is the alternative name and on-air brand of 60 radio stations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Jack stations play a mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s hits with some current hot adult contemporary singles. Jack's slogan "playing what we want" can also be...
banner.
A fairly extensive personnel shuffle took place at the station on September 2, 2003. Program Director George Gordon replaced Andrew Dawson as morning co-anchor, joining Kenya Anderson, while Dianne Newman moved to middays joining Brian Brenn. That same day, Jim Bennie joined Joanna Mileos to co-anchor the p.m. drive. Pamela McCall became the newest afternoon anchor, replacing Joanna Mileos, in the Spring of 2007. McCall would later leave the station and be replaced by Karen Thomson in 2008. Following the departure of Kenya Anderson in 2005, Treena Wood and Tammy Moyer alternated in the anchor chair only to be replaced by Dianne Newman in 2006. Ben Wilson was named permanent evening anchor with Tom Bricker in November 2007. That same month, Brian Brenn took early retirement and was replaced in the midday anchor chair by Reaon Ford. George Gordon was terminated July 15, 2009. Reaon Ford was promoted from midday anchor to morning anchor in August 2009.
The license for shortwave
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
transmitter CKFX-SW (6080 kHz
Kilocycle
A thousand cycles, of any periodic phenomenon.kilocycle or kilocycles may refer to:* A measurement of usage of reciprocating machines, especially presses...
, 10 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s) was deleted on June 8, 2007 after an extended silence
Dark (broadcasting)
In the broadcasting industry, dark is a term used to describe a radio station or television station that has gone off-the-air for an indefinite period of time, or as defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission , a "silent" station...
. The CKFX
CKFX-FM
CKFX-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 101.9 FM in North Bay, Ontario. The station airs a active rock format under the brand name 102 FM The Fox...
calls are now on an FM radio station in North Bay, Ontario
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
.
Traffic and Weather
News1130 broadcasts Traffic and Weather Together on the Ones at :01, :11, :21:, :31, :41 and :51, with a traffic report followed immediately by weather. Traffic reports are gathered from listeners' calls (by dialing *1130) and from the News1130 traffic plane, from which live reports are broadcast. News1130 also gives listeners Traffic Alerts. If a problem happens outside the regular traffic reports, an alert can be used at anytime during the news wheel to inform the listener about a major problem.News1130 is the only Vancouver station with a full-time meteorologist, Russ Lacate, who broadcasts weather reports with traffic every 10 minutes. News1130 is also the only Vancouver radio station with a $1,000 Weather Guarantee.
Format
News1130 follows a 30-minute program format called a "news wheel", repeated every half hour, with continuous news punctuated by the following scheduled reports and features:- :00 Headlines
- :01 Traffic and Weather
- :11 Traffic and Weather
- :13 Market Minute
- :15 Sports
- :21 Traffic and Weather (includes five-day forecast)
- :26 Business
- :29 Travellers Weather Forecast
- :30 Headlines
- :31 Traffic and Weather
- :41 Traffic and Weather
- :43 Market Minute
- :45 Sports
- :51 Traffic and Weather (includes five-day forecast)
- :56 Business
- :59 Marine Forecast
Awards
- 2001: Canadian Association of Broadcasters Gold Ribbon for Breaking News
- 2002: Canadian Association of Broadcasters Byron MacGregor Award for best radio newscast (large market)
- 2003: RTNDA Ron Laidlaw Award for Best Continuing Coverage to News1130 Crime Specialist Ron Bencze for his work on the Robert PicktonRobert PicktonRobert William "Willie" Pickton of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada is a former pig farmer and serial killer convicted of the second-degree murders of six women. He is also charged in the deaths of an additional twenty women, many of them prostitutes and drug users from Vancouver's...
investigation - 2004: RTNDA Lifetime Achievement Award to Weekend Morning Anchor Andy Walsh
- 2005: RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award to News1130 Crime Specialist Ron Bencze for his series on crystal-meth
- 2006: Big Brothers of Vancouver Murray Goldman Award for Excellence in Community Awareness
- 2006: RTNDA Charlie Edwards Award for spot news
- 2006: Jack Webster Foundation Poynter Institute Fellowship to Editor Bruce Claggett
- 2007: RTNDA Charlie Edwards Award for spot news
External links
- News1130
- CKWX history at Canadian Communications FoundationCanadian Communications FoundationThe Canadian Communications Foundation is a history of Canadian broadcasting for radio and television chronicles and documents. It also provides a history of radio and television stations, including networks, programs, broadcasters and many others....
- CKWX Top 40 surveys - 1957-1962