CKWX

CKWX
City Vancouver, British Columbia
Broadcast area Greater Vancouver
Branding News 1130
Frequency 1130 kHz (AM)
96.9 MHz HD2
First air date April 1, 1923
Format All-news radio
Power 50,000 watts
Class A (clear channel)
Transmitter coordinates 49°09′27″N 123°04′01″W / 49.157601°N 123.067024°W / 49.157601; -123.067024 (CKWX Tower)Coordinates: 49°09′27″N 123°04′01″W / 49.157601°N 123.067024°W / 49.157601; -123.067024 (CKWX Tower)
Former callsigns CFDC (1923-1927)
Former frequencies 430 metres (1923-1925)
730 kHz (1925-1933)
1010 kHz (1933-1941)
980 kHz (1941-1957)
Affiliations ABC News Radio
Owner Rogers Media, a division of Rogers Communications
(Rogers Radio)
Sister stations Radio: CJAX-FM, CFUN-FM
Television: CKVU-DT, CHNM-DT
Webcast Listen live
Website www.news1130.com

CKWX is a clear-channel Class A radio station serving the Greater Vancouver area. Owned by Rogers Media, it broadcasts an all-news radio format branded as News 1130. CKWX's studios are located on Ash Street in the Fairview neighbourhood of Vancouver, and its transmitters are located on Lulu Island near Richmond.

History

CKWX first began broadcasting in Nanaimo, British Columbia, 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,[1] CKFC [2] 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 license as a result, but listener complaints led to the department granting a new license 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.[3] 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 part 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). In 1958, CKWX became the first non-CBC station in Western Canada to operate with 50,000 watts.

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 license 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, at 8 AM, CKWX ended its country music format 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 the midday slot joining Brian Brenn. That same day, Jim Bennie joined Joanna Mileos to co-anchor the p.m. drive. In 2006 Don Lehn would rotate in Mid Days with Brian Brenn and Andy Walsh until 2010. 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 (6.08 MHz, 10 watts) was deleted on June 8, 2007, after an extended silence.[4] The CKFX calls are now on an FM radio station in North Bay, Ontario.

On June 23, 2016, CKWX began simulcasting on sister CJAX-FM's HD2 sub-channel.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Historical information on CKCD at Canadian Communications Foundation
  2. ↑ Historical information on CKFC at Canadian Communications Foundation
  3. ↑ CFCD-AM (1923-1927) history at Canadian Communications Foundation
  4. ↑ CRTC broadcasting decision 2007-171, deleting silent shortwave transmitter CKFX-SW 6080kHz at licensee's request
  5. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/rwcrn/photos/a.191085784264112.41586.191081700931187/1119722014733813/?type=3&theater

External links

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