CKNX Foundation
| Named after | CKNX |
|---|---|
| Founder | Alan Cruicks |
| Headquarters | Wingham, Ontario, Canada |
| Products | Television • Radio |
| Services | Broadcasting • TV Production • Radio Production • Media Distribution |
Official language | English |
Key people | Alan Cruicks |
| Website | cknxfoundation |
CKNX Foundation is a Canadian media company that has operated since August 2009. It was founded as an established way of broadcasting outlets to raise operating capital for the stations.
History
Radio
Doc was selling Stromberg Carlson radios in his down-town shop by night and on weekends. In those days (about 1924) there was only four or five radio stations in Canada and this new technology was really only beginning to catch the imagination of listeners in the U.S. Radio sales were few and far between but interest was building. But Doc persevered and quit his job at the foundry and opened his store and radio shop on Wingham's main street. Sales picked up and it was then that he got the idea that perhaps he could contribute to the rather sparse choice of programming material that was being broadcast at that time.
"Radios were a luxury in February 1926, and it could take some pursuasion to convince someone to buy one. It wasn't the kind of weather to try that persuasion. …So the young man, the only radio retailer and service man in a 50 mile radius, sat in the rear of his little shop on Main street in Wingham and idly examined a copy of Popular Mechanics magazine. He came across a story on how to build a simple radio transmitter, and decided to give a try. He had all the needed parts around the shop and within an hour had put the thing together. A telephone mouthpiece was utilized for a microphone and some storage batteries provided the power.
The young man didn't even know the set worked until tinkering with it a day or two later he had a telephone call from a citizen to whom he had earlier sold a radio set to say that the signal was coming in fine. Almost by accident Wilford Thomas "Doc" Cruickshank had stumbled onto the career that was to make him a legend in western Ontario and in the Canadian broadcasting industry. That day, February 20, 1926 became the beginning of ...CKNX radio and later lead to CKNX television.
When Melville Culbert was unable to continue broadcasting from Dungannon, W.T. "Doc" Cruickshank took over the amateur license and call letters for 10BP. Under the license terms he could use up to 10 watts of power and broadcast from the frequency of 1200 cycles. He was not allowed to sell airtime for advertising or seek sponsors for his programming. He was one of many radio enthusiasts in Canada, tinkering with the new technology and experimenting with its abilities and properties. As a radio store owner, Cruickshank found there was little programming for radio buyers to listen to, once they'd bought a new-fangled radio. So with a limited range of broadcasting power, Cruickshank turned to his home community - Wingham and began producing programs they could easily get in on their radio sets.
Bud Cruickshank (Doc's son) once described Wingham as "a place where you can walk to work in two minutes. But it might take you half an hour or more to walk a block on the main drag. Everyone knows everyone else and maybe even their business. Such is the quality and intimacy of life in Wingham, an unhurried farm town of 3,000 high on the arch of the southern Ontario "boot." (LFP-5, 1970) Eventually through CKNX, Wingham was to became a household name. But in the beginning, the radio broadcast focused on the town; broadcasting local news bulletins, a weekly church service for shut-ins, commentary on Wingham baseball & hockey games and music from local performers.
The call letters 10BP were assigned not chosen, so had no local or personal significance to Doc Cruickshank. Over time, announcers on 10BP were to find the call letters difficult to pronounce at time and listeners commented on confusion about the station's name. But during the period from 1926 to 1935, it mattered little. 10BP was a hobby. It was an opportunity to explore the unknown realm of radio - and give his radio customers something to listen to. Doc began to find that radio sales from his repair shop were being spurred by his broadcasts so one complimented the other. Actually Doc built only three or four radios himself before aligning with a radio firm as a serviceman but he knew then his broadcasts would spur sales.
When W.T. "Doc" Cruickshank applied for a professional radio license in 1929, he was bucking the trend. Professional radio stations were located in cities. Some were run by companies like the T. Eaton Company or the Canadian National Railway - not unknown persons from small rural areas. The Canadian Department of Transportation's Colonel Steele gave Cruickshank a hard time with his application to operate a commercial station at 1200 kilocycles with the call letters - CKNX. Commercial licenses for towns the size of Wingham were unheard of. Local north Huron area Member of Parliament, George Spottan threatened a filibuster, if Colonel Steele, the man in charge of federal broadcasting, did not grant Doc a license. Finally Steele agreed to give this "tiny farm community" its own radio station. The application was helped by many people. George Spottan worked hard to get higher power and better frequencies, R.J. Deachman was in large measure responsible for the station getting a commercial license and the present wavelength of 1200 kilocycles with 50 watts of power. The station immediately became a western Ontario favourite.
10 B.P. became CKNX, a full commercial station with permission to sell time for advertising purposes. The power was 50 watts and the wave length at 1200 kilocycles. Local businesses began to advertise on the radio and it became a business venture, not a hobby. "Two call letters are assigned," Doc explained, "and the last two are your choice," He chose NX for clarity on the air because the 10BP was always being confused. Hence the NX in CKNX stands for nothing but clarity. Many other broadcasters used their initials
Television
"We made out first contact with the Department of Transport about five years ago (1950), Mr Cruickshank recalls. "It wasn't actually an application. It was more in the nature of a request that we be kept informed of all developments so that we could apply when the time seemed ripe."
Keeping informed on all developments, it turned out, was a sure way of getting caught in the line of fire on a great many conflicts. The amazing growth of the industry was creating problems, circumstances and equipment faster than anyone could digest.
Mr. Cruickshank doesn't regret, delaying his formal application until the industry had more closely approached normalcy although at the same time, he concedes it is unlikely the application could have been readied any earlier.
"By implementing our television operation at this time we are better prepared to offer programming and commercial service with a more full-trained staff than would have been possible even six months ago," says Mr. Cruickshank. " And at a considerable monetary saving to us and our clients." (OST-1, 1955, p. 19)
In 1954, W.T. "Doc" Cruickshank bought Warren House, a TV, stereo and electrical supply store in town "just because he wanted a shop again." (LFP-5, 1970). Just as he entered the radio business through the running of radio shop, he purchased a TV store just before entering into the television business. Doc Cruickshank was 59 years old when he plunged into the fascinating and complex world of television. It was a costly and risky venture in this area described recently (1970) to the CRTC as a "non market." But Doc, his brother John, manager of the radio station, and son, Bud, made it go. (LFP-5, 1970)p.1
1954-55 - The government had set aside channels for every area of the country and Channel 8 had been designated for the Owen Sound area north of Wingham though few thought a television station could survive in such a low population base. But the National Broadcasting Company in the US meanwhile had applied for Channel 8 for a station in Buffalo and by international agreement no two cities within 170 miles of each other could have the same channel. If Buffalo got the station Wingham couldn't have one. (50 years, 1976, p.7-8)
Doc went to Ottawa and presented plans for a small scale television station for a cost of about $125,000 and asked for Channel 8. The commissioners heard him and promised they would hold the channel open for him, but asked him to work out plans for a more powerful station. (50 years, 1976, p.7-8)
On investigation, Doc found out that a suitable station of the kind the commissioners wanted would cost $500,000 and would need $250,000 in revenue annually to meet expenses. The largest single expense was for transmission equipment: $223,000. Again RCA Victor helped out. Then the supplier for the 650 foot transmission tower agreed to take deferred payments on the $100,000 project. (50 years, 1976, p.7-8)
There was still the problem of the building required. The old location downtown was far too small to include a television station. In addition, a higher site was needed for a television station. The Wingham area was getting a new high school at the time and knowing the problem, the town agreed to sell the old high school building to Doc for $1.00. It still required a lot of renovation but at least the station had a home. Normally it takes a year to put a new station on air. The CKNX crew of 65 involved in starting up CKNX television took only three months. The station went on air on November 18, 1955. (50 years, 1976, p.7-8) (VS-1, 1976)
"Mr. Cruickshank feels that the initiation of television completes the working cycle of his life: from silent movie operator, to broadcast sound, and finally the ultimate marriage of the two in the marvel of the electronic age - television." (OST-1, 1955, p. 19)
Staff
- Regular Staff - Brad Williams, Marg Forrest, Scott Buchan, Barry Smith, Gerry Chomin, Dave Curzon, Bill Kendrick, Jim Moore, Bill Stephenson, Brian Emslie, Monty Snyder, Roger West, McDaniel Phillips, Roly Kaufman (Comptroller), Don Fraser (announcer), Jack Caesar (TV sales), Bert Mathers (radio sales), Pat Renwick (continuity), Anita During (photography), Sharon Thompson (secretary), Erik Schistad (producer), Fred Steinmetz, Karl Krug (Singtime), Murray Brown, Dean Balser, Don Hickling, Mike Walker, Dede McQuiggen, Arn Spivey, Tim Tuck, Sandra Sloan, Jeff Norgate, Bob Montgomery, Stan Cepukas, Dave Yull, Verna Hodgins, Nancy Burton, Fred Burton, Sharon Montgomery, Wayne Ellis, Murray Gaunt, John Day, Roy Bennett
- Engineering Staff - Glen Scheifele, Scott Reid, Dave Burgess, Roy Major, Barry Skidmore, Dick Schwichenberg, Ken Post, Gerry Belanger, Manford Koenig, Rob Enders, Barry Skidmore
- Staff - Adam Taylor, Wayne Brown, Jim Kirkland, Rick Zacharewicz, Kevin Brown, Garry Ballagh, Bill Brown, Steve Hodgins, Chris Catcher, Christa Fraser, Verna Hodgins, Jack Gillepsie, Murray Armstrong, Wayne Ellis, Jack Caesar, Jerry Chomyn, Paul Mercey, Lloyd Mercey, John Crewson, McDaniel Phillips, Cathy Walters, Helen West, Jean Thynne, Janet Henderson
- Announcers - Derek Botten, Jeff Norgate, Lisa Brandt, Don Fraser, Dave Curzon, John Chippa
- TV Traffic - Peg Tervit
- TV Control - Earl Knox
- TV Productions - Lissa Biskupski
- Receptionists - Peg Cameron, Adora McKague, Verna Hodgins, Verna Norgate, Joan Moore, Jane Day, Dilys Chapman, Diane Kerr, Marion McIntyre, Sylvia Sutherland, Lisa Hamilton, Joan Black, Dorothy Marks, Pam Templeman, Lori Goodall
- TV Program Manager - Clarence Wiema
