The Rural Voice, 1977-11, Page 9"bigger and better than ever." As Dick Lewis in a recent article
in That's Show Business pointed out: "Everything went up in
smoke. Everything, that is except the indominable spirit of Doc
Cruickshank and his staff, who, as soon as the frenzy was over,
started methodically and with determination - along with their
friends in the industry and the area - to rebuild CKNX..."
Within 18 months after the fire, the two stations were located
in a new building on the site of the old. Those intervening
months were rough as the stations made do in temporary
makeshift quarters but it proved again the staying power, the
sheer determination of this little broadcasting business in this
little town.
But there were some battles which were much harder to win.
The old game of economics was hard on a small rural -based
television station. National advertisers, on whom television
stations in particular depend for the bulk of revenue, like to see
big audience figures. They are used to big city populations and
so the relatively small numbers who watch a station in a rural
area don't intecest them. Cable television began to seep into the
area, fragmenting the small population base even further. CKCO
television had applied for a repeater station at Wiarton to
improve coverage in the Georgian Bay area. The television
station. at best a touch-and-go situation financially, began to lose
money. Even the profit from the radio operation couldn't match
the loses. Rumours were rampant over the future of the station.
John Langridge recalls that rumours on main street had nearly
everyone involved in broadcasting buying the station at one time
or another, including John Bassett, the multi -millionaire Toronto
broadcaster and former newspaper publisher.
But then in December 1970 Doc Cruickshank and Walter J.
Blackburn chairman of the board of CFPL Broadcasting Limited
and main owner of the London Free Press announced the sale of
the business to Mr. Blackburn's group. The sale was subject to
Canadian Radio -Television Commission approval which came in
March 1971. after the death of Doc. The official signing of papers
by Doc's son G.W. "Bud" Cruickshank and his widow Mabel
and brother John took place on April 30.
When they heard the news of who was to be the new owner,
John Langridge recalls. the staff was relieved. The association
between CKNX and CFPL had been so close over the years that it
seemed to be a natural step.
The new president Murray T. Brown, at the tim, of the
finalizing of the sale (for 51.3 million) said the new owners
certainly didn't intend to change CKNX into a satellite station.
They've been as good as their word. Mr. Langridge says. In
radio the CKNX people have just carried on "doing our own
thing." The only real change has been in television national
advertising sales where combined selling allowed more revenue
for the CKNX operation. Other than that, despite what some
people seem to think. Mr. Langridge says, things have been
carrying on just as before.
Recent years have seen changes that have been mostly
technical. In 1968 the radio station multiplied its power from
2500 to 10.000 watts. The television station switched to colour.
The most recent change was the addition, this spring, of FM
broadcasting facilities on a new station called Stereo 102.
Probably the biggest contribution the station has made over
the years has been in leading the way in farm broadcasting. The
tradition of a strong farm department was firmly established by
Bob Carbert, long-time farm editor who later worked with the
Department of Agriculture and is now manager of the Ontario
Museum. His shoes were later filled by the likes of Murray
Gaunt. now M.P.P. for Huron -Bruce. Colin Campbell, Cliff
Robb. Les Armstrong and others who made CKNX a national
leader in farm broadcasting. ❑
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