Village Squire, 1976-03, Page 10-Victor helped out. Then the supplier for the 650 -foot transmission
tomer agreed to take deferred payments on the $100,000 project
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 television. 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 51.00. 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 crew of 65 involved in starting up CKNX
television took only three months. The station went on air on
November 18, 1955.
Early in 1956 the radio station followed the teleyi.ion station
uptown from the old Brunswick Hotel studios to the converted
high school. So the radio station that people thought in the
beginning couldn't survive and the television station people
thought couldn't survive shared the same building But for a few
hours in 1962, there was doubt that they really would survive.
John Langridge recalls the morning it happened. The early
morning crew was about set to come to the station to begin
programming at 6:15 a.m. The CKNX caretaker Alex Skin heard
a rumbling sound at 6 o'clock. Unable to locate the source which
was growing frighteningly louder, he made a dash outside,
leaving his jacket behind him. Moments later there was a
tremendous explosion and the building was aflame.
the early morning crew arrived to find the building on fire and
quickly jumped into the large truck parked beside the building
that served as a portable studio. They drove the truck to the
tower site south of Wingham and went on air only 40 minutes
after the regular sign -on time, delivering the story of their own
tragedy.
Blyth Meat Market
Blyth 523-4551 Don Scrimgeour, Prop.
FEATURING:
'Custom killing in ,government
inspected abbatoir.
•Also beef and pork for home
freezers. cut and wrapped to
your family requirements.
•We also make homemade
country, sausage.
• Check our frozen food
selection
For fast, friendly service and tasty meats
try Blyth Meat Market soon
8, VIUAGE SQUIRE/MARCH 1976