Village Squire, 1976-03, Page 9Some of the equipment of CKNX radio station in 1951.
Dance was held in the studios of the little station. It was
comprised of recorded music. There were favourable comments.
Three months later the idea arose to replace the recorded music
with local artists The idea clicked and the show became the most
listened to program on -the station.
In 1942 an energetic young man named Johnny Brent joined
the staff of the station and became manager of the barn dance.
He took the show on the road to various communities letting
people see the entertainers as well as hear them. Professional
entertainers were brought in as well as local amateurs. The
popularity of the show blossomed. By the station's silver
anniversary in 1951, over 40 thousand fans a year were
witnessing the concerts live and,150,000 listened to the Saturday
night broadcasts. The show created its own local stars, Earl
Heywood, Ross Man, Ernie King, Don Robinson and the Ranch
Boys, Slim Boucher and the Golden Prairie Cowboys. It gave
young entertainers like Tommie Hunter and Al Cherney a start in
the business. For many years the show remained a symbol of the
commitment of the small station to the local programming.
By the time the station celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1951
Doc Cruickshank was already looking ahead, talking of the
coming of television to the area: The first television station in all
of Canada was not to take to the air for another year but Doc was
confident that soon CKNX would have a television station too.
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 U.S. 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.
Doc went to Ottawa and presented plans for a small scale
television station to cost about 5125,000 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.
On investigating, Doc found out that a suitable station of the
kind the commissioners wanted would cost 5500,000 and would
need 5250,000 a year to meet expenses. The largest single'
expense was for transmission equipment: 5223,000. Again RCA
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