Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
Type | Radio network Public broadcasting |
---|---|
Country | |
Availability | National through owned and operated stations and affiliates |
Owner | Government of Canada |
Key people | Hector Charlesworth (Chairman), Thomas Maher (Commissioner), W. Arthur Steel (Commissioner), Ernie Bushnell (Program Director) |
Launch date | 1932 |
Dissolved | 1936Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | , assets transferred to
The Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC/CCR;
Origins
The CRBC was established in 1932 by the government of
At its creation, Prime Minister Bennett spoke of the need for public control of radio saying:
- "This country must be assured of complete Canadian control of broadcasting from Canadian sources. Without such control, broadcasting can never be the agency by which national consciousness may be fostered and sustained and national unity still further strengthened."[4]
The three-man commission had a mandate to regulate, control all broadcasting in Canada as well as to create and transmit its own programming and to lease, purchase or construct stations for its dissemination.[5] Its ability to carry out its mandate was severely restricted by the financial constraints of the Great Depression and it was forced to rely on private stations to carry its programs to much of the country.[6]
Bennett named
Regulator
In addition to being a creator of programming and a broadcaster, the CRBC was responsible under the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Act for regulating and controlling all broadcasting in Canada, including privately owned radio stations that did not carry CRBC programming. The CRBC's regulatory responsibilities included determining the number, location and transmitting power of radio stations as well as the amount of time spent carrying local and national programming.[8]
Operations
The CRBC acquired radio stations in
E. Austin Weir, formerly of the CNR radio network, became the CRBC's program director. He was terminated, however, for not providing enough programming. Weir was replaced by Ernie Bushnell who became director of CRBC programming in Ontario and Western Canada and Arthur Dupont who was responsible for Quebec and the Maritimes.[2]
Programming
Network programming included orchestral music, live
Another CRBC program, one which originated on the CNR's network in 1931, was
CRBC's national radio coverage of the 1935 federal election was the first time Canadian election results were broadcast nationwide.[2]
All programs were live as there were no recording facilities. The network had six stations of its own and relied largely on private affiliates to provide studios, equipment and staff.[11]
In April 1936, CRBC provided round the clock coverage of the
In July 1936, the network broadcast live coverage from France of the unveiling by King Edward VIII of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which was relayed across the ocean by shortwave radio.[16]
The CRBC turned to radio advertising in order to make up a shortfall between government grants and the amount of money needed to run the network.[2]
Demise
The network was criticized by the Canadian Radio League for having poor programming while the Liberal Party opposition accused the network of being biased towards the governing Conservatives.[2]
During the election campaign, the CRBC broadcast a series of 15 minutes soap operas called Mr. Sage which were critical of
New legislation was introduced creating the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a
At its demise, the CRBC was made up of eight network owned-and-operated stations and 14 privately owned network affiliates.[8]
The CRBC's regulatory powers were largely transferred to the CBC while the role of licensing stations and allocating
CRBC owned or leased basic stations
- CRCA Moncton (closed October 31, 1933 due to plans to build more powerful transmitters at Sackville, New Brunswick.[17][18] The new station was eventually opened by the CBC as CBA.)[19]
- CRCK Quebec City AM 1050 - now CBV-FM
- CRCS Chicoutimi AM 950 - now CBJ-FM
- CRCM Montreal AM 910 - now CBME-FM
- CRCO Ottawa AM 880 - now CBO-FM
- CRCT Toronto AM 840 - (leased) - now CBLA-FM
- CRCY Toronto AM 1030 and AM 1420 (leased) - now CJBC AM 860
- CRCW Windsor AM 600 - now CBEW-FM
- CRCV Vancouver AM 1100 - now CBU AM 690
All but the Moncton station later became CBC Radio or Radio Canada stations.
The CRBC also leased and operated
CRBC affiliates
- CHNS Halifax
- CHSJ Saint John
- CHNCNew Carlisle, Quebec
- CKCHHull (now defunct)
- CFRCKingston
- CFPL London
- CKY Winnipeg
- CKCK Regina
- CFQC Saskatoon
- CKBI Prince Albert
- CHAB Moose Jaw
- CJCAEdmonton
- CFACCalgary
- CHWK Chilliwack
- CFCJ Kamloops
- CKOV Kelowna
- CJAT Trail
With the exception of CKY (now CBW, unrelated to today's CKY-FM), the remaining affiliates are no longer connected the CBC.
See also
References
- .
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "The Birth and Death of The Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (1932-1936) Archived 2006-10-10 at the Wayback Machine," Canadian Communications Foundation, accessed January 20, 2008
- ^ Canadian Broadcast Stations Timeline [permanent dead link] accessed January 20, 2008
- ^ John D. Jackson and Paul Millen, "ENGLISH-LANGUAGE RADIO DRAMA: A COMPARISON OF CENTRAL & REGIONAL PRODUCTION UNITS" Archived 2012-08-04 at archive.today, Canadian Journal of Communication, Vol 15, No 1
- ^ Emergence of Public Ownership and Regulations (1928-36), The Canadian Encyclopedia, accessed January 20, 2008
- ^ Canadian Broadcast History
- ^ History of Federal Ridings since 1867
- ^ a b c "The CRTC's Origins" Archived 2012-01-10 at the Wayback Machine, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
- ^ a b Radio Drama, English Language, Canadian Encyclopedia, accessed January 23, 2008
- ^ Cavanaugh, Richard P., "The Development of Canadian Sports Broadcasting 1920-1978", Canadian Journal of Communications, Vol 17. No 3 (1992)
- ^ a b CRBC Programming Archived 2012-03-19 at the Wayback Machine, accessed January 21, 2008
- ^ "Wavescan".
- ^ "The early shortwave stations : A broadcasting history through 1945 9781476604749, 1476604746".
- ^ "CBC Archives".
- ^ "Voice over the Arctic | Maclean's | January 15, 1937".
- ^ "CRC Expected to Relay Short-Wave Description of Vimy Unveiling", Toronto Daily Star (1900-1971); Toronto, Ontario [Toronto, Ontario]08 July 1936: 20.
- ^ "CNR Radio Out - CRBC in | History of Canadian Broadcasting".
- ^ Canadian stations and history
- ^ "CBAM-FM | History of Canadian Broadcasting".
- ^ "VE9GW Transmissions" (PDF). Radio News. November 1933. p. 284.
- ^ "Canadian Experimental Station VE9GW" (PDF). World-Radio. August 26, 1932. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ "Apex Radio Stations Worldwide". Wavescan. Adventist World Radio. August 16, 2009.
- ^ Berg, Jerpme (2013). The early shortwave stations : a broadcasting history through 1945. Jerome S. Berg. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ISBN 978-0786474110. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ "The Canadian Northern Messenger Service". Wavescan. Adventist World Radio. March 4, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2020.