CKO
- CKO is also an acronym for Chief Knowledge Officer.
CKO was a Canadian radio news network which operated from 1977 to 1989.
The network was owned by Canada All-News Radio Ltd. AGRA Industries was originally a 45 per cent partner in the network, but by 1988 it was the sole owner. David Ruskin was the network's founding president.
History
CKO, licensed in 1976 for eleven FM stations, commenced broadcasting on July 1, 1977 with stations in Ottawa, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario. The first day of broadcast was beset by some content, newsreading and technical problems. Power problems delayed the start of the Ottawa station by an hour. Stories included much American content, plus two features about prostitutes.[1]
Later that year, stations were added in Montreal, Quebec (by acquisition of AM station CFOX), London, Ontario, Vancouver, British Columbia and Calgary, Alberta.
The news network began live broadcasts of the Canadian government's Question Period in late 1977; for nearly all Canadians, it was the first regular, live access to House proceedings as it would be well over two years before CPAC's precedecessor began nationwide video distribution to most cable systems.[2]
In 1978, a station was added in Edmonton, Alberta. It closed the London studio that year due to poor ad sales.
After its first anniversary, the network faced low ratings and higher financial losses than expected. However, it was hoped that a planned advertising campaign would help boost awareness of the station. The Toronto transmitter power was also to be increased to 100 000 watts in by the end of 1978.[3]
CKO began live sports broadcasts for Toronto Maple Leafs hockey and NFL football in late 1978. CKFH previously carried the Maple Leafs games and attempted to have the CRTC stop CKO's hockey broadcasts. The CRTC rejected CKFH's complaint, on the rationale that sports broadcasts were within CKO's programming commitments. [4]
The stations each had local studios, but also shared national programming as well. In the 1980s, CKO became one of the first Canadian radio networks to deliver its programming by satellite.
In 1985, CKO added a station in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Maclean-Hunter sold its Newsradio broadcast syndication division to CKO in August 1987.[5]
In 1988, CKO filed an application with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to trade frequencies with Toronto AM station CKEY. The transaction would have included a payment of $4 million to CKO which the network would have used to launch three more stations (Regina, Saint John and St. John's) for which it already held licenses, but had not been financially able to establish. However, the CRTC denied the application on 25 April 1988[6]. Later the same year, AGRA transferred its 99% ownership in CKO to its majority-owned media division, Cybermedix.[7] In March 1989, the network under its restructured ownership declared to the CRTC that it would no longer have financial losses by 1993.[8]
Later that year, CKO established what would become its final station in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Montreal-based Ted Tevan briefly hosted a weekday sports talk show on the network. But CKO's Montreal station did not have a suitable studio for the program, therefore Tevan was required to commute to Toronto. Tevan quit CKO after the network rejected his offer to set up a studio in his home city.[9]
In 1989, AGRA sold Cybermedix to Cogeco. However, the CKO network had always struggled to turn a profit, and on November 10 of that year suddenly terminated all broadcasting during the newscast at noon (Eastern time). Cogeco only wanted Cybermedix's cable properties, and the network lost a reported $55 million during its existence. The broadcast licences were surrendered to the CRTC which formally revoked these on 15 August 1990.
Personalities
Notable personalities associated with the network included:
- Squire Barnes - now a Global BC sportscaster
- Pat Burns - deceased
- Gerry Dobson - now a Rogers Sportsnet soccer commentator
- Don Gauthier
- John Gilbert (1930-1998)[10]
- Lynne Gordon, entertainment reporter - now a keynote speaker
- Patrick Hynan, head newswriter - died 3 February 1988[11]
- Walter Kanitz, travel correspondent - died 7 February 1986[12]
- Roger Millions - now a Calgary Flames play-by-play announcer on Rogers Sportsnet
- David Onley - now a Citytv and CablePulse 24 journalist
- Taylor Parnaby, once CKO's President - now Chief Correspondent for CFRB 1010 Toronto
- Andrew Sharp
- Glen Stone
- Ted Tevan, sports-themed talk show in 1989
- Peter Varley[13]
- Larry Wachtel
- David Windsor - now an actor
Programs
- Herbert W. Armstrong, weekdays and Sundays 9:30pm[14]
- The John Gilbert Show[15]
- Hotline, hosted by Pat Burns
- Science File, hosted by Glen Stone
- Spacewatch, hosted by David Onley
- Time to Talk, national open line show hosted by Don Gauthier from 1985[16]
- Toronto Maple Leafs hockey games
- Wall Street Report, hosted by Larry Wachtel
- Wineview, hosted by Andrew Sharp
CKO frequencies
Many of CKO's frequencies were not reassigned to new radio broadcasters for almost a decade after CKO's demise. In fact, two of the frequencies remain unassigned as of 2005.
- Ottawa - FM 106.9, now CKQB, The Bear
- Toronto - FM 99.1, now CBLA, CBC Radio One
- Montreal - AM 1470, never reassigned
- London - FM 97.5, now CIQM, Q97.5 EZRock
- Vancouver - FM 96.1, now CHKG, Fairchild Radio
- Calgary - FM 103.1, now CIQZ, California 103
- Edmonton - FM 101.9, now CKER, multilingual and religious programming
- Winnipeg - FM 99.1, now CJZZ, CoolFM
- Halifax - FM 103.5, to become CHKZ in 2006
CKO also held licenses for the following stations, which were never launched:
- Regina - FM 100.7, now CILG Moose Jaw, Country 100
- Saint John - FM 99.7, never reassigned
- St. John's - FM 101.9, now CBAX-FM-2 (Espace musique)
References
- ^ (no byline) (2 July 1977). "Hangups and hookers mar All-News Radio debut". Globe and Mail. p. 27.
- ^ Kirby, Blaik (11 November 1977). "Wry restoration comedies bite through the usual pap (CKO story at end of article)". Globe and Mail. p. 16.
- ^ Keddy, Barbara (9 September 1978). "Adage about half-full, half-empty cup appropriate to position of CKO radio". Globe and Mail. pp. B5.
- ^ (no byline) (13 January 1979). "CRTC favors CKO-FM on sports". Globe and Mail. p. 39.
- ^ (no byline) (11 August 1987). "Newsradio news service sold by Maclean Hunter to CKO radio network". Globe and Mail. pp. B13.
- ^ [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/eng/Decisions/1988/..%5C..%5CDecisions%5C1988%5CDB88-294.htm Decision CRTC 88-294]
- ^ Globe and Mail (9 November 1988). "Agra Industries sells CKO radio network". Globe and Mail. pp. B12.
- ^ Partridge, John (16 March 1989). "CKO will break even in 1993, president says". Globe and Mail. pp. B8.
- ^ Patton, Paul (27 March 1989). "Tevan ends CKO show". Globe and Mail. pp. C4.
- ^ Rock Radio Heaven
- ^ Globe and Mail, The (4 February 1988). "Patrick Hynan - Produced show on Hemingway (obituary)". Globe and Mail. pp. A16.
- ^ Globe and Mail, The (8 February 1986). "Walter Kanitz - Veteran radio broadcaster (obituary)". Globe and Mail. pp. A22.
- ^ Beveridge, Massey (1 January 1987). "Letters to the Editor: The wrong Mr. Varley". Globe and Mail. p. 6.
- ^ (no byline) (16 February 1981). "Advertisement from Herbert W. Armstrong". Globe and Mail. p. 20.
- ^ (no byline) (25 September 1984). "CKO Advertisement". Globe and Mail. p. 4.
- ^ Tansey, Mike (17 March 1986). "Letters to the Editor: National open line". Globe and Mail. pp. A6.