Celebration of CKNW’s 75th Anniversary
Metro Vancouver’s CKNW AM 980 will air its 75th Anniversary Broadcast from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. August 15th live on location from Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia St., New Westminster.
In addition, the station will hold a 75th Birthday Luncheon August 12th, from 12:00 noon to 1:45 p.m. at Terminal City Club, 837 W Hastings St., Vancouver. Registration by noon August 9th is required for the luncheon.
CKNW began broadcasting in New Westminster on August 15, 1944, the first Lower Mainland broadcast expansion since the start of WW II. 
Bill Rae (pictured) was the owner and star on-air host. It took him less than a decade to dominate the market. 
Luncheon Date and Time
Location
Terminal City Club
837 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC
Description
Please join us as we help kickoff a week of activities celebrating the 75th anniversary of CKNW radio.The iconic station began broadcasting in New Westminster, British Columbia on August 15, 1944. Originally a 6 a.m. to midnight country music station, CKNW became the first 24-hours a day radio station in B.C. in 1947. Over the years, CKNW has been home to legendary personalities and developed trust and bond with the community by reporting on the stories that have helped to evolve and define the Lower Mainland.
George Garrett, the “Intrepid Reporter,” was first heard reporting on NW in 1956, the same year Frank Griffiths and the Allard family bought the station. He spent 43 years reporting for the station. His crowning achievements include covering the B.C. Penitentiary riots, going undercover as a tow truck operator to expose a forgery scheme, and many others.
Jon McComb, host of the Jon McComb Show (5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.) has been at 980 CKNW for 35years. He was the first employee to jump from being a reporter and anchor in the news department to hosting a talk show.
Lynda Steele, host of the Lynda Steele Show (2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) will take the stage with George and Jon and help extract many great stories from their combined 78 years of experience at CKNW.
Monday, August 12, 2019
Time
Registration 11:45 A.M.
Luncheon: 12:00 P.M. – 1:45 P.M.
Location
Terminal City Club
837 West Hastings Street
Registration Rate
Flat Ticket $98.00 (plus GST)
Table of 8: $784.00 (plus GST)
Registration Deadline: Friday August 9, 2019 at 12:00 P.M.
Register online or by phone: 604 688 8260. Please register by Friday, August 9, 2019 at 12:00 P.M.
Cancellation notice: For a refund please provide a cancellation notice by 12:00 p.m. on the day of registration deadline. No-shows or cancellations received after 12:00 p.m. on the day of registration deadline will be billed for the full amount.
Maybe while their taking 12 hours to pat themselves on the back, they can spend part of the time explaining how they managed to take a station once worth listening to, to one which isn’t worth the time of day. Frank Griffiths must be wondering what on earth he ever did to have his legacy ruined the way Corus has.
Sad indeed. Lacklustre programming for much of the time. A news operation that is almost completely emasculated.
I completely agree with the preceding 2 comments.
When I was growing up in New Westminster in the 1960s, all my childhood friends’ parents had NW on, and I was proud to see the ‘Top Dog’ remote unit out there at events. Now, it is just a sniveling disgrace of what was.
Put me down as another disappointed NW listener. They under corus have destroyed the top dog.
Rob r trumpet player newsman 13 . We need 4 more to get the deal . Oops I just did the math and a table of 8 is $784. No deal . 4 of us will cost $392
Back in the early 1990’s, I attended WIC (Western International Communications) AGMs (Annual General Meetings), before it all fell apart. I also attended their court cases involving Canwest. Great way to have met everybody, back then – and learn.
Thanx, 13, but wouldn’t drop a cent today – LoL
RIP Frank A. Griffiths, Sr.
Like others here back in the golden days for me at least of CKNW 980. (the 1980’s and 90’s for me ) it was the station I had on for news, talk, editorials and sports, sports talk. The personalities, the topics and the engagement with the listeners and callers was top notch. By the mid 2000’s CKNW decline went from a want and need to listen to, to a radio station that was on a big decline.
Today they hardly touch on real issues for doing so is politically taboo. If they must it’s all glossed over in faux, virtue signalling and faux victimization.
CKNW is now hardly balanced in news talk and opinions. It’s all liberal-left virtue signaling fake new and BASH TRUMP, BASH THE USA, BASH WESTERN CULTURE (INCLUDING CANADA’S 152 Y.O. CULTURE) BASH MEN AND NOTABLY WHITE STRAIGHT MEN, BASH ANYTHING THAT REPRSENTS THE ONLY GREAT SOCIETY EVER TO GRACE THIS PLANET, THE WESTERN DEVELOPED WORLD!
The hosts are or became 2 dimensonal paper cut outs. Their opinions straddle globalist, safe spaces, leftist, anti western world virtue signalling. They flag wave for leftist nonsense dressed up as liberalism and cheer on cultural backwardness and degenersy out of again rabid virtue signaling.
No deep thought on air, no support for our great western cultural values, only hate on western world history and ideals.
I use to keep my radio dial on CKNW as if it were super glued in place. But oh by 2010 not as much and by 2016 “MEH WHAT ELSE IS ON TO LISTEN TOO!”
I’m all for holding our governments and even society to account where need be. That makes us better. BUT I’M SICK AND TIRED OF THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA HATE AND SELF LOATHING DRESSED WITH A GOOD DOSE OF LEFTIST-LIBERAL HYPOCRISY OF ANYTHING AMERICAN, CANADIAN OR WESTERN WORLD ESPECIALLY IF IT’S ABOUT WESTERN WORLD MEN WHO BY THE WAY BUILT 99% OF THIS WORLD AROUND YOU!!!!
So bashing NW on an anniversary as important as 75. How tasteless . How crass. How deserved.
I listen to NW every day and have resigned my expectations to be very very low. So its background with short flashes of brilliance.
Note to Drex. Your overnight replacement for C2C has been a success. Congrats. But I have a warning for yourself and Mr Adler. Dont take any time off until they find a replacement host worthy of the show. Eric Chapman is an embarrassment as is Jody Vance. Even Tim Dickers would be better than those two
CKNW 75th anniversary? I thinks it’s a typo… it’s meant to say they have 75 listeners
CKNW = CBC light…
From 25 year full time listener to perhaps 2 hrs/week for Bruce Allen & Mike Campbell.
If they think they’ve captured the 35-50 demographic, heads should roll at Corus.
WOKE Jody “BASH TRUMP 24 hours a day” Vance
What a joke for FAKENEWS talk(MOSTLY COMMERCIALS) radio hosts.
“Bagoverheadguy” made a good point, as I too, listen to Michael Campbell’s MoneyTalks on Saturdays (since about 1994-ish).
But, that’s only because it is Mr. Michael Campbell, with knowledgeable guests …
Both my dad, Ferdy Baglo, (from its start in 1944 to 1950) and myself (1974-1977… the Frosty/Bannerman/Honey years) worked at NW. I’d love to take my dad to the luncheon if his health would permit it. I doubt we’ll delve into criticisms of the current programming. I suspect we’ll prefer to reminiscence with old friends and acquaintances.
While growing up in the sixties in New West our house always had CKNW on the radio also. I can honestly say I enjoyed all the great reporters, sports announcers, news people, and personalities who’s names were as familiar as long time neighbours. Jack Cullen spent an evening making a tape of all the songs from the year my parents were married and didn’t even know us personally. I have it still though they are gone and think of those extras the staff did for people. The station isn’t what it used to be but when I hopefully get to be 75 and a little frayed around the edges someone will remember it’s worth celebrating still being around!
I feel really sad when I see what NW has become compared to what it was like when I grew up in the fifties and sixties. We had Bob Hutton ,perhaps the best morning man ever. Quick thinker and genuinely funny. We had the Roving Mike where Bill Hughes interviewed travellers around the world, with great professionalism and class. Next was Wally Garrett who had one of the best radio voices ever, teamed with Jack Webster the incomparable reporter/interviewer. If Webster couldn’t get a straight answer out of politicians nobody could. He really put politicians and other self important folks on the hot seat. No one like that exists now. Not even close. We got “jet fast news” where the newsroom was right on top of breaking news all over the city. Now all we get are the same teletype stories repeated over and over again word for word each newscast. In the evening we were treated to Jack Cullen who probably knew and shared more about music and groups than any other broadcaster anywhere. Sports with “Big Al” Davidson who really got you thinking and often infuriated! Then the remote locations where NW used clever gimmicks to get listeners attention, such as siting atop the Bow Mac sign on Broadway or having the announcers drive a fleet of Austin Minis to see who could get the best gas mileage.
What has happened? Now the station is just a tout for incessant advertising. How the mighty have fallen!
mostly politically correct talk by progressive left hosts. Daily dose of bashing Western Culture and Trump.
Except Jon McComb and Michael Campbell, CKNW turns into the trumpet of the socialist left.
After the retirement of Jon and Mike, that station will be off my radio dial
Congratulations on the 75th anniversary. Certainly a worthy milestone to celebrate. Sure, a lot has changed in the radio business and audiences are a fraction of what they were decades ago but radio has some life left in it. However, let’s bring back some shine to NW news broadcasts. It’s a bit of a shame to hear the reader say CKNW time: 1:31 PM, and that’s it for the news cast. One paltry minute.
How about starting up a new thread where people report one favourite anecdote about the former Top Dog, along with one gripe if they so choose? This thread is lost here.
did bill apply for a tv channel in early 50’s ?????????
Great segments on CKNW this morning with Jon McComb from the Anvil Centre in the Royal City. Interview with Neil Macrae’s widow (after playing the memorable Burke-Macrae piece), Ted Field’s on air arrest, a trio of the station’s first female news staffers (Yvonne Eamor, Belle Puri, Shirel Tobin) and much more.
I’m enjoying much of the 75th anniversary broadcast today. Two thoughts come to mind.
Two of the major sponsors of the broadcast, Penfold Roofing and Morrey auto dealers, both had unique ads for many years featuring Neil Macrae. He has been mentioned many times this morning, and he clearly helped both those businesses succeed – in addition to all the other roles he played at the station.
Second thought: The move from New Westminster to Vancouver was very briefly mentioned. From my biased perspective as former editor of community newspapers in Surrey and Langley, I think this was a mistake. CKNW always had a Vancouver presence, with talk shows from various locations. Jack Webster, Gary Bannerman and Rafe Mair all broadcast from there and its role in the city was undeniable, and of course, it broadcast the Canucks and the Lions as well.
CKNW being based in New Westminster meant that it covered the entire region much better than any other radio station, TV station or daily newspaper. This was in part due to its more central location, and partly due to people like Warren Barker who was far and away the best assignment editor employed by any media outlet in the region. John Ashbridge was also a key part of that approach to news coverage. I was fortunate to get to know John when he was an instructor at Langara journalism school while I was a student there. BTW, we were told by all our instructors there that CKNW was far and away the best source of news in the region. At that time, very true.
After CKNW went to Vancouver, lock, stock and barrel (with the exception of a tiny studio in a McDonald’s at the old 8th and McBride location, often staffed by Ted Field), it seems to me that (with notable exceptions like Janet Brown ) most of its reporters and editors have taken their eyes off fast-growing areas like Surrey, which despite its size and importance, continues to be the subject of one-dimensional reporting by most area media outlets.
Other than Ms. Brown, are there any reporters left at CKNW? With the integration of the Global and NE news operations it appears we mostly hear TV reporters now on the radio news. Basically the Warren Barker news room is finished. A great way to mark the 75th anniversary indeed.