CKO
| Industry | Media |
|---|---|
| Fate | Off the air |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Headquarters | 65 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario (1977-1981); Carlton Inn Hotel beside Maple Leaf Gardens (1981-1988) |
|
Key people
|
David Ruskin, president and CEO |
| Products | radio news network |
CKO was a Canadian radio news network which operated from 1977 to 1989. The CKO call sign was shared by twelve network-owned stations, as listed below.
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.
On July 12, 1976, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved a licence for CKO to Canada All News Radio Limited. Twelve transmitters were required to be in place across the country and ready for broadcast by the fall of 1979.
With a recorded message from Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to launch it, the CKO radio network started broadcasting on July 1, 1977 with stations in Ottawa and Toronto. Power problems delayed the start of the Ottawa station by an hour. Stories included much American content, plus two features about prostitutes. One announcer mispronounced Arkansas several times in one newscast and was reportedly dismissed.
Later that year, stations were added in Montreal (by acquisition of AM station CFOX),London, Vancouver and Calgary. The Vancouver station began with a news staff of ten, including news director Cam Scott, Gerry Gifford, Richard Dettman, Stan Crossley, Bill Rodger, Norm Bright and Joanna Piros. Scott was replaced in 1978 by Peter Ray, who had been transferred from the Montreal station. After Ray's departure that year, Tom Spear was hired from CHWK Chilliwack in December 1978 until most local programming was curtailed in August 1980.
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