Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
| Type | Radio network Public broadcasting |
|---|---|
| Country |  Canada |
| 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 | 1936, assets transferred to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
The Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC) was Canada's first public broadcaster and the immediate precursor to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
The CRBC was established in 1932 by the government of R.B. Bennett based on the recommendations of the 1929 Royal Commission on Radio Broadcasting and as a result of the lobbying efforts of the Canadian Radio League. The network was created on May 26, 1932 and existed until November 2, 1936 when it was reorganized as a Crown corporation becoming the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Daily national broadcasting began in May 1933 with an hour's programming a day which was increased over time.
At its creation, Prime Minister Bennett spoke of the need for public control of radio saying:
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. 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.
Bennett named Hector Charlesworth, editor of Saturday Night magazine, as chairman of the CRBC. The other members of the Commission were Thomas Maher, an unsuccessful Quebec Conservative candidate in 1930 federal election and director of a private radio station in Quebec City and Lieutenant Colonel William Arthur Steel (1890-1968) former Chief Radio Officer with the Canadian Corps during World War I.
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