Ken Soble

Kenneth David Soble (June 12, 1911 - December 16, 1966) was a Canadian broadcasting executive, who became the owner of radio station CHML and was one of the founders of CHCH-TV, both of which were in Hamilton Ontario. Under his management, CHCH withdrew from the CBC Television Network in 1961 to become Canada's first independent television station. He was also the original applicant for what would eventually become Canada's Global Television Network, although the application underwent numerous changes before being transferred to a separate company, unrelated to Soble's Niagara Television, in 1970. One indication of the esteem in which he was held was that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation offered him the job of president of the network in late 1966; but he decided to turn it down.

Soble was born in Toronto; his father's name was Jacob and his mother's name was Rebecca. Jacob (Jack) Soble worked in a clothing factory, until he became ill and unable to work. Ken left school at age 15 (some sources say age 16) in order to help his family; his first job was as a door-to-door salesman. Soble's entry into broadcasting occurred by accident, circa 1927, when he helped a woman who needed a ride to the radio station where she worked. Her name was Jane Gray, and she had a radio drama troupe, the Jane Gray Players. She showed her appreciation for the ride by giving him a chance to perform on the air. From that unpaid position, Soble found paid work at several stations, selling air time, and doing some announcing of both music shows and sports programs. By 1936, he had started his own broadcasting company, Metropolitan Broadcasting Service, Ltd. Around that time, he got the idea for a radio amateur hour, similar to those already on the air in the United States, such as the one hosted by Major Bowes.Ken Soble's Amateur Hour was first broadcast on CKCL in Toronto, but he was soon able to expand it to a regional network; ultimately, it aired across Canada and became one of the country's most popular programs, even though, by his own admission, the show was "corny." Around 1936, after working for CKCL and then CFRB, he became general manager of CHML in Hamilton; only seven years later, at age 31, Soble was able to buy the station from the former owner, Senator Arthur Hardy in 1942 after winning a bidding war against Roy Thomson and Jack Kent Cooke. Meanwhile, during World War II, Soble decided to retire the Amateur Hour to concentrate on organizing entertainment programs for Canada's troops. But after the war, in 1946, the Amateur Hour returned to CHML by popular demand; Soble also used the program to stage benefit performances that raised funds for worthy causes, such as several hospitals, the Red Cross, and Easter Seals. In addition to supporting national causes, Soble also funded the building of a Jewish Community Center in Hamilton.

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