Last week Our Past brought you the story of CFXC, an early radio station in New Westminster, that began broadcasting in late 1923.
It aired some Christmas material, and formally opened on New Year's Eve. The station was located on the fifth floor of the Westminster (Trust) Building in the city's downtown. As promised, here are some of the details from that historic occasion.
For those who like the technical details of such an operation, the station was powered by a 500 volt generator; signals went out on a 440 wave length, which, according to reports of the day, were capable of reaching a radius of 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometres).
The station's radio signal was sent out from a "six wire cage aerial and counterpoise" that had been installed on the roof of the building.
The counterpoise mentioned was a type of antenna grounding system.
The station had an arrangement with local amateur talent for musical entertainment, and the Columbia Piano House supplied a piano and gramophone playing the "very latest and best records."
This was a prominent business and many local homes today probably still have a piano from that store.
The new year's opening featured a lot of speakers and a number of songs.
Thomas Annandale, mayor of the city, offered new year's greetings, commented on the wonders of radio and how it would work for the city and thanked Hume and Rumble and Westminster Trust for making it happen.
Other speakers included David Whiteside, a local MLA; T. J. Trapp, a prominent and highly regarded business owner; and E. A.
Riddell of the Westminster Trust Company. Alderman Fred Hume, of the company that installed the station, spoke about radio and its innovation and the technical side of the installation.
From B.C. radio history sources we find that CFXC changed its frequency a couple of years later and then was sold in 1926. It was moved to Vancouver with a new licence and remained prominent for many years as CJOR.
The source also noted that this station is technically still around, as part of a current station's "family tree," with a different name and call letters as part of the Jim Pattison Group.
Overall, this story is an interesting piece of our local history added to New Westminster's close connections to the "Top Dog," CKNW.
Interested in more pieces of our history? The New Westminster Historical Society presentation on Jan. 16 will feature an eclectic collection of images to start off its new year.
Included in the presentation that starts at 7: 30 p.m. in the auditorium of the New Westminster Public Library will be the old Eaton's store on Columbia Street, a look at changes over the decades at Sixth Street at Columbia, The Transfer steamer at Redonda Bay, close-up views of medals and trophies, and a whole lot more.
