CKWV-FM

George Randall applied for an AM station at Nanaimo – 1320 kHz with power of 1,000 watts day and 500 watts at night. The CBC board deferred the proposal but reheard it again later in the year. At that time, the applicant was given the green light but would have to seek a frequency other than 1320 kHz as it had now been assigned to CKNW New Westminster.

CHUB hoped to be on the air May 24. Studios would be in the banquet room of the Malaspina Hotel.

Slogans: The Hub of Vancouver Island. 1570 KC at the top of the dial for top entertainment.

Premier Byron Johnson, other cabinet officials and Nanaimo civic leaders took part in the May 25 formal opening ceremonies for CHUB. Work on the station was nearly complete. CHUB would operate from the outset from 6:25 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. It was fully RCA equipped. Joan Orr, formerly with CKLN Nelson, was the station’s first manager. Other staff: Dorothy Plant (women’s programming and promotions), Glen Kirstgan (program director), Edward Webber (formerly with CKMO Vancouver – chief engineer), William Dobson and Gordon Theedom (announcers), Mrs. J. Andrews (secretary and general office duties). The transmitter was located on Jingle Pott Road. The HUB in the CHUB calls sign stressed Nanaimo as the Hub City and gateway to Vancouver Island. The station was owned jointly by the Sun Publishing Co. (Vancouver Sun) and George Randall of the Malaspina Hotel Ltd. Donald C. Cronie, publisher of The Sun was CHUB’s president and was mostly responsible for launching the new station. Randall was managing director. Other directors: L. Beevor-Potts, John M. Lecky and Herbert F. Gates. Secretary-treasurer was A.L. Pickard. The newsroom was serviced by the Vancouver Sun and Canadian Press. CHUB broadcast on 1570 kHz and had a power of 250 watts. With an original staff of 16, it broadcast Nanaimo’s Empire Day Parade on the first day of operation. 

CHUB became a member of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. 

CHUB applied to change frequency from 1570 to 1480 kHz and to increase power from 250 to 1,000 watts. The application was approved.

Mary Sutherland was named manager of CHUB. She had been a member of the CBC Board of Governors. Announcer and production manager W.G. Portman left CHUB for the soon to open CKDM in Dauphin.

Larry Thomas joined the station as evening disc jockey, moving to mornings and later to the voice of the Intercity lacrosse and Nanaimo Clippers games, and then elected as a Nanaimo City Councillor. Other new staff during the fifties were Pat O’Neill, who became news director and Bill Dobson who went on to become CBC provincial news editor. 

In February, CHUB was promoting the fact that it would soon be on 1480 kHz with 1,000 watts. Later in the month, it was announced that the move to 1480 with 1,000 watts had been put off until the spring.

The CBC Board approved a power increase for CHUB – from 250 to 1,000 watts. Instead of moving to 1480 kHz as approved earlier, the station would remain on 1570 kHz.

In June, CHUB was still promoting a move to 1480 kHz, in error. The station was now broadcasting with 1,000 watts, remaining on 1570 kHz. For the power increase, CHUB was using a new transmitter. The old 250 watt transmitter had been an RCA BTA-250-1.

The brother-sister team of Chuck Rudd and Sheila Hassell, took over operation of CHUB. Hassell had been with CKNW for the past seven years, while Rudd was the former manager and part owner of CJAV in Port Alberni. Rudd started managing CHUB in mid-February, and at the start of March, went on the air to host “Melody Lane” (Mon-Fri, 12:45 to 3:00 p.m.). He started the program during the war while with the Canadian Forces in London and at Hilversum, Holland. Rudd had worked at CKMO before that. Hassell would handle national sales and publicity for CHUB. She had been in radio since 1937, at CJCA Edmonton, CKWX Vancouver, and did some work for CJBC and CFRB in Toronto. 

Bill Dobson was production manager.

Approval was given for the transfer of 19,999 common shares in Standard Broadcasting Co. Ltd.

The transfer of 7,500 common shares in Standard Broadcasting was approved.

Vic Fergie was a newsman at CHUB. Sheila Hassell was sales director.

Lyall Feltham joined as morning host. He later went on to positions as news and sports director and sales. 

CHUB was one of several stations in the region seeking the use of 1130 kHz. The station was operating on 1570 kHz. CHUB also sought a power increase from 1,000 watts to 10,000 watts. Their application was denied.

The CBC Board recommended approval for CHUB 1570 to increase power from 1,000 watts to 10,000 watts.

Ad slogans: This is the year in B.C. – 10th year for Radio CHUB. 100th birthday of British Columbia. 10,000 watts for Radio CHUB. / CKLG Vancouver 10,000 watts – CHUB Nanaimo 10,000 watts – Twin Peaks of Power in B.C.

According to Elliott-Haynes CHUB reached a total of 73,195 adult listeners every day. 

Power was increased to 10,000 watts with a transmitter location change to Cedar, southeast of Nanaimo.

The news team of Larry Thomas, Vic Fergie and Lyall Feltham covered the October 1 Nanaimo Chinatown fire, which did extensive damage to that area of the city. 

Al Addison and His Westernaires celebrated eleven years on CHUB.

The Sun sold the station to Bob Giles (former manager of CKLG and previous news director at CKNW and CKWX in Vancouver), Jack Kyle (air personality at CKNW) and Joe Lawlor (sales manager for CHAB, Moose Jaw).

In July, Joe’s brother George Lawlor came from Moose Jaw as station manager, Ted Kelly became program director and Merv Pickford took over engineering. Duane Bodeker joined the station and later took over mornings from Lyall Feltham. 

CHUB received permission to change its studio location from 38 Front Street to 22 Esplanade.

On April 15 the station moved to a new studio at 22 Esplanade. Nanaimo Clipper hockey games began to be broadcast live. An open line show was started with host Don Wilson.

CHUB opened CHPQ in nearby Parksville on AM 1370, to provide a local voice to that area, 40 kilometers to the northwest. Marc Chambers, known then as Mark Webber and later J. Marc, started his radio career at CHUB. After five years he moved on to CJAV Port Alberni and other stations in B.C. and Ontario, including 16 years at CHUM-AM in Toronto.

Cory Galbraith made his start at CHUB, progressing to news anchor at CFUN Vancouver and CFTR Toronto, manager of news operations at Standard Radio in Ottawa and founder of Galbraith Communications, also in Ottawa.

Larry Thomas, received the Radio-Television news director’s award for B.C. for coverage of the Lantzville Cutoff bus crash.

On June 6, the CRTC approved the application by Benchmark Ventures Inc. for authority to acquire the assets of CHUB Nanaimo and CHPQ Parksville-Qualicum from Nanaimo Broadcasting Corporation Limited and Anchor Developments Ltd. The licences would expire September 30, 1988. This term would enable the Commission to consider the renewal of these licences at the same time as that of other radio stations in the area. The Commission noted that the President and Secretary of the new licensee company were British Columbia residents with extensive broadcasting experience. It also noted that there would be no change in the day-to-day operation of the stations. 

Gene Daniel took over as General Manager.

On June 6 the CRTC heard application for an amalgamation of Central Island Broadcasting Ltd., licensee of CKEG Nanaimo with Benchmark Ventures Inc., Licensee of CHUB Nanaimo and its re-broadcaster CHPQ Parksville, B.C. Also applied for was the move of CHUB from AM 1570 to FM 102.3 with an average effective radiated power of 1400 watts (3000 watts peak) and the move of CHPQ from AM 1370 to FM 99.9 with an average effective radiated power of 900 watts (2100 watts peak). In addition, application was made to move CKEG from AM 1350 to 1570 with a change of transmitter location from Gabriola Island to North Cedar, immediately southeast of the city. The applications were approved on August 25.

CHUB became CKWV-FM “The Wave” on 102.3 with “The Island’s Own Light Rock”, transmitting from Cottle Hill, northwest of the city. CKWV-FM officially launched on January 2. Rebroadcaster CHPQ became CKWV-FM-1 on 99.9 and CKEG changed moved from 1350 kHz to CHUB’s old frequency of 1570 kHz. The corporate merger of CKWV and CKEG resulted in the hiring of five more staff members. 

On April 7, the CRTC approved the application to amend the licence for CKWV-FM by decreasing the effective radiated power from 1,400 watts to 1,300 watts. The Department of Industry, Science and Technology indicated that the decrease in power would not significantly affect coverage over populated areas. 

On April 27, the CRTC approved the application to amend the licence for CKWV-FM Nanaimo by increasing the effective radiated power of its transmitter CKWV-FM-1 Parksville from 900 watts to 1,100 watts. The Commission noted that the Department of Industry, Science and Technology indicated that this power increase would not significantly change coverage over populated areas.

In October CKWV-FM tweaked its format to a more bouncy hit-oriented sound and changed its slogan to “Nanaimo’s All Hit Music”. The Cottle Hill transmitter site became the shared facility for two new Nanaimo stations, CHLY-FM 101.7 and CHWF-FM 106.9.

On January 19 Central Island Broadcasting Ltd. announced it had changed its corporate name to Island Radio Ltd. to more closely reflect the company’s geographic presence due to expansion north and west on Vancouver Island.  On February 11 at 12 noon, CKWV-FM-1 Parksville ceased rebroadcasting CKWV-FM Nanaimo and became CHPQ-FM.

Award winning broadcaster Larry Thomas, who wore many hats on several occasions with the station, died in Nanaimo on September 4, age 75.
 During his career he had served as DJ, news and sports director, open line host and voice of the Nanaimo Clippers and Timbermen.

On November 1, it was announced in a joint press release that Island Radio Ltd. had agreed to sell its six Vancouver Island radio stations (and related assets) to the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group pending approval by the CRTC.

On June 27, the Commission approved application by Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Ltd. (the general partner) and Jim Pattison Industries Ltd. (the limited partner), carrying on business as Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Limited Partnership, to acquire the assets of CHWF-FM and CKWV-FM Nanaimo, CIBH-FM and CHPQ-FM Parksville, CKLR-FM Courtenay and CJAV-FM Port Alberni, from Island Radio Ltd.  The applicant stated that the value of the transaction was $12.5 million. 

Island Radio news director Marlow Weldon left February 3 to become sports director at the Jim Pattison Red Deer group. 

Daryl Major left Rock 97.7 Grande Prairie as News Director/morning co-host to become News Director at Island Radio Nanaimo. He left Rock 97.7 in February.

Jerry Landa died at age 78. Landa was one of the CFUN Good Guys of the early ’60s. He also worked at CKDA Victoria, CKLG, CJOR and CKWX Vancouver, and CHUB Nanaimo into the ’80s before retiring.

On August 17, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence of CKWV-FM to August 31, 2013.