CKSO in the Community

The history of the Sudbury area is deep and rich with logging, exploration, mining, railway and technology and generation after generation, has attracted a multi-ethnic and -cultural background the area can proudly boast.

Throughout the generations, media in Sudbury has played a major role, and while media reported and reflected the Sudbury Area's growth and development, it achieved some milestones of its own and particularly when you take a look at the electronic media, radio and television, several honours go to each.

It was during the depression and in 1935 when W.E. Mason's CKSO AM began broadcasting
George Miller, Q. C., W. E. Mason, owner of the Sudbury Star, Jim Cooper Q.C, and Bill Plaunt, President of CKSO Radio established a major precedent  when they turned on CKSO-TV on October 25th, 1953 as Canada's first privately owned television station.  The station was a CBC network affiliate.  The sale of TV sets grew rapidly in the Sudbury area as it was the sixth largest market in Ontario.  It was mining based (INCO) and affluent.  The station was "in the black" with healthy advertising sales.  INCO sponsored a daily dinner hour 15-minutes News 6 days a week with Bill Keyhoe. Everything was live when it came to local commercials.

CKSO AM  could boast the likes of some great entertainers and talent.  Many, either who got their start here or passed through earlier in their careers, went on to become well known personalities.  As a contemporary station CKSO proved it could sound like the big boys in the major markets.  On air personalities knew that having the call letters CKSO on their resumes carried a lot of weight!


The Business of Radio in a Market
Radio attempts to generate a kind of programming to a market demographic that is affected by advertising.
It will be a demographic that shares a common need, demand and desire for products and services of a particular nature.   It may be clothing, major home appliances, automobiles, or new homes.  Smaller markets will see broadcasters attempt to reach a broader range of demographic with much "overlapping".  Larger or what are known as major markets contain large populations of demographic makeup and a broadcaster may attempt to focus on a very specific market target.  An example would be an all sports radio station, or all news radio programming.  Other stations may go with easy listening music, while others may attempt to build a unique audience with ethnic and cultural programming.  A successful radio broadcaster can attract a desired audience and then go to the kinds of businesses with products and services their audience want or need to buy.  Radio generates its revenue by selling advertising to these businesses.

When you consider the varied background of the people of the Sudbury area, media has quite a challenge in choosing and attracting a particular demographic.  In the area over the years, the then small number of radio and television stations on the air had to generate a broad variety of programming to attract listeners who would  support the advertisers.  Generally, AM radio played a mixture of Adult Contemporary (AC) and Rock music while FM played easy listening.  As markets grow and change, so do the demands and needs of the people. In the 1970's and 1980's more radio time, AM and FM, was devoted to country music programming.  FM provided various programming in block format.  FM would play an hour of German music, or perhaps Big Band, classical and such.  Eventually FM became focused on a country music format.  Today, the reverse is reality.  FM stations are playing contemporary or rock music, while AM stations are playing country music and providing alternative programming.

Consider then that radio has the following objectives:
1.  Generate programming of interest to sufficient audiences
2.  Sell advertising to the people who have the products and services the audience has a need for.

Now consider the latitude of the programming required to responsibly serve a market.
Air waves are considered public property, and hence the need for the CRTC (Canadian Radio Television Commission), a regulator for the broadcast industry.

Although the broadcast regulations have become relaxed in many ways, still there are many important guidelines and stringent rules to follow.

In applying for a license or license renewal, a broadcaster commits itself to a "Promise of Performance".
It is a kind of contract in which a radio or television station will make a promise to present certain kinds of programming to various degrees in so far as time allotment , content, etc.  The programming can consist of local news, local music, Canadian talent, public service and such.

Programming should be considered a service as much as it is entertainment.  There is a great degree of service required in the way of providing important information to a local market.  Weather, road conditions, local news, community sports, community and public service and promotion, all serve to make up important additions to a station's programming.


To answer how CKSO has fit into the community, consider the many ways in which it has:
▪ Provide news and information
▪ Public service
▪ Music and entertainment
▪ Promote local talent
▪ Promote efforts of hundreds of charities and service organizations
▪ Brought community together in good times and in bad times
▪ Provide communication


In serving the community, it has helped to shape it, build it, and re-invent itself over the years.
In turn, the area has shaped its own media as well.  Consider how unique, personal and reflective
radio and television have become in and of Sudbury.  Certain basic fundamentals of broadcasting can be found as common denominators in local and national media, but local media has a Sudbury and Northern Ontario identity or "fingerprint" indelibly marked in its image.

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