The story
Licensing and launch
On July 12, 1976, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved David Ruskin's application, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated as Canada All-News Radio Ltd., to operate a national network of all-news FM stations. The Canadian Communications Foundation later described the approval of eleven licences to one owner as an unusual move by the CRTC. The CRTC did not approve a new Montreal FM transmitter because of the scarcity of FM frequencies and concerns about the balance of English- and French-language stations in the market; instead, it suggested that the applicant acquire or affiliate with an existing English-language station in Montreal.
The network began broadcasting on July 1, 1977, with stations in Ottawa and Toronto. Its first broadcast included a recorded message from Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Ottawa's launch was delayed by power problems, and early newspaper coverage noted technical errors and uneven editorial performance.
Later in 1977, CKO expanded to Montreal by acquiring CFOX in Pointe-Claire and converting it to the all-news format. The network also added stations in London, Calgary and Vancouver that year.
Programming and expansion
CKO carried a national all-news service with local and regional news inserts. In late 1977, the network began live radio broadcasts of Question Period from the House of Commons of Canada. For many Canadians, this was the first regular live access to House proceedings before the later arrival of nationwide parliamentary television coverage.
The network added Edmonton in 1978. That year, CKO's London bureau was closed because of poor advertising sales. After its first year, CKO was facing lower ratings and higher losses than expected, although management hoped that a promotional campaign and increased Toronto transmitter power would improve its position.
CKO also carried live sports. In late 1978, it began broadcasting Toronto Maple Leafs hockey games and National Football League football. CKFH, which had previously carried Maple Leafs games, asked the CRTC to stop the hockey broadcasts, but the commission rejected the complaint and found that the broadcasts were consistent with CKO's programming commitments.
Following a failed proposed sale to Allarco Broadcasting in 1981, CKO cut staff and reduced local programming, with most stations increasingly rebroadcasting programming from Toronto. In 1985, the network added a station in Halifax.
Ownership changes and financial difficulties
AGRA Industries was originally a 45 per cent shareholder in Canada All-News Radio Ltd. By the late 1980s, AGRA had effective control of the network through a complex ownership structure involving Cybermedix.
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In August 1987, Maclean-Hunter sold its Newsradio broadcast syndication division to CKO.
CKO also pursued technical and ownership changes in an effort to improve its financial position. In 1986, it applied to move its Montreal outlet to 95.1 MHz FM, but the CRTC denied the application in 1987. In 1989, the CRTC approved a separate application to move CKO Montreal from 1470 kHz to 650 kHz and to reduce its authorized power; the change was never implemented before the network closed.
In 1988, CKO applied to exchange frequencies with Toronto AM station CKEY 590. The proposed transaction would have included a $4 million payment to CKO, which the network said would help finance additional stations in Winnipeg, Regina, Saint John and St. John's. The CRTC denied the application on April 25, 1988. Later that year, AGRA transferred its 99 per cent ownership interest in CKO to Cybermedix, its majority-owned media division.
In March 1989, CKO told the CRTC that it expected to stop losing money and break even by 1993. CKO opened its Winnipeg station later that year; it was the final station launched by the network.
Closure
In 1989, AGRA agreed in principle to sell Cybermedix to Montreal-based broadcaster Cogeco. Cogeco planned to keep CKO and Cybermedix's cable systems while selling the medical laboratory assets. The transaction still required CRTC approval, and Cogeco could not operate CKO before approval was granted.
With losses continuing and the Cogeco transaction still pending, AGRA shut down CKO on November 10, 1989. Network president Bill Stewart informed employees of the closure by conference call. While the meeting was taking place, the network went off the air during the noon Eastern Time newscast. Newspaper reports stated that CKO had lost about $55 million during its existence.
The CKO licences were surrendered to the CRTC, which formally revoked them on August 15, 1990.
From Wikipedia’s article on CKO, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3