CKPR Radio TV

In the early 1960s, CKPR was simulcasting on AM, FM and producing original programming on CKPR-TV. Bud wrote and produced a successful radio promotion series honouring that fact. It was titled, "The Giant On The Hill" voiced by Graham Thomson, the most senior announcer on the staff. The promotion reflected the "Sleeping Giant" tourist attraction in the bay and a cartoon logo of a giant was adopted for the CKPR music chart that was distributed across the region each week. See a sample of the chart further down this page next to the bio of the staff artist Bruce McNally.

Gerry had a guest shot on the Merv Griffin afternoon TV talk and variety show from N.Y. Gerry actually worked on Merv's show.

Bud Riley doing the daily 6:20 PM weather report

Next: go to CJRN Niagara

Bud Riley (in disguise with cream pie in hand) teamed up with Cal for a surprise visit to Elinore Nickolson's afternoon TV show. The popular hostess turned the tables on Bud and re-directed the pie into his own face.

Video and Audio clips from www.rockradioscrapbook.com and private collections of Doug Thompson, CHUM Archives, Charlie Ritenberg, Bill Dullmage, Bud Riley, Tom Fulton, Bob Carr, Westlyn Mather, Don Shuttleworth, David Ross, Mike Cleaver and others.

CKPR RADIO/TV

LINKS TO OTHER RADIO SITES

Gerry Isherwood and Jerry Godin surprised Bud Riley with a going-away party. The staff gathered in a recording studio and asked Bud to help them with a (fake) technical problem.

Hear Isherwood and Godin with Riley

CKPR RADIO AND TV, THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO. In 1963, former C-HOW programme director Bill Moyer convinced Bud Riley to move to northwestern Ontario with the promise of some TV experience. Bud's day started with the morning show, 5 am to 10 a.m., continued with commercial production, noon TV weather "The Weather Outside", a midday TV interview programme "Meridian", another radio studio session producing commercials, then remote on-site live radio spots from a car dealership Consolidated Motors (3-5 PM), back to the studio to do TV weather again and later at 11pm, another TV weather presentation, introduction to the nightly movie feature and finally, the TV station sign-off at approximately 12:30 to 1 a.m. Bud also hosted a weekly local TV quiz show with various service clubs competing with each other. Bud, as radio programme supervisor, also undertook to revamp the music mix and oversee the creation of a promotional weekly top 40 music list distributed at record outlets and other popular venues. As a morning man he shook thinks up in Thunder Bay when he decided to wake up the Sleeping Giant, a local landmark in the bay which was shaped like a man lying down. Bud modified a tape recorder to play his voice back in a deep bass which became the giant's voice when bud woke him up each morning to have him tell a joke. Some locals wanted Bud fired for "desecrating" the image of their most important local geological feature. Finally, under protest, Bud relented and went back to telling jokes in his own voice. Bud explained that the sleeping giant fell into a coma.

The adjacent image, "Miss CKPR", symbolized the power of CKPR radio communications in the Lakehead region. It was a floor-to-ceiling wooden cutout that was installed in the Fort William studios. Since the studios were no longer being used, Bud Riley campaigned unsuccessfully to have the image moved to CKPR's Port Arthur location. It wasn;t until sometime after 1964, it was moved to Port Arthur studios.

Tom Ross was CKPR's first chief engineer. He was responsible for moving the old transmitter to Fort William (Thunder Bay) in 1930 and was involved in the station's technical improvements over two decades. In the 50s and 60s Tom was fully in charge of the operating the transmitter and its maintenance. He retired after five decades but regularly visited the station and the technical staff. Tom died on July 6, 1993.

(note the old "salt shaker" mic in the photo, more on Tom's favorite microphone )

CKPR'S Tower located between Port Arthur and Fort William in a region called Inter-city.

This was the transmitter that engineer Tom Ross brought up to Thunder Bay from Midland, Ontario, the station's original location.

This is the Gates 5000 watt transmitter commissioned in 1959 and in operation until it was replaced on July 5, 1984, by a Nautel solid state Ampfet-5.

Photos in this section below are courtesy of Dave Ross

Manfred Volbracht (left in the photo) and Willie Kristiansen (right) were Gerhard's assistants. Willy was the TV board switcher and a back-up technician. Both Willie and Manfred were innovators capable of building broadcast components from scratch using the latest solid-state transistor technology. Gerhardt, however, bucked the broadcast engineering trend of that day by insisting that only expensive, CSA approved and manufactured components could be used at CKPR. As Bud Riley remembers it, in 1963 Willie and Mandfred proudly showed off a transisterized, miniature amplifier they had mounted on an O'Henry chocolate bar cardboard insert and installed inside the tone arm of a studio turntable. Gerhardt was furious and forbid them to use it on his equipment. Undaunted by this, Willie on his own, undertook a commission from a start-up cable TV company to build the equipment, (including a studio camera), to service the isolated community of Terrace Bay, Ontario. In 1984, Manfred replaced Gerhard as chief engineer at CKPR-TV.

Willie Kristiansen died in Shebandewan, Ontario, c. 2000

(Karl) Gerhard Buetow, born in Berlin 1914, arrived in Port Arthur in 1953 to become CKPR'S first TV and radio Chief engineer. Gerhardt's Image Orthicon camera tubes were CBC hand-me-downs with 500 hours used up on them. CKPR would add a recommended 500 more, but often, because of the cost, they would be pushed to 700 hours or more. It meant that the cameramen had to keep the cameras moving or risk burning a white ghost pattern image around the people or objects on screen. Gerhardt retired in 1984 and died on Feb 21, 2008 at the age of 94. More on Gerhard Buetow

The entire CKPR engineering and technology staff:

left to right: Jerry Prettigiani, assistant Ellen Bohn, Ken Martunnen, Tom Ross, Manfred Volbracht, Willie Kristiansen, Gerhard Buetow

Tom's teenaged son David Ross was a fixture around CKPR in the early 60s, an unpaid assistant to his father, minding the transmitter at Inter-City and on Mount Baldy. He occasionally operated for the disc jockies. He followed in his father's footsteps and became an electronics technician working for Transport Canada until his retirement a few years ago. Dave died on April 22, 2016.

Dave's history note on CKPR

Ann Polick (Mrs. John Lark) was the CKPR bookkeeper.

Click here for an article about one of Jon's TV projects.

Steve Hunter (real name was Tom Patrick McGuire) was the evening jock. Steve got his first job in radio as an operator at his home-town station CKGB in Timmins, Ontario. Steve was an operator at CHUM before landing an on-air announcing job in Thunder Bay, first at CJLX in Fort William where he first adopted the name Steve Hunter and then at CKPR in Port Arthur. At PR he may have been the first to play the Beatles on Canadian radio. He also worked in Hamilton and Edmonton. Steve was very tech savvy and returned to the recording and technical side of the industry after 12 years in radio. For the rest of his professional life he specialized in recording music and designing recording studios. During his four years in Vancouver, he created and organized the Vancouver Studio Operators Association. Steve Hunter died on April, 7, 2022 in Toronto.

Hunter was responsible for composing the Top 58 Music Chart. (see a chart from November 1963.)

Phil Collins came to CKPR from Winnipeg and took over the evening shift from Steve Hunter.

Dave Ross & RCA FM transmitter

George Jeffrey was CKPR manager and sales manager. He was one of the founders of the station. He was also known for his involvement in creation of the Northwestern Ontario Crippled Children's Centre officially opened in June, 1969, provide treatment and care for disabled children from surrounding communities. In 1983,the Centre was renamed the George Jeffrey Children's Treatment Centre in recognition of the former director and Chairman of the Board and for his dedication to children with disabilities.

In 2006, Dougall applied to change the station's frequency to 91.5 FM. This application was approved by the CRTC on February 2, 2007. The transition occurred on June 4, 2007 at 12:00 PM ET and was simulcast on Thunder Bay Television. The AM 580 signal then went to a repeating message advising listeners to tune to 91.5 FM. It's believed that CKPR 580 AM had left the air for good on August 3, 2007, however, the 580 AM signal was to leave the air by early September of that year. At the switch, Fraser appeared on Rick Smith's talk show

This photo of Gerry's TV programme shows the popular host testing a glass of root beer offered by the manager of the local A & W

Garnet Conger was a CKPR-TV producer/director in the 60s but advanced to station manager. Garnet produced Bud's weather report (see photo on left) He also achieved entrepreneurial success with his Toronto-based companies, Affiliates 21, Cardinal and Thunder North Broadcast Services. Garnet died in Elkton, Maryland, on Sept. 30, 2011.

see Garnet Conger's full obituary

Graham Thomson was the senior announcer on the staff. His voice was always in demand for radio commercials, especially the "Giant On The Hill" promo series (written and produced by Bud Riley) because of his authoritative tone. Graham also excelled in TV production. He was the host of several TV shows but the most popular one was his camping and outdoor show. From 1965 to 1973, he co-hosted several shows with Marion Vickruck including,"This Afternoon With Marion" and "Around Town".

More on Troy Clara

CFOR Orillia 1957-58 CKAR Huntsville 1959 C-HOW Welland 1959-67

CKPR Radio/TV Thunder Bay 1963-64 CJRN Niagara Falls 1967-69 CHUM Toronto 1968-69

CKFH Toronto 1968-74 CJRT-FM Toronto 1974-85 FREELANCE 1985-2000

MEET BUD'S FRIENDS

The Brill Co. buses in Port Arthur and Fort William were equipped with radios and antennae supplied by CKPR so passengers could listen to the station while riding the transit. Note the CKPR poster on the front of the bus promoting Ron Knight's news broadcasts.

Gary Parr came to Thunder Bay from St. Johns, Newfoundland. Gary started his career in Iroquois, Ontario, and gained radio experience across the border in N.Y. state. His later employment in St. Johns lasted only a few months before signing on with CKPR. After a couple of years in Thunder Bay he moved on to Kingston. Later became a very successful programme director at several stations including a market leading CFOM in Quebec City.

Does anyone remember that owners of radios were required to own a license for it?

Click here to see a radio permit from Port Arthur

RCA BTA 1,000 watt transmitter built in 1946 and used at CKPR in the late 40s

Many thanks to Don Shuttleworth and Dave Ross in Thunder Bay who provided this page with suggestions, names, audio clips and photographs

Hal Lee had an authoritative voice that made him an excellent newsman. He was the son of Hal Sr. , a noted Cornwall newspaper writer and local musician. Hal Jr. started as a newsman in Cornwall at CKSF (later re-named CJSS) in 1957. 1960 found him doing both radio and TV news and producing insightful, topical commentaries for CKPR-TV. Hal's voice and style fitted in well with the FM format and he eventually became the programme director for FM. He later moved to CKOY in Ottawa to create "Live Wire" a popular talk show. Country format station CKBY hired him in 1972 as senior news announcer which placed him in the Parliamentary Press Gallery where he stayed until 1987. He came to be affectionately known as "Hal "the Bear" Lee. A country music enthusiast, he hosted dozens of bus tours to Nashville and was a director of the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame. Hal himself was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a builder in 1996. Hal died on Tues. Dec. 29, 2009. See more on Hal's family history.

Jack Masters (born John Gerald Mastrangelo) started his broadcast career at CJRT FM, the student radio station at Ryerson Politechnical Instituute Toronto. After a brief stint at a new lakehead station CJLX he moved to CKPR radio but switched to TV in 1960 where he rose to become the TV station manager. In the 1960s, he hosted "Kids Bids" in which kids bid on prizes in the CKPR studio. He created the area's first live talk show titled "Focus" which eventually was renamed "Around Town" He was elected to Parliament in 1980 as the Liberal member for Thunder Bay-Nipigon (1980-1984) and then became mayor of Thunder Bay from 1985-1991. Jack died at the age of 93 on January 5, 2024, in Thunder Bay.

Trevor Kidd brought a western outlook to the station. Trevor always exuded a serious demeanor even when delivering a funny story which made him the most entertaining announcers on the staff. He left for CFRA/CFMO-FM in Ottawa where he did the mid-afternoons before switching to the morning shift. He was there for about 26 years. In 1990, he was still at CFMO-FM, (later renamed CKKL). When the station went all talk format, he left and settled in Vancouver in 93. In 2004 he was in Winnipeg at CJNR which lasted only two years. He returned to Vancouver and fully retired.

(Click here to read fan letter in Ottawa Citizen Sept. 5, 1992.)

Bud Riley recalls: "I remember a story he told me about working for a street-level station, CKDM in Dauphin, Manitoba. Just before going on the air one rainy night he spotted a large rat crossing the street heading for the open front door. He had a deadly fear of vermin. He could not get to the door to close it because he had only seconds to start his show. He was convinced the rat got inside. At some point during his newscast, his pant leg moved as sometimes happens, and Trevor, thinking the rat brushed his leg, squealed like a sissy (his word) into the open mike. Off the air a few minutes later, he practically tore the place apart looking for the rodent. The following night, still convinced the intruder was hiding somewhere behind the shelves in the music library, he kept his 22 calibre rifle by his side for the entire shift."

Trevor Kidd died in Vancouver at 76 on May 20, 2017.

Jerry Godin was another young Welland man hired by Bill Moyer. He did not have much interest in doing television so stayed with his afternoon radio programme. Later, he and his wife, an advertising model, opened an agency in Toronto. Jerry continued his announcing career with his own company. Zeller's Department Store hired his company to record daily and hourly sales specials for play-back in the stores.

The slide on the left (constructed by station artist Bruce McNally) was used on TV to promote Bud's morning radio show.

Video tape was not available to local TV stations in the early 1960s so commercials were done live. CKPR TV did not even have tele-prompters. Bud's first foray into live TV at Thunder Bay was on the noon-hour show hosted by Warren Knox. The show's focus was to introduce Bud to the community as the new morning announcer on CKPR radio. It was also Canadian Radio Week designated by the Canadian Radio Sales Bureau. The set was decorated with radio memorabilia, including Victrolas (wind up record players with large brass trumpets), old radios and posters commemorating Canadian radio history.

Fraser Dougall, who was to inherit his late father's radio and TV station, was too young to take over the company at that time but, by May of 1963, he graduated from university, turned 21, and was able to replace his mother as CEO. The new owner began the job of upgrading the Dougall operation which would eventually, with the addition of newspapers, become a Northwestern Ontario media giant. Fraser died on August 12, 2015. His obituary

Fraser Dougall remembered

Hear Trevor Kidd on radio in Ottawa

Ron Knight, started his career in Ottawa at CFRA in 1954. The following year he was at CKRN Rouen Noranda, Quebec but in 1956 he moved to CHOV Pembroke. Back in Ottawa in 1957, he stayed through most of 1958, did a short stay at CHUM, and then landed in Fort William (now Thunder Bay) as news director at CJLX until 1961. His desire to experience TV production brought him to CKPR just down the street in Port Arthur. His nightly news programme was titled KNIGHT EDITION NEWS, with O'Keefe Brewery as his sponsor. The company logo was, appropriately, the head of an armoured knight. In 1969, Bud and Ron worked together briefly at CHUM in Toronto. From Oct 1967 to Sept. 1971, while he working part-time at CHUM, Ron was the Liberal MPP for Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay). Ron made political history as the first member to deliver a speech in a native language (Ojibway). At first, the Speaker of the House would not allow it but Premier Bill Davis spoke up and said he wanted to hear this piece of history. From 1972 to 1980, Ron hosted a talk show at CFGM Richmond Hill and did the morning show there for a short while before moving on to CKAN in Newmarket, Ontario, from 1980-1981. Then he left for CHAY-FM in Barrie (1981 to 1986) where he did the morning show from 6 a.m. to noon. It would seem like a long shift but most of it was pre-recorded with only four scripted breaks. He retired from radio and became a noted corporate motivational speaker. He now lives in retirement in Barrie, Ontario.

Hear Ron Knight on the air at CHUM

Hear Bill Moyer on CKPR radio

Hear Gary Parr on Quebec radio

During the Christmas season of 1963, Bud Riley was drafted to play Santa Clause on CKPR-TV which required two plump belly cushions. Meanwhile on radio, Hector Ede, a local postal worker, annually volunteered to be Santa's helper during the Christmas season, reading letters from children as, "George The Porter." He did this for many years.

Hear Bud Riley on CKPR

Bill Moyer, came to CKPR Radio in 1962 as programme director. He enticed Bud Riley and Steve Halinda to follow him. After several years as pd and host of his afternoon "Carousel" music programme on FM, he left Thunder Bay for Kitchener where he had been a sports broadcaster at CKCR (CHYM) in 1953. Moyer wrote three books on regional history: "Waterloo County Diary" (1970), "This Unique Heritage" (1971) and "Kitchener: Yesterday Revisited: An Illustrated History" (1979).

Steve Halinda, was an excellent radio announcer, had the look of a TV anchor man but at first, was not totally comfortable in the medium. Nevertheless, he took on his CKPR television assignments (the 11pm news for example) with resolve and did more than a credible job. He later moved to Winnipeg and then Edmonton. In both of those cities he worked in television as news director. In Winnipeg, he played a major role in a successful campaign to allow radio mics and TV cameras into the Manitoba Legislature. Steve married Connie Chicorli whom he met when both were working at C-HOW in Welland. In retirement in BC, Steve took up painting---see a sample of his art work..

Steve's photo gallery

Steve Halinda died Oct. 19, 2019, in Langley, B.C. at the age of 84. (Winnipeg Free Press obituary.)

Hear Steve Halinda on C-HOW radio

Cal Ray Dring started as an announcer but by 1963 was moving into sales. Cal hosted two daytime shows on CKPR radio, the "Mixing Bowl" 11 AM to 12 noon which featured contemporary music and merchant give-aways and "Trading Post" from 1 to 2 PM. On TV he hosted "Kids Bids." (also see Jack Masters on this page). Cal hosted a popular teen dance party caled Youth 62. Holiday Hay Ride sponsored by O'Keefe Beer. In 1964, he moved his TV career to Green Bay, Wisconsin, and then to Chicago. Cal ended up at KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas, as a TV weather man and host of a 7-8 AM country music show, featuring local musicians and performers. He eventually went into sales and by 2002 he was the station's sales manager. Cal died in North Little Rock, Arkansas, on Auguest 28, 2021.

In his later years he continued performing on TV commerials.

More on Cal Dring on-air activities in 1962.

Gerry Isherwood was a colourful English-born personality who emigrated first to Halifax and then to N.Y City. He admitted to scamming his way into the United Nations press group and for a short time freelanced U.N. news to British and American news outlets. He landed a job at WOR, the N.Y. City talk show working on the Long John Neville show. Gerry was bold and brilliant and eventually went to work for Goodson-Todman on the afternoon Merv Griffin TV show (See photo). He was also a guest on "To Tell The Truth" a popular network TV show. In 1963 he arrived in Port Arthur and took over the mid-morning talk show from Bill Moyer on CKPR radio and became the most liked personality on the air. In the 1970s and 1980s, he hosted his own TV show, "Around Town", following the 6pm TV news. He often guested on other TV shows such as Marion Vickruk's afternoon programme . On that show one day, he was tasked with a live local dairy commercial during which he was to take a long swig from a glass of milk. Unfortunately for hin, the glass of milk had stood too long under the hot studio lights and had gone sour. Gerry, a real show biz trooper, forced it down without a grimace.

Among his on-air campaigns was an attempt to stop street racing with the creation of a drag strip for hot rods. He hosted a programme with Dave Cano, Jim Hamer and other members of a local car club to get approval of the idea. Despite Gerry's tireless efforts over several weeks, the idea failed to get official support. Gerry carried on tilting at a lot of other windmills in his time before the mic and the cameras.

Anellen Lark (photo, Dec. 1963) started in radio at CKPR and from there went to CBC in Vancouver. Her next broadcasting job was at CFNB in Fredericton, N.B. Anellen wrote commercials and did some on-air work there. She married John Lark and moved to his new Canadian Air Force posting in Senneterre, Que. Then, as civilians, the couple returned to home town Port Arthur where both were employed at CKPR. After the couple divorce in the late 60s, she, married Roy Clara and started a new family. Widowed with the death of Roy, Anellen reconnected with John who had recently lost his wife Ann Polick. Anellen was a member of the Elks Clown Band, who called hereself "Nellie Belly" and regularly entertains seniors at nursing homes. Anellen keept fit by walking; and was featured in an article by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. Anellen Lark died at 88 on November 14th, 2023.

CKPR AM goes off the air

Gerry Isherwood a Guest on Rick Smith Talk Show

Click here for a short profile of CKPR founder Hector Fraser Dougall

CKPR'S original transmitter building

CKPR TV tower on Mount Baldy

In the early 1960s, CJLX was the main competition for CKPR radio. Photo shows a booth at the annual Lakehead Fair. CJLX eventually lost its broadcast license.

Art work by McNally

In the 90s, Trevor did several video voice-overs. One project in particular was a series of "How To" instructional videos regarding the proper set-up for the famous BAMBI BUCKET fire-fighting system.

Troy Clara, the son of Anellen and Roy Clara, started his broadcast career at CKPR. The talented Troy went on to join Sportsnet and became the Toronto Blue Jays TV head director. He also has his own production company covering broadcasts of curling, hockey, and Golf.

More CKPR jingles from early 60s.

Hector Dougall World War Record.

CKPR began broadcasting in Midland, Ontario

Comments and suggestions:

bgoreilly@rogers.com

Elizabeth McNally (nee Johnston) CKPR copy writer. After marriage to artist Bruce McNally in 1966, the couple moved to Tasmania Australia. Liz continued her career as a radio copywriter and won many awards for her work at 7HT Radio. She retired in 2018.

.John Lark, the CKPR news photographer and film maker, was married to Anellen but later divorced and married station bookkeeper Ann Polick (below). He went into TV sales for a few years. When he left CKPR, he worked for a number of years at the Thunder Bay Airport in security taking the pictures for background checks and security passes. On the death of their partners, John and Annellen are re-united.

Bruce McNally was an excellent graphic artist who occupied a small studio at the back of the TV basement under the TV control room. From there he managed a thriving freelance business and provided CKPR TV with a variety of TV graphics and slides such as the one that promoted Bud Riley's radio morning show and the Giant On The Hill logo for the weekly music chart. Bruce divorced his wife (Gerri Hogan) in 1966 and married copywriter Elizabeth Johnston and the couple emigrated to Tasmania Australia. Carlton Bruce McNally died in 1978 at age 48 due to a massive heart attack. Liz McNally scattered his ashes over Caribou Island on Lake Superior

Elinore Nickolson hosted the afternoon TV show, featuring segments on cooking, local issues and guest interviews.

Dougall family web page

John Coutanche joined CKPR-TV in 1962 as an intern.when he was in high school in Port Arthur (Lakeview), He worked nights, weekends and full-time until the summer of '67 when he left to study radio and TV at Ryerson. When he signed on full-time, he was assigned control room operating, directing live shows and news and film editing. He worked on news and women's programmes, Miss Martha;s Romper Room, ":Kids Bids" auction program on Saturday Morning. John worked on the women's shows with Marion Vikcruck, Eleanor Nicholson and others featuring Nonie Griffen at the organ.

In 1967, despite an entreaty from station manager, Jack Masters, John left CKPR to study media at Ryerson in Toronto and began working for CBC Radio (1968 to 1993) in production and later management. He then retired into occasional sound design for museums and other clients.

Bud Riley and John Coutanche remember some of the more interesting characters employed at CKPR during the 1960s.

Lorne Delinsky was a lead photographer at CKPR TV and was in charge of the developing room. Lorne was also the film maker who contributed movie clips for the TV news broadcasts and was the station's photo archivist over several decades until his retirement.

CKPR Radio/TV News Crew mid-60s: Newsman Steve Halinda, photographer John Lark, newsmen Ron Knight, Graham Thompson, Hal Lee, photographer Lorne Delinsky, and unknown announcer.

1963 photo of Ron Knight interviewing Thunder Bay children's author Sheila Burnford at the premier of her film Incredible Journey .Behind them is CKPR photographer Lorne Delinsky.

Ron Knight interviewing Thunder Bay children's author Sheila Burnford at the premier of the film Incredible Journey based on her famous novel. Behind them is CKPR photographer Lorne Delinsky with Sun Gun and movie camera.

Gerry had a guest shot on the Merv Griffin afternoon TV talk and variety show from N.Y. Gerry actually worked on Merv's show.

﻿Art work by McNally

Art work by McNally