CJVI Gallery (1922-2000)

Christmas posters:
1943:

1944:

1945:

1946:

1949:

1950:

1923: April 1: CJVI Victoria (known as CFCL) went on the air. Its first program was the Easter Sunday sunrise service from on top of Mt. Tolmie. It carried only religious programs until 1925. Freq: 410 meters. Power: 500 watts. More information about the early years of Victoria's first radio station click here.

1925: CFCL 910 Victoria changed its call letters to CFCT. CJVI history.

1928: CFCT 910 Victoria moves to 630 AM still with 500 watts of power.

1933: CFCT 630 Victoria moves to AM 1430. Power was reduced to 50 watts.

1935: CFCT 1430 Victoria moves to AM 1450.

1939: Jan. 11 7 pm: CFCT 1450 Victoria expands its power to 500 watts in official ceremonies performed by Nellie McClung and the Mayor Andrew McGavin. CFCT was known as "The Voice of the Island."

1941: March 29: CFCT 1450 Victoria becomes CJVI 1480. This is a result of the new Havana Radio Treaty which governs which radio frequencies are available to which country throughout the Caribbean and North America. Over 2000 radio stations throughout North America made the frequency switch at 3 am ET/ midnight

1945: May 15: CJVI 1480 moves to AM 900 and increases it’s power to be heard north of Nanaimo and from Seattle to Chilliwack and up Howe Sound and the Sunshine Coast.

1954: July 28 at 2:26 pm:

1964: CJVI 900 increases its power to 10,000 watts.

1972: In November, CJVI switches to a country music format.

1985: CJVI drops its country music format for adult contemporary music. More oldies are inserted into the programming until CJVI is broadcasting an all oldies format within 3 years.

1995: CFMS FM 98.5 is sold and partnered with CJVI.

1997: April 1: CJVI 900 drops it’s oldies format and becomes “Victoria’s Information Superstation” with talk and news programming 24 hours a day. This confirms the trend in the 1990s for AM radio stations to drop music programs for news, talk and information programs.

1999: July 10: CJVI 900 Victoria drops it’s talk shows and returns to playing popular music of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

2000: Sept. 2: CJVI AM 900 Victoria signs off the air unceremoniously at 5:05 pm after over 78 years of continuous broadcasting. Last song played was the Fortunes "You've Got Your Troubles." At 5:06 pm CHTT (HOT 103) FM 103.1 signs on with today’s hit music with “N Sync’s “Bye, Bye, Bye”. At the same time CKMO moves from 103.1 FM to AM 900 with its “Global Roots” format.

Logo from 1963:

Logo from 1972:

Photo 1: CJVI poster for the increased power to 5000 watts from July 28, 1954.

Photo 2: An ad promoting the changes that have taken place at CJVI in the fall of 1967. This is compared to the venerable Victoria landmark "The Empress Hotel" which is undergoing renovations until sometime in 1968.

Photo 3: A broadcaster of 21 years experience, Jack Short presents a cheque to 18 year old freshman Jim Brookes who won the contest "6-4-1."

Photo 4: Bob Switzer interviewed store officials during the January Sale campaign. Here, Bob, (holding the mike) chats with L-R: Bob Curran, Jack Beresord and Les Curran about sales in the KING TV Company. Jan. 1955.

Photo 5: The Programme Director, Rudy Hartman, checks over a schedule. His job is to build up programmes and see that they are carried out. 1942.

Photo 6: CJVI's Special Events Department in Action in a Lacrosse Game Broadcast. From the left: Cyril Beard, Studio Engineer, Dick Batey and Les Halberg, Announcers. 1942.

Photo 7: N.V. Chesnut, manager at CJVI, outlines a program for the program director. 1942.

Photo 8: In the control room, Verne Groves, announcer, monitors a program. 1942.

Photo 9: A corner of the Studio, with the control room in the background, visible through a glass partition. Al Smith, pianist, with Bill Willett, announcer at the mike. 1942.

Photo 10: Cliff Deaville, staff announcer at CFCT in 1929.

Photo 11: Ad for "Nite Shift" from June, 1953. Host: Lundy Sanderson.

Photo 12: CFCT Program Schedule for Jan. 3, 1930.

Photo 13: This young entrant in CJVI's pumpkin-growing contest came up with a whopper. Pictured with Joe Easingwood, he was one of 500 who picked up pumpkin seeds from the station in June and planted them. His wasn't one of the biggest pumpkins, but he was one of the smallest entrants.

Photo 14: CJVI opens its new studios in 1953. Honored guests standing L-R: Charlie Smith, chief engineer at CKWX, "Tiny" Elphicke, CAB president and CKWX manager; Cam Perry, assistant manager at CJVI. Seated are the provincial minister of Trade & Industry, the Hon. Ralph Chetwynd; Hon. R.W. Bonner, Attorney General; CJVI manager Bill Guild; and the president of Island Broadcasting Company, Ltd., Jim Taylor.

Photo 15: Sitting at the CJVI microphone is Joe Clark, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He was on Joe Easingwood's Victoria Today program. Pictured with these two popular "Joes" is Allan McKinnon (left) MP for Victoria and defense critic for the P.C. party. From Sept. 76.

A list of the Top 40 songs from the CJVI 900 as broadcast on Thanksgiving Weekend in 1988.

Program schedule from Sept. 1959.

CJVI SCHEDULE APRIL, 1976
MONDAY-FRIDAY
6:00 Ron Andrews
9:00 Bruce McArthur
12:00 Noon Report
12:30 Victoria Today with Joe Easingwood
2:00 Lynn Marshall
6:00 World at 6
6:30 Dave Courier
9:30 World Tomorrow with Garner Ted Armstrong
10:00 CBC News
10:15 Local News; Focus
10:30 As It Happens (CBC)
12:00 Bruce Fowles
SATURDAY
6:00 Rusty Morgan
12:00 Hal Lowther
7:00 Dave Courier
10:30 Country Roads (CBC)
12:00 Bruce Fowles
SUNDAY
6:00 Rusty Morgan
12:00 Hal Lowther
1:30 Gardening with Jack Beastall
2:00 Hal Lowther
6:00 Dave Courier
9:30 World Tomorrow
10:00 CBC News
10:10 Local News
10:30 Capital Report (CBC)
11:25 Brock Fowles (til 6 am)