|
<Previous
Next>
  RF Cafe visitor and frequent e-mailer
Joe Birsa (N3TTE) sent a note saying that the Spring 2017 issue of
Classic
Trains magazine contains an article titled "Radio and the People's
Railway," by
Greg Gormick. I do not have a copy on-hand, so I went to Wikipedia
for some information on the Canadian National Railways Radio Department, where it says in
part:
"CNR Radio or CN Radio (officially the Canadian National Railways Radio Department)
was the first national radio network in North America. It was developed, owned and
operated by the Canadian National Railway between 1923 and 1932 to provide en route
entertainment and information for its train passengers. As broadcasts could be received
by anyone living in the coverage area of station transmitters, the network provided
radio programming to Canadians from the Pacific coast (at Vancouver) to the Atlantic
coast (at Halifax).
 During its nine-year existence, CNR Radio
provided music, sports, information and drama programming to Canadians. Programming
was produced in English, French and occasionally in some First Nations languages,
and distributed nationwide through the railway's own telegraph lines and through
rented airtime on other private radio stations. However, political and competitive
pressure forced CNR Radio to close, with many of its assets and personnel migrating
to a new government-operated agency, the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
(CRBC), which ultimately led to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation."
Note: The article can only be accessed online by subscribers. If you cannot find
a copy on the newsstand, check your library (they might be
able order it if not on the shelf).
Posted March 1, 2017
|
"
