Quick Facts - Did You Know?

CKSO AM / FM &  CIGM FM / AM

CKSO AM signed on the air on August 23, 1935 at 780 kHz with 1,000 watts power.  The company was owned by W. E. Mason.  The studios were in the Grand Theatre building in Sudbury.

The "SO" in the call letters stands for Sudbury, Ontario.

March 29, 1941, CKSO moved from 780 to 790 kHz. on the AM dial.  The power remained at 1,000 watts.

In 1945 CKSO increased power to 5,000 watts full time.

CKSO AM continued to see changes in its ownership and power output over the years.  When the original owner, W.E. Mason died in 1948, the executors of his estate took over operation of CKSO and in 1949 (some uncertainty over the date, also listed as 1951), CKSO Radio Ltd. whose owners were George M. Miller, J.M. Cooper, W.B. Plaunt Sr., and W.J. Woodill, purchased CKSO from the Mason estate.

By 1958 CKSO AM's power output of the transmitters was 10,000 watts day and 5,000 watts at night.

By 1966 the corporate owner of the AM and FM stations is Cambrian Broadcasting Ltd.

In 1965, CKSO FM signed on the air.  Today, it's known as Q92.

In 1976,  CKSO AM turned up its power to 50,000 watts.  The slogan from the broadcaster was, "50,000 watts and sounding like a million!"

In 1979 Cambrian Broadcasting sold its television broadcasting interests and became solely a radio broadcaster operating under United Broadcasting Ltd.

In September of 1986, the CRTC approved the sale of CKSO AM and CIGM-FM to Telemedia Communications Inc. by United Broadcasting Ltd.  The sale closed in October of that year.

The offices and studios were moved to 880 LaSalle Blvd., Sudbury by 1990.

In May 1990, CKSO AM changed its call letters to CIGM.  The call letters belonged to the company's sister FM station.  The "GM" stands for George Miller.

On July 29, 1999, the CRTC approved the purchase of several radio stations, including CIGM, which recognized change of ownership from Telemedia Communications Inc. to Telemedia Radio Inc.

On April 19, 2002, the CRTC approved the purchase of several radio and television stations by Standard Radio Inc. from Telemedia Radio Inc. This included CIGM-AM.

In 2002, NewCap Broadcasting and Rogers Communications entered into a Limited Sales Agreement in the Sudbury Market.


CKSO TV

It was back in 1953, when CKSO TV signed on the air becoming Canada's first privately owned commercial television station.

The station relocated to 336 Ash Street, Sudbury in October of 1955.

In 1966, CKSO TV was among the first in Canada to broadcast in colour!

In 1971, CKSO TV switched its affiliation form the CBC to the the Canadian Television Network (CTV).


OTHER FACTS

In 1936, The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was established.  It replaced the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC) set up in 1932.

With Sudbury in full wartime production and short of workers in the early 1940's, many jobs were being filled by women.  CKSO hired women for several kinds of work, with the exception of technical.  The station's identification was announced by women.