On August 22 1964, a date that coincides closely with the much-heralded arrival of the Beatles in Vancouver, CKLG underwent a radical change and became the third station in Vancouver's radio history to adopt the "Top Forty" format. CKLG had been born only 9 years earlier, in 1955, and was originally based in North Vancouver. (The 'LG' stood for "Lions Gate".) In those early years, the station carried programming that appealed to the "middle-of-the-road" audience.
The "Silver Dollar" Survey  | The CKLG survey began appearing as a regular weekly feature in the Vancouver Times beginning October 26, 1964, and continued until the Times ceased publication in mid-1965. Surveys were also distributed to retail record outlets during much of this same period, and although it is not known precisely when the first distributed copies were issued, it is believed they date back to mid-August 1964. Store-distributed surveys for a given week did not always display the same date as their counterparts in the Times, as the latter sometimes dated the survey according to the issue date of the newspaper rather than the CKLG's actual release date. Now the station was going up against "Top Forty" giant CFUN and in doing so the station underwent many changes, including the adoption of a new slogan "Lion Radio" and the introduction of several new DJs,, referred to as "Top Cats", which included Paul Arthur, Frank "Emperor" Malone, Russ Simpson, Dave Palmer, Roy Hennessy, and Jerry Landa. LEFT: October 26th 1964 survey, first to be printed in the Vancouver Times. |
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1967 CKLG Yearbook, The annual station publication featuring DJs, staff members, groups, personalities, and weekly surveys of the past year. | ||
MulliganThe jock is Terry David Mulligan and the date is May 16, 1968. [ LISTEN ] (12:08)
Terry's working the 12 to 3pm slot, and does a nice live read for Super Value grocery store. How about 32 oz jar of Super Value's own salad dressing for 39¢, and for just 87¢ you get two dozen Grade A large eggs! There is $19 in the "Sock-It-To-Me Jackpot" (also a new pair of socks), and it's time to play. No winner, jackpot is now $20!
The station gained popularity and, over the next few years, gradually lured over DJs from C-FUN including Jerry Landa, Fred Latremouille, Daryl 'B' and later John Tanner. By the latter part of of 1966 LG had adopted the new slogan "Boss Radio" and the DJs changed from "Top Cats" to "Boss Jocks". The survey became the "Boss 40", later the "Boss 30", and then just "CKLG Thirty".
CKLG Boss Jocks: 1969
Roy Hennessy, Jim Hault, Terry David Mulligan, Daryl 'B', Stevie Wonder, John Tanner and Bob Allen
By the Fall of 1967 CKLG had toppled C-FUN in the local ratings, driving the latter out of the "Top Forty" format. Over the next few years new DJs would include J.B. Shane, Peter Starr, Timothy Burge, Stevie Wonder, and Terry David Mulligan. By the 1980s the lineup consisted of a whole new generation of DJs.
HennessyRoy Hennessey is the jock in November of 1970. [ LISTEN ] (3:07), and again on December 30, 1974. [ LISTEN ] (5:19)
Over the years, with the "Top Forty" format gradually waning in popularity. CKLG unceremoniously passed into history on February 1, 2001, when the station, now owned by the Corus Network, which also owned CKNW, became an all-news station and was now referred to as NW2. It has undergone further format changes since then, including the loss of its call letters.
CKLG was a "Top Forty" station longer than any other Vancouver station, from 1964 to 2001, nearly 37 years. Its passing is, to this day, lamented by many.
A station survey back featuring David Bowie covering the week of October 25, 1974.
Some materials found on this page were originally published by the following: Wikipedia, Motor City Radio Flashbacks, Rock Radio Scrapbook, Vancouver Top 40 Radio, Airchexx, Radio West.
