{"id":63970,"date":"2025-09-17T07:54:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T11:54:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=63970"},"modified":"2025-09-17T07:54:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T11:54:40","slug":"preserving-radio-history-in-your-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/09\/preserving-radio-history-in-your-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Preserving Radio History in Your Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor Dan Greenall<\/a>, who writes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have lived in southern Ontario, Canada my entire life, have been DXing since the late 1960\u2019s and have held the amateur radio call sign VE3HLC for over 50 years.\u00a0 Most of this area\u2019s AM broadcast stations had been considered \u201cpests\u201d over the years as I searched for more distant targets, until recently, when many of these began quietly slipping from the airwaves.\u00a0 While this opened up some new frequencies to DX, I soon began to feel that I had lost some old friends, many that I had known since childhood.<\/p>\n

When I retired in 2018, I decided to spend a little time trying to preserve some radio history of stations in southern Ontario communities that have played a part in my life. This might include audio clips, QSLs, station booklets, and other types of ephemera, and I would try to place this information where it could be easily accessed by future historians or anyone else who is interested.\u00a0 In the end, I chose to use the Internet Archive (archive.org), where most uploaded information can be viewed (or heard) and downloaded for free.<\/p>\n

CFPL, London, Ontario \u00a0 980 kHz (still on the air)<\/b><\/h2>\n

“Communications in the Community” is a hardcover limited edition (2000 copies) souvenir book printed in 1966 by the Special Printing Unit of The London Free Press in London, Ontario, Canada.\u00a0 It includes historical information about the London Free Press (newspaper) and CFPL radio and television.\u00a0 I was lucky to find this item at a church rummage sale nearly 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

CFPL began its life as CJGC in 1922. I acquired one of their QSL cards from 1925 through an eBay purchase a few years ago.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The above and more can be found by clicking on this link.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/page-16<\/a><\/p>\n

CKOC, Hamilton, Ontario 1150 kHz (still on the air)<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>CKOC radio in Hamilton also started up in 1922.\u00a0 My parents met while working at the station in the late 1940\u2019s.\u00a0 My brother and I (both radio amateurs), along with a few friends were given permission to operate on \u201cField Day\u201d weekend in 1985 from their old abandoned transmitter site at Elfrida, Ontario.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>This area has long since been developed to build homes and shopping areas.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cThis is Hamilton, Ontario and the story of broadcasting station CKOC\u201d is an undated booklet (I am guessing circa 1950) that I was able to purchase on eBay.\u00a0 Also found on eBay were two verifications, one from 1931 and the other from 1983.<\/p>\n

You can find these scans and more by following this link.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/page-13_202209<\/a><\/p>\n

CKNX, Wingham, Ontario 920 kHz (still on the air)<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>This station began in 1926 using the unusual call sign 10BP.\u00a0 It would remain that way until 1935.\u00a0 I managed to secure this QSL from 1932 through eBay, signed by its founder W.T. \u201cDoc\u201d Cruickshank.<\/p>\n

Interesting stories of how the station began can be found at this link.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.communitystories.ca\/v1\/pm_v2.php?id=story_line&lg=English&fl=0&ex=386&sl=2541&pos=1&pf=1<\/a><\/p>\n

CKCR, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario 1510 kHz\u00a0 (no longer on the air)<\/b><\/h2>\n

In 1924, this station began briefly in nearby Brantford, Ontario. It quickly moved to Kitchener-Waterloo and existed until 1965 when it became CKGL.\u00a0 The CKCR call sign was picked up later in 1965 by a station in Revelstoke, BC.<\/p>\n

Another eBay purchase, I found this QSL with a not-to-scale map of southern Ontario from 1934.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

More Ontario QSL\u2019s can be found in my broadcast band gallery at this link: <\/b>https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/ckoc-hamilton-on-1983<\/a><\/p>\n

I would encourage others to save parts of the local radio history in their city, state, province or country and give back to the hobby that we have enjoyed for so many years. \u00a0 I would also be happy to hear about any efforts you have made!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who writes: I have lived in southern Ontario, Canada my entire life, have been DXing since the late 1960\u2019s and have held the amateur radio call sign VE3HLC for over 50 years.\u00a0 Most of this area\u2019s AM broadcast stations had been considered \u201cpests\u201d over the years as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[373,56,3194,433,3,305,288,7566,746],"tags":[625,691,10913,10910,10911,10912,10271,4099,4865,4091,1302],"class_list":["post-63970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-am","category-broadcasters","category-guest-posts","category-mediumwave","category-news","category-nostalgia","category-radio-history","category-radio-memories","category-recordings","tag-am-radio","tag-archive-org","tag-cfpl","tag-ckcr","tag-cknx","tag-ckoc","tag-dan-greenall","tag-mediumwave","tag-radio-archiving","tag-radio-history","tag-radio-nostalgia"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-gDM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":64898,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/check-your-time-with-the-lm-chime\/","url_meta":{"origin":63970,"position":0},"title":"Check Your Time with the LM Chime","author":"Thomas","date":"December 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Dan Greenall Shades of the 1970\u2019s.\u00a0 Commercial AM radio (in English) the way it used to be. Heavy on nostalgic music from the 1960\u2019s to the 1990\u2019s, plenty of good old style jingles, and of course, the LM chime every hour. Decades ago, the \u201cLM\u201d used to stand for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Radio-Clube-de-Mocambique-1973.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Radio-Clube-de-Mocambique-1973.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Radio-Clube-de-Mocambique-1973.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Radio-Clube-de-Mocambique-1973.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Radio-Clube-de-Mocambique-1973.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63537,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/dan-unearths-radio-memories-a-1990s-treasure-trove-of-broadcast-ephemera\/","url_meta":{"origin":63970,"position":1},"title":"Dan Unearths Radio Memories: A 1990s Treasure Trove of Broadcast Ephemera","author":"Thomas","date":"August 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who writes: Hi Thomas Before the days of the internet and e-mail, handwritten or typed reception reports mailed out to broadcast stations would often net the lucky DXer other goodies, including station brochures, program schedules, frequency guides, station stickers, blank reception report\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/VOFC-booklet-1992-page-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/VOFC-booklet-1992-page-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/VOFC-booklet-1992-page-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/VOFC-booklet-1992-page-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/VOFC-booklet-1992-page-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61611,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/from-ndbs-to-tis-a-dxers-journey-across-1610-1700-khz\/","url_meta":{"origin":63970,"position":2},"title":"From NDBs to TIS: A DXer\u2019s Journey Across 1610-1700 kHz","author":"Thomas","date":"January 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following guest post and asks, \"Wonder who can add to this list?\": A Look Back \u2013 DXing between 1610 and 1700 kHz by Dan Greenall 1. The Caribbean Beacon, Anguilla West Indies 1610 kHz (1985 QSL) 2. NDB stations\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Army-test-KTRK-Ft.-Meade-MD-Feb-1996.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Army-test-KTRK-Ft.-Meade-MD-Feb-1996.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Army-test-KTRK-Ft.-Meade-MD-Feb-1996.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Army-test-KTRK-Ft.-Meade-MD-Feb-1996.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/US-Army-test-KTRK-Ft.-Meade-MD-Feb-1996.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59454,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/radio-moscow-ephemera-circa-1972\/","url_meta":{"origin":63970,"position":3},"title":"Radio Moscow Ephemera Circa 1972","author":"Thomas","date":"April 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post and SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following Radio Moscow ephemera from 1972. This media is also posted on Archive.org: I first began listening to shortwave radio in December 1969 at the age of 15. My parents were very supportive of this newfound hobby\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Radio-Moscow-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Radio-Moscow-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Radio-Moscow-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Radio-Moscow-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63997,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/09\/twr-swaziland-eswatini-then-and-now\/","url_meta":{"origin":63970,"position":4},"title":"TWR Swaziland \/ Eswatini – Then and Now","author":"Thomas","date":"September 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following post: Much to the delight of DXers, Trans World Radio began broadcasting from the African country of Swaziland over 50 years ago. According to the 1975 World Radio TV Handbook, they had four 30 kW transmitters to conduct\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Trans-World-Radio-Swaziland-1983.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Trans-World-Radio-Swaziland-1983.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Trans-World-Radio-Swaziland-1983.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Trans-World-Radio-Swaziland-1983.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Trans-World-Radio-Swaziland-1983.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63579,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/hcjb-quito-ecuador-then-and-now\/","url_meta":{"origin":63970,"position":5},"title":"HCJB Quito, Ecuador – Then and Now","author":"Thomas","date":"August 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Greenall, who writes: In the 1970s, the powerful signal from radio station HCJB, the Voice of the Andes, in Quito, Ecuador, could be heard with station identifications (similar to this one circa 1971) being given between programs. I am led to believe that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HCJB-1970-QSL.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HCJB-1970-QSL.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HCJB-1970-QSL.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HCJB-1970-QSL.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HCJB-1970-QSL.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63970"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63971,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63970\/revisions\/63971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}