For many who lived in 28 U.S. states and 3 Canadian provinces and grew up in the mid 1960's to approximately 1985 you will no doubt know and remember CKLW Radio 80 on the AM dial.  CKLW originated in Windsor, Ontario, directly across from Detroit, Michigan.  It began life as CKOK AM 840 in 1932 and became CKLW AM 840 in 1933.  The LW standing for London and Windsor. CKLW 840 moved to 800 on the dial during WW II in 1941.  

The story of CKLW and how it grew from a sleepy AM station to become one of the reigning rock n roll broadcasters in North America in its heyday from 1967 until 1978 is just so interesting.  In fact most youth of today would find this hard to believe I'm sure.

The effects of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) began to erode the programming power of this radio colossus however.  Thirty per cent Canadian content from 6am to midnight was legislated upon all Canadian radio stations overnight in 1970 and all Canadian broadcast outlets had to be majority Canadian owned.  It wasn't enough that CKLW along with its famous and talented music director Rosalie Trombley were already breaking in Canadian talent with its dominance of the airwaves.  When Rosalie programmed a song it was always sure to be a smash hit.

The likes of Paul Anka, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Anne Murray and The Guess Who, to name a few, were played and promoted regularly and often because they were good.  And Canadian artists The Bells (Stay Awhile), Motherlode (When I Die), Blood, Sweat and Tears (David Clayton Thomas is Canadian - Spinning Wheel), The Guess Who (These Eyes), Gordon Lightfoot (If You Could Read My Mind) and others owe their careers to CKLW for being the first to play their songs across 25 per cent of North America.

But the CRTC knew best.  And when CKLW petitioned the CRTC to move away from "AM" and go to the "FM" format the CRTC said that FM was reserved for classical and more cultural jazz music and rejected their requests.  Meanwhile all of the Top 40 rock n roll stations in the U.S. were quickly moving to FM.  Note that CKLW broadcast from east of London to Florida and enjoyed the number one position in this segment for a decade.  When CKLW was belatedly granted an FM licence CRTC rules mandated that 51 per cent of the music had to be "non charted" or "new" along with song repetition of max 18 plays per week, spoken word, foreground and distinct music selection rules made competing in the top 40 rock n roll segment all but impossible.

When CKLW could no longer hold its own shackled with these onerous CRTC regulations this powerful icon of rock n roll slipped away.  In fact, the program director for CKLW moved over to a new TV program called MTV and simply took the CKLW highly technical play format and copied it exactly. MTV became CKLW under a different name.

Do you remember the famous CKLW  DJ's like Dick Purton, Dave Shafer, Tom Ryan, Byron McGregor, Pat Holiday, Randall Carlisle and many more along with Jo Jo Shutty who was the first helicopter traffic reporter ever?  The story of CKLW and how Elton John, Sammy Davis, every Motown star there was, Tony Orlando, Mitch Ryder, Bob Seager, The Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, in fact almost every artist petitioned and cajoled CKLW by visiting and performing locally on CKLW TV to help influence, in any way, having their songs played on the number one rock n roll radio station.  Alice Cooper says that without CKLW being the first to play his songs along with the likes of KISS and other famous groups, they would not have made the big scene as they did.

The story of CKLW is too large for this print space.  If you wish to view the 2004 Gemini Award winning documentary The Rise and Fall Of The Big 8 you may order it via the Canadian Transportation Museum http://www.ctmhv.com .

Our museum is hosting a CKLW Big 8 tribute with a live outdoor 60's and 70's music and dance show followed by a Drive in movie, yes a drive in movie (Footloose), on Saturday September 8 at 5:00pm  Tickets $10. We are licensed with our 50's Diner providing great food.  Tel 519 776 6909.

Mickey Moulder

I'm from cleveland Oh and remember picking up CKLW on our company van in the early 80's as I would be driving on my uniform route in the early morning. I thought Dick Purton was awesome along with the others on the show but being that this has now been over 25 years ago I've lost track of the great things that would take place, however one thing I haven't forgotten to this day and still use it on people is the old Indian chant that I believed was used for rain, it went like this " O wa ta goo siam " When I heard Dick use this on one of the callers I had to pull over in order not to cause an accident. Was wondering what happened to him and the show. I know music has changed and as far as I'm concerned for the worse. Thanks for the opportunity.

Cliff jones
Cleveland, Ohio