Jack Cennon, right, is seen interviewing a man during a CKBI-TV broadcast for the Spotlight on Talent program sponsored by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. (Billy Smiley Archives)

By Ian Gustafson

Evolving Industry

A look back at the history of CKBI and local radio in P.A.

Apr 22, 2022 | 5:00 PM

Over the years, 900 CKBI has transformed, grown, been seen in many different forms, and has been the home of many local celebrities.

However, upon its creation, it didn’t start out as CKBI.

In 1925 it was called 10BI-AM and was officially on the air after receiving a license. It wasn’t until around the early 1930s that it officially became CKBI.

Jim Scarrow, who had a long career with CKBI radio and television that began in the 1950s all the way to 2006, said over his time in the business it grew from having one AM station (900 CKBI), to eventually include a television station, numerous satellite repeaters and the two FM stations now known as Beach Radio and Power99.

It has also seen many different owners over the years: originally owned by a community group and owned by others including the Central Broadcasting Co., the Rawlinson family, and Pattison Media.

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From the 1930s and beyond the station went from powering at 100 watts to 10,000 and eventually more, and at the time made it the only private radio station to power at that level.

A young Jim Scarrow can be seen working during a CKBI broadcast. (Submitted photo)

In 1958 they took the next step in broadcasting launching CKBI-TV, which was eventually taken over by CTV years down the road. It was hosted by Jack Cennon who became the face of CKBI-TV and a local celebrity among those who tuned in every morning.

“I think that TV was very, very new and typically the broadcast system in Canada there was the national CBC and then when licensing began, it began in the larger centres and then it trickled down into the smaller markets all within a period of about four or five years,” Scarrow said.

Cennon, who passed away in 2016, joined CKBI after serving in the Second World War and was famous for the CKBI Wake Up, Shake Up show.

Scarrow said when they first started, they had one camera, that probably weighed in excess of 600 or 700 pounds more with the base on it. It was displayed on TV in black and white and said a major change nowadays is everyone has the ability to shoot a video in colour with their cellphone.

Scarrow explained the launch of CKBI-TV was a great initiative done by Ed and Frank Rawlinson to provide pride in the community, the importance it would be to Prince Albert and the area, and the opportunity to be a part of such a large industry. They also broadcasted numerous different programs and shows.

Pictured in the photograph include Neil Headrick, JJ Cennon, John Wessel, and Jim Scarrow. (Bill Smiley Archives)

CKBI has had many hosts including Cennon who hosted from 1948 to 1984, Neil Headrick from 1984 to 2016, Teena Monteleone, Chris Knight and now Cristy Beggs. Scarrow said the public has always had an attachment to broadcasters.

“In radio, the personalities were fairly dominant in the community conversation and in fact, personality development was a part of radio as it moved from typically radio and then later television,” he said.

CKBI continued to grow over the years adding transmitters in La Ronge and Big River. Even the radio station itself grew a lot adding FM stations in the area and expanding more radio stations in other markets. He said the growth during his time in radio was significant.

“At that same time the growth of Rawlco Radio began as the company focused on the radio business, AM and FM stations and so you saw the growth of two FM stations,” he explained.

900 CKBI, Power99, and Beach Radio have been owned by Pattison Media since 2014 and our stations can be heard in markets including La Ronge, Melfort, North Battleford, and Meadow Lake.

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Ian.Gustafson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @IanGustafson12