Fonds 428 Pioneer Broadcasting (CJXX ) fonds

Pioneer Broadcasting (CJXX ) fonds. — 1979-1985. — 63cm of textual records.

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Agency History

During 1975, Gordon Pearcy and Harry Schneider discussed whether there was need for a second radio station in Grande Prairie. CFGP appeared to be thriving and getting advertising spots was difficult. In 1976 a group made up of Gordon Pearcy, Harry Schneider, Leslie Longmate, Jim DeRoalds, Laurie Little, and Bruce Davis became serious about the project. Jim DeRoalds had been an engineer for CFGP; Gordon was CFGP Sales Manager at the time; Laurie was an amateur radio buff; Bruce had some radio experience and Harry and Leslie were business men. Just before the group started, Gordon Pearcy was made Manager of CFGP and resigned from the group. The group considered abandoning the project but instead advertised in an Edmonton paper for someone with radio experience to help with the application to CRTC. Frank Valentini who had worked with CKUA and CFRN responded and was hired. Dave Willis became their lawyer and Pioneer Broadcasting Ltd. was created. It was hoped that the broad base of shareholers would benefit the application showing it to be a community owned station. The application involved market surveys, gender and age demographics, format which was going to be country and western, application for a specific frequency, and verification of land available for tower etc. Frank Valentini was delegated General Manager and Harry Schneider, President, for the period of the application. The application went in in the fall of 1977. They were turned down in April 1978, the CRTC feeling it was not viable at that time. Application was made again in July, 1978, and this time the directors had spent hours preparing albums and memorabilia for the presentation at the Westen Hotel in Edmonton. An un expected visitor to the presentation was the Mayor of Grande Prairie, Al Romanchuk, who turned up in a baby-blue suit with sequined lapels. Approval was granted in April, 1979, and preparation began for opening the new station which had the call letters CJXX, “your brand of radio”. Their transmitter site was on Max Hennig’s land east of the city and their office was located next to the Woolworth store on Richmond Ave. CJXX went on the air Dec 1, 1979. The Heritage Scripts program was begun that same month.

The financial picture for the company was pro-forma on the basis of a 10% interest rate. Just prior to 1980, interest rates started to rise and eventually became such a burden that in 1982 with rates at 24%, the station was sold to Monarch Broadcasting.

Custodial History

The records were preserved by Harry Schneider and donated to the South Peace Regional Archives by Patricia Schneider in 2008; an accrual was donated by the Grande Prairie Public Library in 2008 and another accrual donated in 2010 by Ken Norman, CJXX.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of financial documents (1981-1982), a newsclipping showing the five directors at the opening of radio station in 1979, a folder showing CJXX logo and slogan “Your Brand of Radio”, and a memories document written by Pat Schneider. An accrual consists of scripts from the Heritage program delivered over radio from Dec.1979 until Dec. 1985. The scripts were written by Joan Yates from 1979-1981, by Heather Kirk in 1982 and 1983 and by Janice Epp in 1984 and 1985. Another series called “On This Day in 1958” sent on air in 1983 and was written by Heather Kirk. The material researched for the Heritage series was provided by the Isabel Campbell Archival Collection. A second accrual consists of a day’s program log for CJXX from Wednesday, July 6, 1983.

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