Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland
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The Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland (BCN) was the government-owned public radio service of the dominion of Newfoundland. The radio service was founded in 1939 by the Commission of Government). The BCN's first station was acquired when the government purchased VONF (640 kHz) from the Dominion Broadcasting Company and refurbished for the use of the station two transmitters at Mount Pearl that had been built during World War I as Royal Navy HMS Wireless Station (BZM) for North Atlantic communications with Royal Navy ships. BCN's studios were at the sixth floor of the Hotel Newfoundland in St. John's.
The General Manager of the BCN for its 10 years of operation was William Fenton Galgay, who continued as regional director of Newfoundland radio after the BCN was incorporated into the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Notable broadcasters also included Aubrey MacDonald, known as Aubry Mac, and the musician Robert MacLeod.
BCN accepted advertising on the station whose programming consisted of commercial, educational and entertainment shows. Notable programmes included future Newfoundland Premier Joey Smallwood's The Barrelman which spun information and history with island folklore and the Gerald S. Doyle News Bulletin which interspersed family and community news about islanders with more serious journalism.
In 1943, the BCN opened a second radio station, VOWN in Corner Brook and, after the war, acquired VORG in Gander that had previously been operated by the wartime Canadian military base.
The BCN provided islanders with news of World War II as well as serving as a disseminator of wartime propaganda and as a recrutiment tool for the armed forces. After the war, the network provided gavel to gavel coverage of the proceedings of the 1946-1948 Newfoundland National Convention that was elected to determine the future of the dominion. While these broadcasts were closely followed by Newfoundlanders, the loss of advertising revenue from the commercial-free broadcasts hampered BCN's ability to improve its programming.
One of BCN's final acts was to cover the June 3 and July 22, 1948 referendums on the dominion's future. As the result was to join Canadian confederation, the facilities and staff of the BCN were transferred to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on April 1, 1949 when Newfoundland joined Canada. VONF was renamed CBN, VORG became CBG and VOWN became CBY.
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[edit] Facilities
HQ - 6th floor Hotel Newfoundland 1939-1949
[edit] Stations
- VORG - (AM1450) in Gander, Newfoundland mid 1940s-1949
- VOWN (AM790) in Corner Brook, Newfoundland 1943-1949
- VONF - (AM840 and AM640) in St. John's 1939-1949
[edit] Transmitters
- Mount Pearl (2)
[edit] External links
- A Brief History of the Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland - A fanciful history of BCN from the CBC Radio comedy show The Great Eastern, which imagines what the BCN would be like if it were still operating.
