I'm Jon Pearkins. And CHQM AM & FM in Vancouver was my first (paid) radio job in 1971. For more on me and radio, click here. To go directly to the beginnings of a radio autobiography, starting with CHQM, click here.
| Home | Programs | People | People - Jon Pearkins |
This is a tribute site to CHQM AM & FM in Vancouver. It focuses mainly on the years prior to CHQM-AM becoming CHMB.
If you are looking for CHQM-FM's current Web site, go to qmfm.com.
CHQM was sold to CHUM in 1990, but CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) regulations at the time allowed ownership of no more than one AM and one FM station in a market. Since CHUM already owned CFUN, they were required to sell CHQM-AM. In 1993, CHQM-AM became CHMB, a mostly Chinese language ethnic station, when CHUM sold it to a numbered company 80% owned by James Ho. CHMB's Web site is at am1320.com. Unfortunately, the more obvious domain name, chmb.com, is owned by Cherry Hill Mercedes Benz.
|
|
The original studios at 1134 Burrard Street are now the home of a
dental lab. Jack Stark passed away October 30, 2001, at the age of
83. He put up the majority of the money to get CHQM on the air in
1959 and controlled the station until its sale to CHUM in 1990.
Ironically, at the time of his death, he held a minority (less than 4%)
interest in CHMB competitors CJVB and CHKG-FM. An even bigger
irony is that Jack never changed the name of his holding companies from
1320 Communications and 1320 Holdings. Jack's full name is John
Everett Stark. I'm Jon Pearkins. And CHQM AM & FM in Vancouver was my first (paid) radio job in 1971. For more on me and radio, click here. To go directly to the beginnings of a radio autobiography, starting with CHQM, click here. |
In late June 1971, there were celebrations in the hallways of CHQM as the Spring BBM (Board of Broadcast Measurement) ratings were released. In those years, FM listenership was small enough and enough simulcasting was allowed that the BBM showed combined ratings for AM and FM stations with the same call letters. Together, CHQM AM & FM ranked Number Two in Vancouver.
Why? Because the usual #2, Top 40 CKLG-AM (730), had seen their listenership erode with the switch of CKVN (1410) to Top 40 from All News on April 1, 1970. Terry David Mulligan was Program Director for the first year, and he had recruited top DJs, both unknown and well known, including Hal Weaver, Tim Burge, Bob Boving and J. B. Shane. The station also played enough album-oriented music to attract some CKLG-FM listeners.
It did not happen again until December 2002, as the Fall ratings were released, showing CHQM-FM #2 in the ratings, with a 10.0 share (percentage of listenership). And CKNW is still #1, just as it was in 1971. And, with very few exceptions, as it has been since the 1950s. CKLG-AM was #1 once, when they first aired the History of Rock and Roll in November 1969. And in the summer of 2000, when CKZZ-FM (Z95.3) was #1.
