Bob Hall celebrates a birthday at the Big ‘R’ in Salmon Arm

1965
Bob Hall and Walter Gray (Hall-Gray Broadcasting) opened CKXR Salmon Arm on November 18. CKCR Revelstoke began operations on November 21. It was a satellite of CKXR.

The two stations became known as “The Big R Network”. Salmon Arm and Revelstoke were small communities. Individually, neither one was really big enough for a radio station, but combined, they made a worthwhile radio market.

CKCR broadcast at 1340 kHz with a power of 250 watts.

1972
On July 21 sister station CKXR increased power to 10,000 watts day and 1,000 watts night.

1974
CKGR Golden signed on the air to rebroadcast CKXR.

On May 16, CKCR was given approval to establish studios at Revelstoke. It would broadcast some local programming in addition to programs received from CKXR.

On December 18, Robert J. Hall and J. Jeanne Hall were given permission to acquire 64% of the shares of Hall-Gray Broadcasting Co. Ltd. from 14 shareholders.

1984
Two additions to “The Big R Network”, CKGR AM 1400 Golden (1000 watts) and CKIR AM 870 Invermere (1000 watts) signed on the air at 7 a.m. December 31.

1999
Okanagan Skeena Group Ltd. was given approval to purchase Copper Island Broadcasting Ltd., which was subsequently purchased by Telemedia Radio Inc.

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