CJOC Radio

Lethbridge's first radio station was begun by one its most famous citizens. John Endor (Jock) Palmer was born in England in 1895 and moved to Lethbridge in 1905. Palmer first made himself famous in Lethbridge as a pilot when he created one of the city's first air freight services. Palmer gained radio experience as a pilot and in 1926 he formed a partnership with Bill Grant to get a radio license. Palmer was given the call letters CJ by the license office and used the letters OC to make it sound like his nickname, Jock. CJOC radio began its broadcasts from the kitchen of Palmer's mother's house but was soon moved to a shed behind the house (1235-5th avenue south) where Bill Grant had built a 50-watt transmitter. The station moved again to the Hull Block where the owners of that building G.F. Tull and Arden Ltd. became involved in the company. At first the station only broadcast for about two hours a day at a frequency of 1060 kHz. Businessman, Harold R. Carson was the first to advertise on the station and after that purchased the station on August 13, 1928 for $250.

P1988001800-GA Private Radio Receiving License from 1932 to 1933. It belonged to Harold Tindall.

Carson moved the station to the top floor of the Marquis hotel and a few years later installed a new transmitter. CJOC provided news, music, drama, public affairs shows, market prices, church services, and hockey broadcasts. CJOC moved to its current location on 3rd Avenue in April of 1949 where it continues to broadcast country and western music to the present.

P19760220010 The CJOC radio singers entertain their listeners.

The examples of newspapers and radio provide useful examples of how mediums, whether print or electronic, have developed with the community. Of course the newspaper and radio are not the only form of communications in Lethbridge. Lethbridge residents now have access to television stations, magazines, telephones, fax machines, and computers, all of which can be used to communicate with people within the community or around the world. But, what is same with all of these is that they will continue to reflect those who use them and in that way reflect the community as a whole.

P19890040002-GA A Victor band remote speaker for listening to radio broadcasts. The speaker was used in Coalhurst around 1930.