BC’s First Private TV Station Celebrates 60 Years in Broadcasting
At 5pm on December 1, 1956 CHEK-TV, B.C.’s first privately owned television station and affiliate of the CBC network, hit the airwaves. Over the next six decades, the station’s identity, logo design and network affiliations changed numerous times, until in September of 2009, CHEK became North America’s first and only employee-owned television station.
In the last 60-years the evolution of CHEK has come full circle. Live television of the past gave way to film, videotape and satellite feeds, only to find its way back to the energy and spontaneity of ‘live’ news broadcasts. Throughout the station’s incredible history it has continued to produced popular local programs relevant to viewers on Vancouver Island. Most of the station-produced programs in the early days were primarily entertainment shows such as the TV House Party Show in 1956, the Ida Clarkson Show from 1962 to 1991 and Club 6 where local teens could come and try the latest dance moves every afternoon ‘live’ in the CHEK studio located on Epsom Drive in Victoria. From the days of CHEK-TV’s founding father Charlie White to the present-day employee-owners, CHEK has a rich legacy of producing local news, weather and sports as well as information programming including the current crop of productions like Cookin’ on The Coast hosted by Garrett Schack, The Wealthy Life with Sybil Verch, Trend with Amy McGeachy and of course the time-honoured CHEK Around with Gordie Tupper, to highlight just a few.
Over the past six decades, CHEK has grown to meet the ever-changing needs of advertisers and audiences. Gone are the days of live commercials, where the message was more important than the length. Today, CHEK’s award winning Creative Services department captures an advertiser’s message in a precise highly-crafted, 30 or 15 second spot that is often complimented by on-line advertising.
CHEK has been part of the fabric of the communities it serves since 1956, and continues to provide viewers with compelling and comprehensive news coverage from all across Vancouver Island seven days a week. Giving back has also been a major part of the station’s 60-year history. CHEK continues to dedicate its people, airtime and resources to countless events and causes.
Thank you for watching and supporting CHEK! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
V8T 5A2
Lightning Editorial Services offers professional editing and proofreading services.
Specialties include but are not limited to: Education; environment; natural history; endangered spaces and species; historical and general fiction; trade nonfiction, including guidebooks, biographies, memoirs, cookbooks, and children’s books; social marketing; corporate communications
V8S 4P4
Your Community News Team
| Publisher Rod Sluggett 1-250-642-5752 |
Rod Sluggett has been the publisher of the Sooke News Mirror since 1996. In more than three decades in the newspaper business he has worked in Courtenay, Parksville, Port Hardy, Powell River and Surrey. He is a sports enthusiast and a major man of the Vancouver Canucks. publisher@sookenewsmirror.com |
|
| Editor Kevin Laird 1-250-642-5752 |
Kevin Laird is the editor of the Sooke News Mirror, a weekly community newspaper that is part of the Black Press chain. Kevin’s journalism career began more than 30 years ago. He has worked at numerous weekly and daily publications in Alberta and British Columbia. editor@sookenewsmirror.com |
V9Z 0A5
Besides providing paperless information to and about the community of Sooke, PocketNews is community-centric.
Our mandate is to be timely, relevant and meaningful to the local residents. For businesses, we offer access to a loyal Sooke readership, and our numbers are steadily growing. Your expertise is running your business; ours is promoting your business online through our news site as well as on social media. Your reach to Sooke residents grows exponentially when you promote on PocketNews.
Sooke.PocketNews.ca is headed by Britt Santowski, who has a strong background in communications, web design, and writing. She has lived in Sooke for over 10 years, and adores the people who live here.
V9Z 0W1