When CKAC in Montreal Broadcast Nighttime Concerts to Europe

In the fall of 1924, CKAC, the radio station owned by the daily newspaper La Presse and the first French-language radio station in North America, had just acquired a 7-kilowatt transmitter. By today s standards, that may seem modest, but it was a considerable amount of power in the early days of broadcasting. Amid the enthusiasm and experimentation that characterized this pioneering era, the Montreal station came up with an intriguing idea: to broadcast nighttime concerts when American signals caused less interference on the airwaves and European stations had gone silent. It was a unique opportunity for radio to reach across the Atlantic.

A First Broadcast Intended for Europe

On November 16, 1924, CKAC attempted its first special broadcast aimed at European listeners, on a wavelength of 425 meters. In Montreal, it was 12:30 a.m. Across the Atlantic, it was 5:00 a.m. The program combined official addresses, including speeches by the French consul general and a senator, with music performed by the orchestra of the ocean liner Paris, which had come from New York especially for the occasion. A touch of linguistic exoticism completed the program: there was even a talk in Ido, the constructed language that was then regarded as something of an intellectual curiosity.

CKAC Sets Its Sights on European Listeners

As early as November 30, La Presse announced that CKAC would henceforth broadcast on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 5:30 a.m. French time. Listeners were invited to confirm reception by writing to Le Petit Parisien, owner of the newly established Poste du Petit Parisien.

But CKAC was also targeting British listeners. London’s Daily Express, whose owner, Lord Beaverbrook, was himself Canadian, joined forces with the General Radio Company to organize the reception of the nighttime concerts coming from Quebec. Prizes were even promised to listeners who submitted detailed reception reports.

Montreal Concerts Broadcast to European Listeners

La Presse published the program : “The special program on Wednesday morning will consist entirely of classical music, performed by renowned Montreal artists. Mrs. Andrée Amalou Jacquet, winner of the Grand Prize for Harp at the Conservatoire de Musique de France, will play her famous Erard harp. Miss Yvonne Lamoureux, very favorably known, will perform cello solos; Miss Leslie Taylor, a student of the great master Auer, the teacher of Mischa Elman, will perform violin solos. Mr. Henri Prieur, the Canadian tenor, will sing selected compositions from his repertoire, accompanied on the piano by Mr. Georges-M. Brewer, one of the finest organists and pianists in the city. The Hon. Athanase David, Provincial Secretary, has kindly accepted the invitation to convey the best wishes of French Canadians to the English.“

Reception Confirmed on the Other Side of the Atlantic

In early December, as listeners wondered whether the station could actually be heard across the ocean, a cablegram a telegram transmitted by cable from Le Petit Parisien confirmed that the broadcast had been received successfully. CKAC management then announced another concert, this time specially dedicated to the readers of Le Petit Parisien, scheduled for Wednesday, January 7, 1925. The event promised to be even more solemn. Baron de Vitrolles, the French consul general in Canada, would address his compatriots, while Sir Campbell Stuart, editor-in-chief of The Times of London, would speak to listeners in the British Isles.

Quebec Live Across European Airwaves

The January broadcast opened, like the previous ones, with the speeches. The musical portion featured a quartet consisting of Armand Gauthier, Emile Gour, J.-A. Normandin, and J.-M. Maguan, accompanied on the piano by Conrad Saint-Amand. The musicians performed both ensemble pieces and solos.

When the Atlantic Ceases to Be a Barrier

It is a fascinating story, but it needs to be put into perspective. These broadcasts were not major popular events followed by hundreds of Europeans. Far from it. The number of listeners was small. They were passionate radio enthusiasts, equipped to attempt what was, at the time, an exceptional reception. But their small numbers should not obscure the significance of the experiment. In 1924, listening to Montreal from Paris was still a remarkable technical achievement. Every successful reception provided further evidence that sound could now cross the Atlantic.

Note: Today, CKAC is known as Radio Circulation 730. It is owned by Cogeco Media.