CKCO TV Kitchener celebrates 60 years on the air

Bowling For Dollars, Romper Room and Polka Time

Special to recognize anniversary schedule for March 1

By Mark Schadenberg

Put your hands up if you remember watching Bill Inkol on CKCO TV in Kitchener ?

Could have been a sports broadcast, but it more likely was Bowling For Dollars.

CTV Kitchener is celebrating 60 years of broadcasting this week.

It’s always considered to be CKCO and the early programming is remembered by recalling Romper Room, Polka Time with Walter Ostanek, Big Al, and Tree House (Meet Leroy and Ralph . . . ), along with hosts / news anchors like Johnnie Walters, Betty Thompson (black and white photo below), Don Cameron, Wayne Kooyman, Ron Johnston, Gary McLaren, Julie Marie Innes, Linda Richards, Jeff Hutchison (Canada AM today) Dave MacDonald, Lisa LaFlamme (CTV national anchor is pictured), Janine Grespan, and David Imrie (who is still at CTV after more than 35 years)

I still see the 77-year-old Don Cameron every time the Kitchener Rangers are in London as he is play-by-play voice on K-W’s News 570 AM

Canada - Kitchener - Central - Ontario or CKCO has been broadcasting for exactly 60 years. It was Canada’s third private TV station, following CFPL London (Blackburn family) and CKSO Sudbury. Originally, CKCO was a CBC affiliate and if you follow broadcasting like I do, you will enjoy the reads at: http://ckco-history.com/history/ and http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/index3.html?url=http%3A//www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/television/histories.php%3Fid%3D12%26historyID%3D31

The 30-minute special to officially mark 60 years at the channel is Saturday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m. Currently, that is the Provincewide time slot, but if my memory is correct, that was the time for Bowling For Dollars back just a few years ago.

Fond thoughts about Bowling For Dollars as many 5-pin local league stars would succumb to the pressure of the cameras and roll gutter balls. Most, however, would walk away with a modest cheque of about $40.

MORE LINKS:
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/ctv-kitchener-marks-60-years-of-local-broadcasting-1.1690312

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbIR36sPCv0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdP2Jdk80Bo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq9-8ZxZ6_Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4pfNDqzxRU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPqKabbQ__U

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CKCO-DT

http://www.therecord.com/sports-story/2614503-don-cameron-has-been-calling-it-like-it-is-for-50-years/

http://www.country1067.com/tag/don-cameron/

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)

Royal LePage Triland Realty, 757 Dundas St, Woodstock

(519) 537-1553, cell or text

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

Twitter: markroyallepage