Sixty-nine years ago today (February 25) the CBC International Service (which would be renamed Radio Canada International in 1970) spoke to the world for the first time. According to the Digital Archives of Canada’s national public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada the service “was founded to broadcast to Canadian Forces overseas in the Second World War. At war’s end the radio service focused on telling the world about Canada in over a dozen languages.”
From its studios in Montreal and a web of shortwave transmission towers in the Atlantic coast city of Sackville, the service targeted both Canadian and foreign listeners. In the inaugural broadcast, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King said the International Service would extend Canadian ideals of equality and freedom to the world.
Throughout it’s history the service broadcast in many languages to all parts of the globe through shortwave radio, satellite, partner stations and the Internet.
After a budget cut in 2012, the service ceased to broadcast via shortwave and satellite, and continued only on its website rcinet.ca
More information:
CBC Digital Archives – 1945: CBC shortwave service begins broadcasting to the world (includes audio) – here
CBC Digital Archives – Radio Canada International: Our Voice to the World (audio and video reports) – here
RCI – History – here
Radio Canada International website – rcinet.ca
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