Published May 07, 2025 by

The Road to Victory: CBC’s VE Day Broadcast, May 8, 1945

The Road to Victory: CBC's VE Day Broadcast, May 8, 1945

Vintage radio Did You Know? This broadcast reached over 80% of Canadian households - the highest radio audience in CBC history!

CBC VE Day Broadcast

Canada's Moment of Triumph

On May 8, 1945, CBC Radio united the nation with its historic The Road to Victory broadcast marking Victory in Europe Day. This 18-hour marathon coverage featured:

  • Live reports from 14 Canadian cities and 8 European locations
  • Exclusive interviews with Canadian troops in liberated Netherlands
  • Churchill's victory speech relayed directly from London
  • King George VI's address to the Commonwealth
  • On-the-street reactions from Halifax to Vancouver

🎙️ Behind the Broadcast:

"We had to keep cutting between Ottawa and London while technicians frantically adjusted shortwave signals through static. At one point, we lost Churchill completely and had to switch to a backup feed."
- Senior producer James Bannerman in 1975 CBC oral history

✉️ "My mother recorded the broadcast on wax cylinders. When Churchill spoke, our whole Winnipeg neighborhood crowded into our parlor to hear it replayed."
- Margaret T. (born 1932), via subscriber letter

Relive the Historic Broadcast

📻 Full Broadcast Excerpt

🎧 CBC Archives Collection

Key moments from the 18-hour broadcast

🇬🇧 Churchill's Speech

🎧 Victory Announcement

(With CBC introduction and crowd reactions)

🇨🇦 Canadian Reactions

🎧 Coast-to-Coast Celebrations

From Halifax's docks to Vancouver's Victory Square
(Recommended by James)

📜 Broadcast Excerpt:

ANNOUNCER: "This is the CBC... We interrupt regular programming to bring you this special bulletin... Germany has surrendered unconditionally..."

(Sound: Distant church bells begin ringing)

REPORTER: "I'm standing outside Toronto's City Hall where people are... wait, someone just handed me a newspaper - the headline simply says 'PEACE' in letters two inches tall..."

Which historic CBC broadcast should we feature next?

The 1954 Hurricane Hazel coverage? The 1972 Summit Series? Email your suggestions!

Share Your Memories

"We're collecting personal stories about VE Day 1945! Did you or your family:

  • Listen to this historic broadcast?
  • Celebrate in a Canadian city that day?
  • Have relatives serving overseas when peace was declared?

Selected memories may be featured in future updates (with permission).

Listener Memories

From the mailbag...

James (Ontario)

"My father was a CBC engineer that day. They had to set up an emergency transmitter on Parliament Hill when the crowds grew too large for regular equipment. He said the most moving moment was when spontaneous singing of 'O Canada' broke out across the crowd - you can hear it faintly in the broadcast around 3:17 PM."

Added: May 7

From the mailbag...

Margaret (Nova Scotia)

"We listened on a battery radio because our rural power was still out. When the announcement came, my mother burst into tears - my brother's ship had been sunk in the Atlantic just two weeks earlier. That broadcast was the first time I understood that 'victory' could still be bittersweet."

Added: May 6

✉️ Add Your Memory

Comments may be edited for length/clarity.

Never Miss a Story

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  • 📻 Featured historic broadcasts
  • ✉️ Exclusive subscriber memories
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Join our community of 3,200+ radio history enthusiasts!

Canadian Old Time Radio

Published May 05, 2025 by

Soundings: Jeff Green’s Visionary Radio Sci-Fi Universe

Soundings: Jeff Green's Visionary Radio Sci-Fi Universe

Vintage radio microphone Did You Know? The series was recorded using binaural audio technology for immersive 3D soundscapes!

Jeff Green, creator of Soundings

Ottawa's Answer to Twilight Zone

Produced from 1985-1989 by multimedia artist Jeff Green, Soundings delivered mind-bending science fiction through CBC Radio and international broadcasts. This indie production stood out for its:

  • Cinematic binaural sound design (recorded with Neumann KU-81i dummy head microphone)
  • 45-minute episodes designed for perfect cassette recording
  • Cyberpunk comedy (Spaxter series) alongside psychological horror
  • Original music by Charles Fairfield and Ian Tamblyn
  • International acclaim from NPR to Australia's ABC

🎙️ Behind the Scenes:

"We recorded 'Spaxter' in an empty swimming pool for natural reverb. The actors wore roller skates during chase scenes to create Doppler effects."
- Jeff Green, 1986 interview

"The 'Somebody Talking To You' cassettes were actual customized mixtapes we mailed to listeners who wrote in."
- Sound engineer Charles Fairfield

Dive Into the Soundscape

🔮 "Spaxter" Preview:

SPAXTER: "The meld in my head was buzzing like a hornet's nest. Osiris wasn't just another two-bit pharaoh wannabe - he'd bought the actual Great Pyramid."

LOUELLA: "So let me get this straight... you're going to stop a god by throwing a cocktail party?"

(Sound: Pyramid door grinding open with alien hum)

Complete Soundings Collection

🏆 Award-Winning Radio

  • 2x ACTRA Best Radio Program (1988, 1989)
  • NY Festivals Silver Medal (1990)
  • Mark Time Award for Best Sci-Fi Audio
  • ASFSFA Hall of Fame for "Spaxter"

Join Our Audio Adventure

Subscribe for weekly discoveries in vintage radio:

  • 📡 Rare audio finds like Soundings
  • 🎙 Behind-the-scenes production stories
  • 📻 Exclusive digital mixtapes for subscribers

"Your newsletter introduced me to Soundings - now I'm hooked on vintage radio drama!"
- Subscriber Margaret K.

Canadian Old Time Radio

Published May 03, 2025 by

The People Across the Street: CBC’s Lost Comedy Gem

The People Across the Street: CBC's Lost Comedy Gem

Vintage radio microphone Trivia: Recorded at CBC's Toronto studios, often after midnight when the building was empty!

From The Frantics to Suburban Satire

Before becoming Canadian comedy legends with The Red Green Show and History Bites, Rick Green and Peter Wildman honed their craft through two pivotal projects:

The Frantics (1980-1987)

  • CBC Radio's anarchic sketch troupe
  • Created the immortal "Boot to the Head"
  • Featured Paul Chato and Rick Green

The People Across the Street (Summer of 1989)

  • Satirical suburban humor
  • Precursor to their TV chemistry
  • Few recordings survive today

Both shows shared a signature blend of absurd premises and razor-sharp timing that would define Green and Wildman's careers.

Rediscovered Episodes

1. "The Freezer"

A household appliance becomes the battleground for neighborly one-upmanship.

2. "Death by Weed Whacker"

Lawn care escalates into a Shakespearean tragedy.

🎙️ Behind the Scenes:

"We'd write these in Peter's basement, fueled by instant coffee and leftover pizza. CBC paid us $300 per episode—enough for more pizza."
- Rick Green, 2008 interview

Why These Shows Matter

1

Comedy Legacy

Launched multiple Canadian TV careers

2

Rare Audio

Few recordings survive from this CBC era

3

Cultural Time Capsule

Captured 1980s Canadian suburban life

Comedy mask icon Never Miss a Lost Comedy Gem

Subscribe for weekly discoveries of rare Canadian comedy:

  • 🎭 Rediscovered radio comedies
  • 🎙 Behind-the-scenes stories from cast members
  • 📻 Exclusive audio clips from our archives

"Your newsletter helped me rediscover these comedy treasures from my youth!"
- Subscriber Dave R., Toronto

Canadian Old Time Radio

Published May 03, 2025 by

Nightfall: CBC’s Groundbreaking Horror Radio Anthology

Nightfall: CBC's Groundbreaking Horror Radio Anthology

Vintage radio microphone Did You Know? The show's chilling theme was created using a waterphone and cello bow!

Nightfall Original CD Cover

Canada's Answer to The Twilight Zone

Airing from 1980-1983 on CBC Radio, Nightfall terrified listeners with its psychological horror stories. Created by Bill Howell, the show stood out for its:

  • Unsettling realistic sound effects
  • Twist endings that outdid The Outer Limits
  • Distinctive Canadian settings (from Toronto alleys to Yukon cabins)
  • No-holds-barred approach to horror (CBC's first "parental warning" show)
  • Legendary voice actors like Henry Ramer (narrator) and John Stocker (the iconic "falling man")

🎙️ Behind the Screams:

"We used real autopsy recordings for 'The Psychiatrist' episode. The switchboard lit up with complaints!"
- Sound designer David Millar, 1982 interview

✉️ "The script called for a scream, but I told the director that when you suddenly fall, you gasp - you don't scream. That's why the opening is so terrifying."
- John Stocker (the falling man and voice of Beastly in Care Bears), via subscriber Patte

Experience the Terror

📻 Complete Series

🎧 Archive.org Collection

All surviving episodes (1980-1983)

📜 Classic Episode

🎧 "The Contract"

(Aired Jan 28, 1983 - chilling finale)

🎭 Fan Favorite

🎧 "The Repossession"

Featuring John Stocker as conjoined twins
(Recommended by Patte)

🔮 "The Contract" Preview:

LAWYER: "Signing binds you forever, Mr. Carter. There are no expiration clauses."

CARTER: "What's this red ink? It feels... warm."

(Sound: Distant heartbeat grows louder)

Which Canadian radio horror should we cover next?

The Vanishing Point? The Hitchhiker? Email your suggestions like Patte did!

Share Your Memories

"We love hearing from fellow Nightfall enthusiasts! Did you:

  • Hear these episodes when they first aired?
  • Work on the production?
  • Spot an error we should fix?

Interesting comments may be shared in future updates (with your permission).

Listener Memories

From the mailbag...

Patte

In the opening of "Nightfall" episodes, Henry Ramer was the narrator, and John Stocker was the man who suddenly falls backwards into the abyss. Both Henry and John voiced hundreds of commercials, and John still voices cartoon characters too, notably Beastly in the original 1980s "Care Bears" series. He told me that the script originally called for the "Nightfall" falling man to scream in terror. But he told the director that, when you suddenly find yourself falling, you involuntarily gasp; you don't scream. The director agreed, and that's why the "Nightfall" opening is so terrifying. John played both conjoined twins in the episode "The Repossession". It's one of my favourites!

Added: May 4

From the mailbag...

James (BC)

"I worked as a CBC intern in '82. The waterphone used for the theme was kept locked in a special case - musicians had to sign it out like library books!"

Added: May 3

✉️ Share Your Story

Comments may be edited for length/clarity.

Radio waves Join Our Horror Radio Club

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  • 👻 Lost horror radio classics like Nightfall
  • 🎙 Behind-the-scenes secrets from sound designers
  • 📻 Exclusive audio from our vault of terror

"Your newsletter introduced me to Nightfall - now I'm hooked on vintage radio horror!"
- Subscriber Margaret K.

Canadian Old Time Radio