This week in Canadian media history: Voice of Newfoundland joins CBC upon Confederation
The Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland (BCN), which also owned the Voice of Newfoundland (VONF), officially joined the CBC on Apr. 1, 1949 after Newfoundland and Labrador joined Confederation.
By Eric Mark Do, Reporter
The Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland (BCN), which also owned the Voice of Newfoundland (VONF), officially joined the CBC on Apr. 1, 1949 after Newfoundland and Labrador joined Confederation. VONF had been on the air since 1932 and BCN since 1939.
One of the earliest broadcasts in Newfoundland featured Joseph R. Smallwood in the show, The Barrelman, which promoted Newfoundland history and culture. Smallwood led the campaign for Newfoundland to join Canada and went on to become the first premier of the new province. Listen to a clip of Smallwood and Margot Davies on BCN/VONF below.
Correction: An earlier version of this article mistakenly reported Newfoundland and Labrador joined Confederation on April 1, 1949.
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Tamara Baluja is an award-winning journalist with CBC Vancouver and the 2018 Michener-Deacon fellow for journalism education. She was the associate editor for J-Source from 2013-2014.