Broadcast pioneer brought television to PEI in 1956

Broadcast pioneer brought television to PEI in 1956
Published in The Globe and Mail
By -- ALLISON LAWLOR
PUBLISHED JULY 1, 2009
UPDATED APRIL 28, 2018

Robert F. Large (1918-2009)

Robert (Bob) Large may have been the man who introduced television to Prince Edward Island in 1956 at a time when television sets didn't even exist in island homes, but it was radio that truly captured his heart and mind.

Mr. Large died in Charlottetown on June 4, 2009, from lymphoma. He was 90.

"A portion of every day was spent listening to radio," said his daughter Kathy Large. "He had a true appreciation of talk radio. Music wasn't what he turned the radio on for."

In 1936, Mr. Large landed his dream job. At 18 he walked into the office of CFCY in Charlottetown and was hired as an announcer and operator. He had already been dabbling in the medium. At 14, he built a one-watt radio station on which he played lively band concerts for family and neighbours in a three-block radius around his Charlottetown home.

At CFCY he not only launched his broadcasting career, but fell in love with the boss's daughter, Betty Rogers, a fellow broadcaster known as "the storyteller." In 1924, her father Colonel Keith Rogers had started the station - which adopted the radio slogan "the friendly voice of the Maritimes"- from his living room.

"It was a unique radio station. It was a family affair," said veteran broadcaster Eric MacEwan, whose syndicated radio show has been running on CFCY for 35 years.

He married Betty in 1939, and the couple moved to Sackville, N.B., where Mr. Large got a job with the CBC. But their love of PEI soon brought them back to CFCY, where Mr. Large became part of The Early Birds radio program.

The five-member radio host team, which did everything from play music to recite poetry on air, became widely popular throughout the Maritimes. The show's signature theme, "Keep on smiling ... cause when you're smiling the whole world smiles with you," captured the enthusiasm of the youthful group. They developed a loyal audience and honoured them whenever they could.

On one occasion they travelled to New Glasgow, N.S., where they broadcast from the bedside of a dedicated listener who couldn't leave her home. Another time they played music for a wedding taking place at listener's home in rural Nova Scotia.

"I would be so grateful to our favourite radio station, CFCY, if you would play the Wedding March for me on the air," the listener wrote. The hosts assured the bride-to-be that at the precise time, on the correct date her wish would be carried out. They were true to their word. And while the Wedding March played, they let curious listeners know what was happening.

Born in Charlottetown on Aug. 21, 1918, Mr. Large lived and worked on the same block of Queen Street, just down from City Hall, most of his adult life. Living so close to work allowed him to duck out at noon every day for lunch, followed by a quick nap before heading back to the station.

After starting off on air, Mr. Large moved into management at CFCY, eventually becoming manager and program director. Mr. MacEwan remembers walking into the station in the early 1960s as a brash 17-year-old with a dream of becoming a rock 'n' roll disc jockey. Mr. Large gave him a job, and along with it some advice that stuck. "You have to be versatile," he told the young radio hopeful, encouraging him to learn to write everything from news to commercials.

With his radio on at all times - even when he was out of the office - Mr. Large had no patience for sloppiness or carelessness on air.

Bob Large at Radio Station CFCY on Kent St. in Charlottetown

"He was quite strict," Mr. MacEwan said. "He didn't suffer fools lightly."

In the early days, Mr. MacEwan worked the Sunday morning shift. His job was to ensure that the religious programming coming in from the United States was running smoothly on air.

Not interested in the preaching, one day he decided to duck out of the studio while the tape ran to grab a coffee and cinnamon bun at a nearby coffee shop. While he was out the tape broke and all that could be heard over the airwaves was the flipping sound of the broken tape. Mr. Large flew into the studio in a rage. He didn't fire Mr. MacEwan, but came close.

"He felt a tremendous responsibility communicating to the public," Mr. MacEwan said.

Mr. Large was station manager when CFCY-TV went on air in 1956. The initial dream of bringing television to PEI had started with Col. Rogers. But in 1954, he died suddenly of a heart attack, just three days after celebrating his 62nd birthday. At the time of his death, Mr. Large had already done close to five years of feasibility studies on the idea.

"Dad had to pick up the pieces," said Kathy Large. "A lot of people said 'you can't do that in PEI.' It was such an ambitious project."

But Mr. Large had made his decision. He had thoroughly studied the idea and knew his good relationship with General Electric meant he could buy equipment at a decent price. After investing more than $250,000 and constructing a new tower, located a few kilometres west of Charlottetown that could direct power along the entire length of PEI and toward Nova Scotia, Channel 13 went on the air on July 1, 1956.

Staff at the station had to learn quickly how to work in a visual medium. Money was in short supply in the early days. "No money for sets. Okay? No kitchen cupboards. Is that understood?" Mr. Large told Henry Purdy, the station's first full-time artist, just before Helen Herring, who had done women's shows on radio for years, was to be launched into television with her show Today at Home .

After the show, Mr. Large confronted Mr. Purdy, Betty Rogers Large recounts in her book (co-written with Tom Crothers) Out of Thin Air: The Story of CFCY 'The Friendly Voice of the Maritimes.'

CFCY-TV goes on the air

"I thought I told you there were to be no sets, no cupboards," Mr. Large said to Mr. Henry, who insisted that there weren't. But Mr. Large said he saw them and wanted an explanation. "What you saw was a painting," Mr. Henry said. Still not believing him, Mr. Large ran back to the studio to confirm.

CFCY-TV, which was sold to the CBC in 1969, helped develop several talented broadcasters over the years, including former political commentator Senator Mike Duffy. Having the best collection of records in town, Mr. Duffy started at the station with a Saturday afternoon teen dance party. Don Messer and His Islanders moved from radio to television at CFCY before they were propelled to national fame on the CBC.

"He was a visionary in so many ways," Mr. MacEwan said.

Until his death, a beloved radio rested at his bedside. With his eclectic tastes, Mr. Large listened to everything from BBC newscasts on shortwave to New York City traffic reports.

Mr. Large leaves his daughters Brenda, Daphne and Kathy; five grandchildren; and brother Bill. He was predeceased by his wife Betty.

Special to The Globe and Mail

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P.E.I. television pioneer dies at 90
The Guardian -- SaltWire Network
Published: Jun 15, 2010 at midnight
Updated: Sep 30, 2017 at 3:48 a.m.

The man who first introduced television to Prince Edward Island in 1956 died Thursday at his home in Charlottetown. Robert F. Large was 90.

He was station manager and part of the family that introduced TV to the province in 1956 when CFCY-TV first went on air.

While most of his contemporaries in the radio field warned of the high risks involved with the unproven form of new media which had no established track record in generating revenue, Large, his wife Betty, along with family support forged ahead and built the Island's first TV station at a time when television sets did not even exist in Island homes.

The initial dream of bringing TV to P.E.I. had begun with Betty's father, Col. Keith Rogers, the owner of CFCY, who had introduced radio to the Island decades before.

Large's career began at the age of 18 as an announcer and operator in 1936 when he joined the staff of CFCY.

At the station he became close friends with Betty Rogers, a fellow broadcaster known as The Storyteller, and, in 1939, they married and settled in Sackville, N.B., where he held a staff position with CBC.

Their love of the Island soon brought them back to CFCY where Large would eventually become station manager.

Large was the last surviving member of the "Early Birds'', a five-member radio hosting team that was widely popular throughout the Maritimes.

Based on a format now known as "talk radio," the five men kept Islanders entertained and informed. Their signature theme on CFCY, "Keep on smiling . . . cause when you're smiling the whole world smiles with you,'' captured the youthful enthusiasm of the lively team.

After CFCY was sold to Maritime Broadcasting and CFCY-TV to the CBC, Bob and Betty Large enjoyed an active retirement, with travel being a regular part of their annual cycle until Betty's death in 1990.

A family spanning three generations of broadcasters, Bob and Betty Large saw two of their daughters follow in their footsteps with successful media careers.

Large's fascination with all forms of broadcast media continued in retirement with a special interest in international radio stations.

His remains are resting at the Belvedere Funeral Home. There will be no visitation by family request. A memorial service will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. from the Kirk of St. James.