From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 18 of 36
Radio speaks French
1922
In 1922, CKAC began broadcasting in Montréal. It was a pioneer of French-language radio in North America. People spoke into a microphone and musicians played for listeners at home.
Look together
Which instruments can you see in the studio?
An idea to try
Record a two-minute “show” together on a phone: a news item, a song, a joke. Listen to it with your eyes closed.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
CKAC, created by the newspaper La Presse in 1922, played a pioneering role in French-language broadcasting. Its early programmes included concerts. The Musée des ondes explains that CKAC then shared a frequency with CFCF: listeners heard programmes in French and English on that frequency.
The studio is imaginary. Look at the microphone and instruments, then invent a short program using only voices and sounds.
Sources and context (2)
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
- Encyclopédie du MEM — Les premières stations de radio montréalaises
- Musée des ondes Emile Berliner — Radio and the performing arts
Source review: 2026-09-19. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.