Berliner Launchs The Canadian 216000 HMV Record Series 1919
On August 1, 1919 The Berliner Gram-o-phone Company Limited announced a newly conceived line of records which would promote Canadian talent, such as pianist Willie Eckstein, violinist Luigi Romanelli, whose orchestra appeared at The King Edward Hotel in Toronto during the early 1920’s, The Melody Kings Dance Orchestra from Montreal, and, around 1929, Fred Culley and his Royal York Hotel Orchestra.
the78rpmrecordspins 
November 16, 2015 at 8:48 pm
The 216000 HMV serie was launched in 1916 (not 1919). Herbert Berliner launched the 263000 serie in 1919 which was reserved for French-Canadian artists. Those series became so successful that the Berliner plant in Montreal pressed les and less Victor Talking Machine records. Pressure from Victor on papa Emile Berliner eventually led to Herbert resigning from the family company in April 1921, taking along with him most of the high ranking executives to his new venture at Compo and the Apex and Starr labels.