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940 CINW & 690 CINF Montreal to leave the air on January 29th

M

Mark77

Guest
Some breaking news out of my hometown of Montreal today. Two Corus AM stations, CINW (AM 940, Montreal's Greatest Hits) and CINF (Info 690) ceased regular programming this morning at 10 AM and began airing audio loops from their respective general managers annoucing the ends of both stations. The stations will be leaving the air for good as of 7 PM. They have been suffering in the ratings for a long time, and were no longer profitable to run. More information about the situation can be found here in an official press release from Corus: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2010/29/c5055.html
It should also be noted that CINW was the first radio station in Canada.

Here are the audio loops that were played on both stations (both about a minute long).
CINW: http://www.mediafire.com/?mmxmek14tjy
CINF (In French): http://www.mediafire.com/?njt2mjfmojv
 
Radio Shalom is the only Montreal station i listen to!

in Boston there is competition with Indian station out of Toronto, at times
 
It's a sad, and shocking thing to learn today. On the other hand I've seen the ratings for both stations, and it wasn't hard to see the writing on the wall. I really enjoyed AM 940 when they were a talk station, I felt it was superior to CJAD. When they switched to music, I pretty much stopped listening. Not because it was an AM station playing music, but because all those songs have been fed to me my whole life. I continued to tune in over nights for Coast To Coast AM since no one in Ottawa carries it. There are, however, plenty of other stations carrying it. It will be interesting to see if anyone decides to apply for those 2 great frequencies.

CINF at 690 has (so0n to be had) a great signal here in Ottawa, In some parts of the city it's as strong as any of the locals. I don't speak French but I would tune in from time to time to try and improve my po0r French comprehension skills.

940 was a bit weaker, but wasn't a difficult listen. I can't believe that the oldest station in radio is coming to an end in 4 hours.... :(
 
any hope either one can be reborn a la AM 740 in Toronto? I know the general trend in Canada is away from the AM band.
 
With dozens if not hundreds of Canadian AM's going silent, how long will US stations continue to be required to protect these ghost coverage areas?
 
US stations will have to protect the frequencies as if the two are still on the air, as Canadian clears are still internationally notified.....
 
Mark77 said:
It should also be noted that CINW was the first radio station in Canada.
Click to expand...

And that both CINF and CINW inherited blowtorch signals from the CBC.

Here's hoping both get reactivated soon.
 
So many questions.....
1) - Why couldn't have Corus just sold the stations? 50kw blasters would bring in decent prices. People who never had stations before certainly would be interested; along with stations in Montreal on lesser power freqencies.
2) - If they're gone for good, what happens to the tower sites? Towers to be used for cell-phone mounts?
3) - I cannot see HOW a 50kw blowtorch could "not be profitable".
 
JIBGUY said:
So many questions.....
1) - Why couldn't have Corus just sold the stations? 50kw blasters would bring in decent prices. People who never had stations before certainly would be interested; along with stations in Montreal on lesser power freqencies.
3) - I cannot see HOW a 50kw blowtorch could "not be profitable".
Click to expand...

The news of their demise had certainly caught many by surprise. These stations must've been hemorrhaging money so badly to be taken off the air off the cuff, and for the owner to demand cancellation of their licenses.

It is also very rare for a blowtorch to up and quit broadcasting -- most of these have been very popular for one reason or another, such as WGN, WFAN, KTNN, etc., as well as the Mexican "border blasters". And most often blowtorches are the most-popular stations in the market, if not the AM dial in that market. (It's probably why Rush Limbaugh got his show on WJR in Detroit.)

I hope the CRTC does the right thing and take new applicants for these signals, just like what they did for 740 in Toronto after the CBC vacated it -- it would be stupid to kill off these frequencies outright.
 
I thought 940 was a great station and I'm sad to see it go. I used to listen to them via skywave almost every night. They sounded just like CBS FM in New York.
 
I think in Canada, AM stations, no matter the wattage, signal, and prestige have about as much value and appeal as a manual washing machine, except for the most heritage of stations.. I though I read somewhere that CINF 690 was at least breaking even.. It was too bad that 940 News or the news / talk didn't catch on. Both of those signals blast deep into Vermont, especially 690 CINF.. It now joins 1070 and 1580 in the Canadian Clear Channel dead signal club..
 
One thing I am curious about -- did either of these stations say goodbye before going to the closure loop, or did they practically drop everything and abruptly go from the normal programming to the loop?
 
I find the whole thing puzzling. I own a radio station in the United States & don't understand why the owners won't offer the stations for sale.

I would entertain the idea, myself as they are located in a major city. If someone gave me a station in a major metropolitan area, I'm certain that something can be done with it - talk and brokerage programming would certainly work.

Does anyone know why they' are just turning in the licenses as opposed to selling the stations? thanks! josh in the US
 
AM 740 was mentioned earlier. I know they are owned by different people, but does anyone think this could happen
to AM 740?

I listen over the air many nights in Chicago, their are no stations in my area that play the music they play. I know
they were also abandoned by the CBC, could the same thing happen to them? I really hope not.

I can listen to the station I work for online at home. Our format is very close to AM 740's overnight jukebox,
and we are automated from 6PM until 6AM, with local hosts, news and weather during the daytime. I listen to
AM 740 in my car very often though, and I would miss it.

Something here just does not had up. Even if revenues were bad, why would they at least try to sell them first?

I also think that if Canada does not these station's, why would they insist on keep their clear channel status? Why
not give them up, so someone who might want them could use them?
 
Something will show up on these two frequencies soon. Clear Channel assignments are just too valuable. I dont believe Canada has given up their protection of any AM that has gone silent in their country. I believe you will find that all the hundreds of silent AM's across Canada are still protected
 
TR1992 said:
AM 740 was mentioned earlier. I know they are owned by different people, but does anyone think this could happen
to AM 740?

I listen over the air many nights in Chicago, their are no stations in my area that play the music they play. I know
they were also abandoned by the CBC, could the same thing happen to them? I really hope not.

I can listen to the station I work for online at home. Our format is very close to AM 740's overnight jukebox,
and we are automated from 6PM until 6AM, with local hosts, news and weather during the daytime. I listen to
AM 740 in my car very often though, and I would miss it.

Something here just does not had up. Even if revenues were bad, why would they at least try to sell them first?

I also think that if Canada does not these station's, why would they insist on keep their clear channel status? Why
not give them up, so someone who might want them could use them?
Click to expand...

I believe AM 740 is a money maker. Although there's been changes going on, since Moses Znaimer bought it up, reflected by a drop in ratings (at one time it was #5 on Toronto's BBM chart).

I'm with you too, TR. I find it strange that the stations were just suddenly shuttered, rather than sold. A rather odd move by Corus and...a harbinger of things to come???

Since the ethnic groups are rather active, wouldn't it be cool to have a full power multi-culti service move into one of those slots? I know CPAM is already moving and boosting its power, but what if CFMB, or Radio Shalom, or Radio Moyen-Orient became a 'blow torch'? Always nice to hear something exotic, amongst the 'usual' clutter out there! ;D

~BG
 
Both 690 and 940 made very non ceremonial exits.. The 'good bye' loops played, then static.. 940's was cut off in mid sentence.. Maybe CJAD could make the move to 690's blowtorch signal, since their current location at 800 is very directional and has to drop to 10kw at night.. CFAV can move to 940, as their current signal is very limited in coverage.. AM 1070 in Moncton NB is still vacant, and that signal had a huge coverage area by day in the Maritimes...
 
I think, IMHO, that shutting down two of Montreal's most powerful AM's, in such an abrupt way, is kind of fishy. They should have at least tried to sell them. Turning in the license of North America's oldest radio station (940/CINW has lineage to CFCF, formerly on 600, on the air since 1919 as XWA) is something not to be taken lightly. They should not have turned in the licenses of 690/CINF and 940/CINW without trying to find another option for the stations. I think there is more to this than meets the eye. I wonder if they are bucking with the CRTC to get some kind of "FM preference" in the Greater Montreal area. It seems too abrupt on what Corus did less than 48 hours ago.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
 
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