-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
I feel that broadcasters in the Montreal area on more marginal channels should take advantage of this and move their stations to the said frequencies. I think CJAD would be a good candidate. Other good ones would be CKGM, CFMB or even CJLO. In the event that no Canadian broadcaster wants these frequencies within the year, offer these frequencies to someone who can make use out of them. With Florida's population growing by leaps and bounds and with them having no (using old terminology) class I stations, I say offer 690 to WOKV, Jacksonville and 940 to WINZ, Miami. Regarding 1070, assuming no Canadian broadcaster wants that frequency, what I'd really like to see is for WDIA to be given the equivalent to a I-B status so that it can cover the eastern states. Now, should the Canadians keep the two frequencies in question, I'd hope that 690 could offer either standards with a 'modern twist', similar to what 'Timeless Cool' is offering.
Sad to see both of these go off the air so quickly, great signals down in the Boston area, especially CINF.
How about this far out scenerio.. Move and reclassify 690 and 940 as Class A's in the states... WVMT 620 in Burlington, changes COL to Alburg (right on the border) and takes 690.. WEAV 960 Plattsburgh changes COL to Champlain.. (right on the border) and takes 940.. Upstate NY and Vee Tee both get their own 50kw powerhouse AM facilities and both are close to the original transmitter sites near Montreal.. One country's trash is another one's treasure... ;D
DougBroda said:
Günter Lorenz maintains the data base, you may want to drop him a line at ~> [email protected]
Cheers!
~BG
Gadon said:
Tincap said:
Looking at the general formats, if there should be any reassignments, I see CJAD, CKGM of CFAV getting the frequencies --
CJAD and CFAV: in terms of increasing their broadcast area; for CJAD, a presence in Quebec City and eastern Quebec, currently hampered by CHRC, also broadcasting on 800.
CKGM: in terms of night service. Daytime coverage is great during the day (in 2001, I was able to tune CKGM from Quebec City and Ottawa, while on vacation), but at night, it has to lower its power and direction, to protect CBW Winnipeg and CBY Corner Brook, Newfoundland.
I don't see any other Montreal AM stations seeking to transfer to 690 or 940; as most of these are ethnic formats, the only reason is to either reach Ottawa anytime, or New York City and Boston at night (most of the Quebec province's ethnic groups reside in the Montreal area).
CKGM 990 is still 50kw at night using 6 towers I believe.. It's a very tight pattern, and has to accept some nighttime interference from 990 in Rochester NY in some deal that was made.. If CKGM went to one of the 'clears', they could become Montreal's Monster for ESPN Radio blanketing southern Quebec, northern Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York.. I do like CJAD, a lot of that daytime signal blasts into Vermont. and I love hearing about the politics 'North of the Border".. At night here in Central Vermont, we can hear CJAD by day, and CKLW at night on "The Big 8"...
M
Mark77
Guest
Methinks someone will eventually scoop up one or both of these frequencies at some point. They're both clear channels, and many people would kill to have such a powerful signal. They'll probably be silent for the next little while, but I seriously think that this isn't the last we've heard of 690 & 940. Among the ideas I've seen bandied about were moving CJAD to 940, or simulcasting the CBC Radio FM channels on them. In fact, both 940 & 690 were CBC Radio AM outlets back in the day. Another proposed idea is to have both frequencies purchased by Rogers and have them as all-news stations (one English, one French) like CFTR 680 in Toronto. Hell, even our engineer over at 1650 (CJRS) finds the prospect of having such an amazing signal to be very tempting, although our 1kw signal is quite powerful, so I'm told. I know this is true because a couple of years ago, we got a postcard from a man in Stockholm who said our signal was coming in loud and clear in Sweden, of all places. But for us to move from the edge of the AM dial to 940 would require us to get a tower, and there is no way that we'll ever be able to afford such a thing. Still, I believe that 690 & 940 will go to good owner one of these days. Mark my words (no pun intended).
J
jiminCT
Guest
These signals are reserved for Canadian use ONLY through an international treaty. They will not be able to be used by an American broadcaster. I would guess that CKGM or CJAD will make the moves. CJAD has the Habs as well...
It's really intriguiging that Corus took both of these high power, heritage stations off the air.
If the company wanted to sell the hard assets or the intellectual properties of the stations, basic economics would indicate the values would be greater if the stations are ON the air. (An occupied, well maintained house is worth more than an unoccupied, abondoned house.) Wouldn't a flip to less costly (read "automated music") formats been at least a temporary option?
In the eyes of the CRTC, wouldn't Corus be viewed as not serving (in the US what is defined as) the public interest, convenience and necessity?
I'm well aware that the rules and regulations of the CRTC differ in many respects from those of the FCC. As such neither of these frequencies is likely to be co-opted for use by US broadcasters and CRTC ownership rules preculde Yanks from "strolling across the border and buying" the stations, so dash those dreams.
It makes more sense that other established AM operators in Canada and Montreal in particular, apply for the frequencies or make Corus an offer (they can't refuse.) Bon chance!
If the company wanted to sell the hard assets or the intellectual properties of the stations, basic economics would indicate the values would be greater if the stations are ON the air. (An occupied, well maintained house is worth more than an unoccupied, abondoned house.) Wouldn't a flip to less costly (read "automated music") formats been at least a temporary option?
In the eyes of the CRTC, wouldn't Corus be viewed as not serving (in the US what is defined as) the public interest, convenience and necessity?
I'm well aware that the rules and regulations of the CRTC differ in many respects from those of the FCC. As such neither of these frequencies is likely to be co-opted for use by US broadcasters and CRTC ownership rules preculde Yanks from "strolling across the border and buying" the stations, so dash those dreams.
It makes more sense that other established AM operators in Canada and Montreal in particular, apply for the frequencies or make Corus an offer (they can't refuse.) Bon chance!
Let me take a contrarian point of view here, at least as far as AM in Quebec is concerned:
It's dead, Jim.
(I always wanted to find a way to work that into a response to my good friend Mr. Pastrick!
There is effectively no AM listenership in Quebec outside Montreal - and indeed, only a tiny handful of AM signals remaining at all, most notably CHRC 800 in Quebec City, which struggles to survive with a French-language sports format. There is no AM at all in the other sizable metro areas: Trois-Rivieres, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, etc.
Within Montreal, there were two AM stations serving the Francophone community, and according to the most recent BBM numbers, CINW barely registered, pulling just a 1.1 share. Its all-sports sister, CKAC 730, did a little better, in the 5-share region, but still far behind the big FMs. Corus very shrewdly moved its news-talk franchise to FM a few years ago, launching CHMP 98.5, which is now the #2 station in French Montreal.
It's not impossible for a new entrant to come to the table on 690, but they'd have to make a case to the CRTC that they could profitably operate an AM signal in a market that has moved very decisively to FM. I think that would be a hard case to make these days. You have to have a pretty mainstream format with decent ratings to sustain the high cost of operating a 50 kW AM signal, which makes 690 undesirable for any of the smaller ethnic broadcasters like CJRS that now struggle at the top of the dial.
On the English side of the equation, CINW barely registered (2.6 in the last BBM toplines) against one of the last really successful AMs in Canada. Astral's CJAD 800 is a monster - not just the #1 AM in Anglo Montreal but the #1 station of any kind, with a whopping 26.3 share in the last BBMs. This, incidentally, is why CJAD didn't apply for 940 the last time it was available and why they're unlikely to do so now: they cover the market just fine where they are, and have no reason whatsoever to move. It is, quite simply, the last viable AM remaining in the province, and one of perhaps a dozen in any major/medium Canadian market. (A few more, off the top of my head: CFRB, CFTR, 590 and maybe 640 in Toronto; CHML in Hamilton; CKNW and CKWX in Vancouver; CHED in Edmonton; CJOB in Winnipeg; CHQR in Calgary; maybe CFAX in Victoria.)
Anglo Montreal is shrinking fast, now well under a million population and soon to fall behind Ottawa if trends continue. Would the CRTC even approve another entrant in the market if someone wanted to reactivate 940? It seems unlikely to me.
While there's still some life left in the medium, as CJAD indicates, the death rattles are setting in.
It's dead, Jim.
(I always wanted to find a way to work that into a response to my good friend Mr. Pastrick!
There is effectively no AM listenership in Quebec outside Montreal - and indeed, only a tiny handful of AM signals remaining at all, most notably CHRC 800 in Quebec City, which struggles to survive with a French-language sports format. There is no AM at all in the other sizable metro areas: Trois-Rivieres, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, etc.
Within Montreal, there were two AM stations serving the Francophone community, and according to the most recent BBM numbers, CINW barely registered, pulling just a 1.1 share. Its all-sports sister, CKAC 730, did a little better, in the 5-share region, but still far behind the big FMs. Corus very shrewdly moved its news-talk franchise to FM a few years ago, launching CHMP 98.5, which is now the #2 station in French Montreal.
It's not impossible for a new entrant to come to the table on 690, but they'd have to make a case to the CRTC that they could profitably operate an AM signal in a market that has moved very decisively to FM. I think that would be a hard case to make these days. You have to have a pretty mainstream format with decent ratings to sustain the high cost of operating a 50 kW AM signal, which makes 690 undesirable for any of the smaller ethnic broadcasters like CJRS that now struggle at the top of the dial.
On the English side of the equation, CINW barely registered (2.6 in the last BBM toplines) against one of the last really successful AMs in Canada. Astral's CJAD 800 is a monster - not just the #1 AM in Anglo Montreal but the #1 station of any kind, with a whopping 26.3 share in the last BBMs. This, incidentally, is why CJAD didn't apply for 940 the last time it was available and why they're unlikely to do so now: they cover the market just fine where they are, and have no reason whatsoever to move. It is, quite simply, the last viable AM remaining in the province, and one of perhaps a dozen in any major/medium Canadian market. (A few more, off the top of my head: CFRB, CFTR, 590 and maybe 640 in Toronto; CHML in Hamilton; CKNW and CKWX in Vancouver; CHED in Edmonton; CJOB in Winnipeg; CHQR in Calgary; maybe CFAX in Victoria.)
Anglo Montreal is shrinking fast, now well under a million population and soon to fall behind Ottawa if trends continue. Would the CRTC even approve another entrant in the market if someone wanted to reactivate 940? It seems unlikely to me.
While there's still some life left in the medium, as CJAD indicates, the death rattles are setting in.
Scott Fybush said:Let me take a contrarian point of view here, at least as far as AM in Quebec is concerned:
It's dead, Jim.
(I always wanted to find a way to work that into a response to my good friend Mr. Pastrick!
I set 'em up. Fybush knocks 'em down.
That 26+ share for CJAD has to be some kind of record holder, especially in this day and age and especially for an AM. Typically good analysis, Scott.
B
Bob1370
Guest
These stations are Canadian clear channel facilities--but do they necessarily have to stay in Montreal?
I can imagine several AM stations in Ottawa/Hull that could make the most of a big signal class A facility. Wonder if the CRTC would entertain a move from an AM-unfriendly market like Montreal to a market like Ottawa/Hull that still has a significant demand for programming on the AM band?
I can imagine several AM stations in Ottawa/Hull that could make the most of a big signal class A facility. Wonder if the CRTC would entertain a move from an AM-unfriendly market like Montreal to a market like Ottawa/Hull that still has a significant demand for programming on the AM band?
Yes, according to Scott Fybush's market analysis which puts the sequence of events into perspective. These are demanding times for radio in general and AM in particular. I see things like this from the perspective of someone who's "on the beach," watching and observing as might an historian. When legacy stations pull the plug due to market economies, it's a clear indication that the patient is on life support. If this happens in a market like Montreal, admittedly far different in demogrphic and ethic composition than Buffalo, what becomes of a (once legendary) 50 kw station like, say... oh.... WWKB (WKBW)?azumanga said:
- Status