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

[e-dawg]

Since 690 & 940 is off the air. Should CBC and Radio-Canada reclaimed these frequency and put back CBC/SRC back on the air?

 

[w9wi]

Since 690 & 940 is off the air. Should CBC and Radio-Canada reclaimed these frequency and put back CBC/SRC back on the air?

CBC/RC are still on the air. CBC on 88.5, RC on 95.1.

You're not going to see them go back to AM. Pretty much the only audience that would benefit would be in the U.S., but it's not Americans' tax money that's going to finance the CBC.

If these frequencies are reactivated (and I do mean *if*), IMHO they're going to be reactivated by existing stations moving from elsewhere on the AM dial.

 

[e-dawg]

CBC/RC are still on the air. CBC on 88.5, RC on 95.1.

You're not going to see them go back to AM. Pretty much the only audience that would benefit would be in the U.S., but it's not Americans' tax money that's going to finance the CBC.

If these frequencies are reactivated (and I do mean *if*), IMHO they're going to be reactivated by existing stations moving from elsewhere on the AM dial.

[/quote]

I know CBC/SRC is on 88.5 and 95.1, but I'm talking about CBC/SRC reactivated the AM frequency and simucast 88.5 and 95.1 like they did in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

 

[adma]

I know CBC/SRC is on 88.5 and 95.1, but I'm talking about CBC/SRC reactivated the AM frequency and simucast 88.5 and 95.1 like they did in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

Unfortunately, to clarify the likely real situation at hand, take the Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch and substitute AM radio for the parrot.

 

[w9wi]

CBC/RC are still on the air. CBC on 88.5, RC on 95.1.

You're not going to see them go back to AM. Pretty much the only audience that would benefit would be in the U.S., but it's not Americans' tax money that's going to finance the CBC.

If these frequencies are reactivated (and I do mean *if*), IMHO they're going to be reactivated by existing stations moving from elsewhere on the AM dial.

I know CBC/SRC is on 88.5 and 95.1, but I'm talking about CBC/SRC reactivated the AM frequency and simucast 88.5 and 95.1 like they did in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.
[/quote]

"adma" posted the better answer.....

but I'll waste a few keystrokes & chime in anyway...

Firstly, in the Western cities (also Regina, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg) the AM transmitters were never silenced. In Montreal, they'd have to reactivate frequencies they'd given up.

More importantly, on the Prairies, the AM transmitters provide useful extra coverage in areas where even a 100kw FM in the city couldn't go. A quick look at the map of Saskatchewan suggests if CBK-540 were silenced, it would take at least seven new high-powered FMs to replace the lost coverage. In Alberta, I'd suggest at least seven new large FMs to replace the 740 and 1010 coverage. Three at least for Winnipeg.

In the Montreal area, the FMs were already there. Ottawa, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivieres, plus a bunch of smaller ones. Every place 690 went that 95.1FM didn't, was already covered by some existing FM.

Actually, the CBC wanted to shut down the Vancouver AM transmitter. CRTC wouldn't let them.

 

[Montreal radio listener]

The 88.5 FM signal does not fully replicate the coverage CBM had on 940. The CBC did add some repeaters (including the infamous 104.7 FM repeater in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, which is part of Montréal since 1910 and is only a few kilometres away from the Mount Royal FM transmitter site from which 88.5 broadcasts), but there are still some coverage holes.

The original 95.1 FM signal also had problems, but the CBC was able to increase the power to 100 kW.

 

[klutch00]

With all the brew-ha-ha going on with regard to 690 and 940 shutting down, I say a new rule should be that if a country doesn't wish to broadcast on (a) given frequency/ies, that a 'use or lose' proposition be in play. The country has up to one year to occupy a given clear channel frequency or the rights to broadcast on that frequency are forfeited or sold to a broadcaster willing to make use of that space. If Canadian broadcasters wish to make use of the recently abandoned frequencies in Montreal, so be it. If not, the allow someone else to operate stations on those frequencies.

I'm assuming from what I've seen here that the French speakers seem disinterested in the AM band. If that's the case and should 690 return to the air, don't insist that they broadcast in French.

 

[gr8oldies]

We'll leave it up to you to re-negotiate the treaty.

 

[azumanga]

I'm assuming from what I've seen here that the French speakers seem disinterested in the AM band. If that's the case and should 690 return to the air, don't insist that they broadcast in French.

The Anglophones are just as apathetic -- many English stations on the AM dial remained dark after they moved to FM. One of these was CKY AM 580 in Winnipeg, which was also broadcast at a high wattage (I think 50kw, but I'm not sure); they moved to 102.3 FM in 2004, leaving 580 AM vacated to this day.