CANADIAN RADIO NEWS FOR JANUARY 2012

[Dan Sys]

CANADIAN RADIO NEWS

For JANUARY, 2012

FEBRUARY 1, 2012

RADIO ACTIVITY

FORMAT CHANGES
NF St. John's 94.7 CHOZ From Active Rock to Hot AC-CHR (remains OZ FM) (includes 8 high powered rebroadcasters located throughout Newfoundland)
PE Charlottetown 105.5 CKQK From Active Rock (K-ROCK) to CHR (Hot 105.5) (includes CKQK-1 103.7 Elmira and CKQK-2 91.1 Saint Edward)
QC Rouyn-Noranda 95.7 CHGO-1 From Alternative Rock/Talk (GO RADIO X) to Classic Rock/Sports (CAPITALE ROCK) (includes CHGO 104.3 Amos and CJGO 102.1 La Sarre)

AM TO FM CONVERSIONS ON THE AIR
ON Atikokan 95.9 CFOB-1 From 1240 (simulcasts CFOB 93.1 Fort Frances)

CALL LETTER DATA
BC Pemberton 1240 CBXK Will become CBU-3 (when flip to 91.5 occurs)
QC Napierville 103.5 Will become CHOC-1
QC Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur 102.9 Will become CHOC-2

BRANDINGS
NS Halifax 103.5 CKHZ From Z103 to ENERGY 103.5 (format remains CHR)
ON Nipissing 97.1 cp-new Will become LE LOUP 97.1

TECHNICAL CHANGES ON THE AIR
SK Yorkton 98.5 CJJC Moved from 100.5 and increased power from 45 to 21,500 watts (50,000 watts Max. ERP)

OFF THE AIR
AB Grande Cache 1230 CFXG Simulcast time for FM conversion has expired
ON Atikokan 1240 CFOB-1 Went dark immediately after FM flip to 95.9 without utilizing authorized 90 day simulcast period

CRTC & IC DECISIONS

NEW STATIONS GRANTED
AB Fort Saskatchewan 107.9 11,000 watts (20,000 watts Max. ERP) (Classic Hits) (Golden West)
QC Napierville 103.5 1,188 watts (3,800 watts) (Community) (French) (will simulcast CHOC 104.9 Saint-Remi)
QC Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur 102.9 117 watts (250 watts) (Community) (French) (will simulcast CHOC 104.9 Saint-Remi)

AM TO FM CONVERSIONS GRANTED
BC Pemberton 1240 CBXK Move to 91.5 with 262 watts

TECHNICAL CHANGES GRANTED
BC Abbotsford 101.7 CIVL Increase power from 220 to 520 watts (550 to 880 watts Max. ERP), lower antenna height and relocate transmitter
QC Saint-Remi 104.9 CHOC Increase power from 250 to 547 watts (1,750 watts Max. ERP), raise antenna height and relocate transmitter
SK Swift Current 95.7 CBK-4 Increase power from 4,710 to 10,740 watts

DENIALS
BC Squamish 89.1 new 970 watts (1,850 watts Max. ERP) (Active Rock) (Matthew McBride) (rejected due to economic concerns in the area)

CRTC APPLICATIONS

PROPOSED NEW STATIONS
MB Flin Flon 96.9 17 watts (21 watts Max. ERP) (Christian) (Tom Heeney) (will simulcast CFEE 96.9 The Pas)
MB The Pas 96.9 26 watts (32 watts Max. ERP) (Christian) (Tom Heeney) (has reserved CFEE call letters)
QC Hudson-St. Lazare 106.7 500 watts (Soft AC) (Evanov)
YT Klukshu 90.5 10 watts (Aboriginal) (will simulcast CHON 98.1 Whitehorse)
YT Takhini River 90.5 10 watts (Aboriginal) (will simulcast CHON 98.1 Whitehorse)

PROPOSED AM TO FM CONVERSIONS
AB Edmonton 680 CHFA Move to 90.1 with 100,000 watts
MB Winkler 1570 CKMW Move to 103.7 with 61,000 watts (100,000 watts Max. ERP) (format will remain Country)

PROPOSED TECHNICAL CHANGES
AB Edmonton 90.1 CBCX-1 Move to 101.1 and decrease power from 100,000 watts to 3,931 watts
AB Edmonton 101.1 CHFA-10 Move to 90.1 and increase power from 3,931 watts to 100,000 watts (in conjunction with above AM to FM conversion application for CHFA 680)
ON Cornwall 92.1 CHOD Increase power from 19,200 to 34,167 watts (45,600 to 60,000 watts Max. ERP), raise antenna height and relocate transmitter
ON London 102.3 CHST Increase power from 5,840 to 20,000 watts (12,100 to 100,000 watts Max. ERP)
ON Ottawa 580 CFRA Increase night power from 10,000 to 30,000 watts and change authorized contours. Day power will remain 50,000 watts
QC Saguenay 105.5 CKGS Move to 105.7, reduce power from 6,000 to 2,930 watts (maximum ERP will remain 6,000 watts), raise antenna height and relocate transmitter
QC Val d'Or 102.7 CJMV Increase power from 63,100 to 96,000 watts, lower antenna height and relocate transmitter

PROPOSED PROGRAMMING CHANGES
AB Lacombe 94.1 CJUV Reduce the required Canadian content level in the broadcast day from 40% to 35%

PROPOSED CHANGES TO SPECIALTY LICENSES
QC Montreal 91.9 CKLX Drop existing Jazz-Blues and Special Interest Music format and replace it with Spoken Word programming
QC Quebec City 93.3 CJMF Increase Spoken Word programming from 50% to 75% of the broadcast week

Keep up to date with all CRTC and Industry Canada actions on a daily basis by checking out the Canadian Radio News Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Canadian-Radio-News/191081700931187

Next update March 1, 2012
Send tips to [email protected]

 

[Tincap]

Thanks for the info, Dan.

92.1 CHOD Cornwall Ontario is one of those community based stations, with some uniqueness to it, so I'm happy to hear about the increased power and taller antenna, meaning a better signal for me here. That is (unless???) until Brockville's new CBC (91.9 CBOB) outlet wipes it (and no doubt 91.7 WRVJ) off of my dial.

Speaking of 91.9...Montreal's CKLX is having its jazz format replaced by...talk? X_X

As for CFRA, I'm sure folks will be excited to hear the repeated programming (along with 'Coast-to-Coast AM' ) a little better, but will this not put the night time squeeze on Winsdor Ontario's CKWW?

~BG

 

[Dan Sys]

Hey, thank you Tincap for the info on CKVV 97.5.

 

[spunker88]

I guess I'll be hearing CHOD with a stronger signal during tropo, they will probably get out just as good as Variety 104 or maybe better if the new signal gets approved.

Tincap, why does Brockville need a powerful CBC Radio signal. You have CBO from Ottawa with its big 84kw ERP and translator CBCK from Kingston with 100kw ERP, the area should be covered fine. Being mono signals these two should cover quite a large distance. I could see a small translator to cover the interior of the town, but anything over a few hundred watts would be excessive. Also there is a religious translator on 91.9 in nearby Gouverneur, NY.

 

[azumanga]

...why does Brockville need a powerful CBC Radio signal. You have CBO from Ottawa with its big 84kw ERP and translator CBCK from Kingston with 100kw ERP, the area should be covered fine. Being mono signals these two should cover quite a large distance. I could see a small translator to cover the interior of the town, but anything over a few hundred watts would be excessive. Also there is a religious translator on 91.9 in nearby Gouverneur, NY.

91.9 in Gouveneur (actually licensed to Richville) is a low-powered repeater, W220CR, which are generally not protected from full-powered stations outside their coverage areas -- its protected contour doesn't come anywhere near the border.

 

[Tincap]

Tincap, why does Brockville need a powerful CBC Radio signal.

Good question! As you point out, there's a lot of CBC coverage, all of it pretty much duplicating each other's programming, just like a bunch of high-powered repeaters. This is unlike the several US public broadcasting services I get here (NCPR, WRVO and VPR), which often carry separate programming...although there's a lot of NCPR repeaters around, as well.

As azumaga points out, W220CR is not protected (although I get it up here, along with a number of others from the 'Mars Hill Network'), but one would think that unless CBOB is heavily contoured, it would really restrict W220CR's already limited coverage area.

And last, but not least, you're welcome Dan!

~BG

 

[Dan Sys]

When CBU 690 in Vancouver launched their 19,500 watt "nested repeater" on 88.1 in 2009 it literally blew 4 or 5 low powered Calvary Chapel CSN and Effect Radio repeaters using 88.1 & 88.3 in Northwest Washington off the air. Took them totally by surprise too according to their website.....damn Canadians!

 

[spunker88]

It looks like the pattern for CBOB sends most of its power into Canada, as CBC Radio stations don't really benefit from US listeners. I never got why CBCK nearby in Kingston is omnidirecional you'd think they would focus more on covering Canada.

CBOB looks like it will protect W220CR, but I can't wait to see the mess 91.9 will sound like when driving on Route 11 in the area.

 

[azumanga]

It looks like the pattern for CBOB sends most of its power into Canada, as CBC Radio stations don't really benefit from US listeners. I never got why CBCK nearby in Kingston is omnidirecional you'd think they would focus more on covering Canada.

I believe there's more to that -- patterns are often dictated by other stations on the same or adjacent frequencies. While CBCK could be directional, doing so would not only affect other stations on that frequency in Canada, but also not cover as much territory as it currently does.

 

[fybush]

CBCK is a fairly old station, as Canadian FMs go. I believe it signed on in 1976 or 1977, before directional FM technology was very far advanced and before Canada was trying to pack the band as densely as possible.

Which is to say, everyone else (107.9 in Cobourg comes to mind, for instance) is protecting CBCK, not the other way around. It's conceivable that CBCK going directional would open a little room for someone else to improve their signal somewhere else in Canada, but CBC has no reason to give up CBCK's Canadian coverage, and there's no incentive for them to give up the signal toward the US, either.

 

[ksradiogeek]

CBCK is a fairly old station, as Canadian FMs go. I believe it signed on in 1976 or 1977, before directional FM technology was very far advanced and before Canada was trying to pack the band as densely as possible.

Which is to say, everyone else (107.9 in Cobourg comes to mind, for instance) is protecting CBCK, not the other way around. It's conceivable that CBCK going directional would open a little room for someone else to improve their signal somewhere else in Canada, but CBC has no reason to give up CBCK's Canadian coverage, and there's no incentive for them to give up the signal toward the US, either.

Why is Canada largely abandoning AM radio and crowd FM? Is it because its more financially stable?

 

[Dan Sys]

Much cheaper to operate an FM facility, not to mention sound quality issues. AM stations that flip to FM often sacrifice a large regional coverage area, but as long as the core market is served well they don't really care about Joe Blowski 50 miles out of town who used to get the station loud & clear on AM and now gets a bunch of noise on FM.

AM is making somewhat of a comeback of late in the major markets where there is absolutely no room left for FM expansion.

 

[mjlarochelle]

There are two major problems with AM signals that have led broadcasters to move from AM to FM. This trend, in my opinion, originated with the CBC.

One is the quality of the signal in urban areas, which increasingly faces problems due to concrete, steel, and RF interference from power lines and appliances. I am currently in Mexico City, and even though there are over 20 AM stations licensed here, I am only able to pick up one station on the radio inside the building I work in. And it's not the 250,000-watt blowtorch on 900 kHz.

The other is the limited coverage area some stations have at night. Some stations that cover a large area during the day may cover a very small area at night because of government regulations. This is a particular problem in the winter, as sunrise (at least in Southern Ontario) is just before 8:00am, which means stations during the winter are running at nighttime power during much of AM drive. Poor nighttime reception was one of the reasons cited by CBC when it began establishing FM repeaters for its AM stations in Saint John, Halifax, and Moncton (French) in the late 1970s, repeaters that later became the parent stations in those cities. I once read that the former CHOO 1390 in Ajax, Ontario had a nighttime signal so poor that the signal didn't even reach the studio at night.