Canadian stations in Buffalo

[Yeziknoradio]

Does 105.7 pick up in Buffalo at all?
Recently 97.3 switched from ez rock to become the new BOOM FM
Does that station reach Buffalo at all?

If 105.7 (a closer sister station, also EZ rock) were to do the same would the signal pick up in Buffalo at all? Would it be any threat to 104.1 FM?

It would seem the new 97.3 Boom FM is trying very hard to be the 104.1 FM of Toronto.

 

[BUFFALOFLYGUY]

Yeh right. Nothing in western New York or Southern Ontario could ever match or live up to WHTT. I just listened to Boom 97.3 which comes in great outside the Walden Galeria, but after three songs, I went back to 104.1 FM.

 

[Bob1370]

These days the Canadian station which makes the most impact is Z101, which for all intents and purposes markets itself as a Buffalo radio station and a competitor to Kiss 98.5. The only other Canadian station that really draws a lot of Western NY listening is Toronto's CFZM (AM 740), which I guess these days could be classed as a "true oldies" station with no direct competitor based on the US side of the border.

Used to be that the major Buffalo stations had a big impact on the Canadian side. WGR, WBEN and the old Rock 102 used to show up as significant forces in all the Southern Ontario markets from the Falls to Metro Toronto in the days before BBM was forced to list all US stations below the line and exclude them from the published reports, (Ihat still leads to anomalies such as the way BBM reports for Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Hamilton all show more than half these markets' listening going to unlisted and publicly unreported stations even now.)

 

[SirRoxalot]

I'm sure I'm not alone in frequently tuning in Q-107. It will be interesting to see how their approach using more frequent, but shorter breaks will do in the PPM environment.

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

Well Yezi, good man, you'll be happy to know that upon your suggestion, I tuned in Toronto's Greatest Hits Boom 97.3 and have been listening for the last 30 minutes.

First impressions: There's a lot of CanCon, including the groovy little rocker I just heard from Allanah Miles, "Still Got This Thing." That said, Boom sounds like a Classic 80s station with more dance hits, recalling the defunct Mix 104.1 more than the present Classic Hits 104.1, which to no one's surprise, is making nice gains in the Buffalo Trends which haven't been discussed for a while here ('course, WHTT would be even better if they had a certain live, local midday guy... but I digress.)

97.3 is sandwiched between 97 Rock and 97.7 Hits FM and from my perspective, radio geeks 'n freaks might sample it, but I don't hear it having much of an impact on the real listeners who participate in the Buffalo Arbitron ratings. I've recently discovered Hamilton's Vinyl 95.3 which offers a traditional Classic Hits approach. Years ago I discovered 91.7 Giant FM which leans more Classic Rock.

What intrigues me is the preponderance of Canadian FMs that are leaning Classic. What the hell is in the water up there?

Toronto is a younger market than Buffalo, yet there are all these "Classic" stations. I suspect the moves to Classic Hits and Classic Rock are driven by the BBM using PPM coupled with younger demos getting their audio stimulation from their iPods and mp3 players. Plus the fact that new music isn't on the airwaves, which surprises me because Toronto is considered much more "cosmopolitan" than Buffalo.

As to Buffalo stations showing up in the BBM north of the Niagara river, those days are over as PPM encoding is required for BBM measurement and Buffalo stations (to the best of my knowledge) don't yet encode for Arbitron PPM. Also, it's unknown if PPM encoding for Canada's BBM employs the same format used by Arbitron.

Interestingly enough, the Citadel Buffalo stations were Arbitron PPM ready and operational a few years ago with in-line and back-up units supplied by Arbitron. For some reason, probably related to Buffalo not being a PPM market until 2011, Arbitron recalled the encoding units which were taken out of the racks and sent back.

That's Pastrick's Perspective... I'd like to read what other posters here make of Boom FM.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Boom FM launch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbnUILC134U

 

[BUFFALOFLYGUY]

Well Yezi, good man, you'll be happy to know that upon your suggestion, I tuned in Toronto's Greatest Hits Boom 97.3 and have been listening for the last 30 minutes.

First impressions: There's a lot of CanCon, including the groovy little rocker I just heard from Allanah Miles, "Still Got This Thing." That said, Boom sounds like a Classic 80s station with more dance hits, recalling the defunct Mix 104.1 more than the present Classic Hits 104.1, which to no one's surprise, is making nice gains in the Buffalo Trends which haven't been discussed for a while here ('course, WHTT would be even better if they had a certain live, local midday guy... but I digress.)

97.3 is sandwiched between 97 Rock and 97.7 Hits FM and from my perspective, radio geeks 'n freaks might sample it, but I don't hear it having much of an impact on the real listeners who participate in the Buffalo Arbitron ratings. I've recently discovered Hamilton's Vinyl 95.3 which offers a traditional Classic Hits approach. Years ago I discovered 91.7 Giant FM which leans more Classic Rock.

What intrigues me is the preponderance of Canadian FMs that are leaning Classic. What the hell is in the water up there?

Toronto is a younger market than Buffalo, yet there are all these "Classic" stations. I suspect the moves to Classic Hits and Classic Rock are driven by the BBM using PPM coupled with younger demos getting their audio stimulation from their iPods and mp3 players. Plus the fact that new music isn't on the airwaves, which surprises me because Toronto is considered much more "cosmopolitan" than Buffalo.

As to Buffalo stations showing up in the BBM north of the Niagara river, those days are over as PPM encoding is required for BBM measurement and Buffalo stations (to the best of my knowledge) don't yet encode for Arbitron PPM. Also, it's unknown if PPM encoding for Canada's BBM employs the same format used by Arbitron.

Interestingly enough, the Citadel Buffalo stations were Arbitron PPM ready and operational a few years ago with in-line and back-up units supplied by Arbitron. For some reason, probably related to Buffalo not being a PPM market until 2011, Arbitron recalled the encoding units which were taken out of the racks and sent back.

That's Pastrick's Perspective... I'd like to read what other posters here make of Boom FM.

Hey Jim, a couple of years ago, the CRTC started allowing Canadian radio stations to play a classic hit format on FM and mybe that is why you are seeing mor classic hits in Canada

 

[Element9]

Boom FM launch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbnUILC134U

Lame.

 

[aaronread]

How much does CIKR 105.7 from out of Kingston limit CHRE? I've noticed that CIKR is the biggest limiting influence on WHWS-LP's range...during the summer, the warmer weather carries CIKR across Lake Ontario so well you can hear it pretty well in Canandaigua, so I assume it's even better in Rochester. But further west than that I couldn't tell you.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Well Yezi, good man, you'll be happy to know that upon your suggestion, I tuned in Toronto's Greatest Hits Boom 97.3 and have been listening for the last 30 minutes.

LoL, Sorry, I forgot to say thanks!

 

[fybush]

How much does CIKR 105.7 from out of Kingston limit CHRE? I've noticed that CIKR is the biggest limiting influence on WHWS-LP's range...during the summer, the warmer weather carries CIKR across Lake Ontario so well you can hear it pretty well in Canandaigua, so I assume it's even better in Rochester. But further west than that I couldn't tell you.

CIKR isn't a factor anywhere west of Rochester. When the summer trops are up, it booms into Rochester (if you have a sufficiently selective receiver to get around local WJZR 105.9), but it doesn't do much beyond that.

 

[chas108]

We stopped at the Tops in West Seneca Christmas Eve on our way to Syracuse and while the wife was inside I stumbled upon Hits-FM...a rather interesting name for an active rock format. I liked the imaging, didn't catch an ID though...are they out of Niagara Falls or perhaps Saint Catherines? Curious...

BTW Jim Pastrick...where can you be heard now since you're no longer on 'HTT? I drive thru WNY 3-4 times a year, usually listening to Kiss or 'YRK, but remember you from 'KB back in the 70's.

 

[Obtuse1]

These days the Canadian station which makes the most impact is Z101, which for all intents and purposes markets itself as a Buffalo radio station and a competitor to Kiss 98.5. The only other Canadian station that really draws a lot of Western NY listening is Toronto's CFZM (AM 740), which I guess these days could be classed as a "true oldies" station with no direct competitor based on the US side of the border.

There are a few others that regularly show up in the Buffalo book (and are widely listened to).

CFNY 102.1 FM Toronto (Alternative). Since Buffalo does not have a commercial Alternative station (103.3 The Edge can best be described as Active Rock).
Q-107 Toronto (Classic Rock)
97.7 CHTZ Hitz FM, St. Catharines (Rock).

 

[heydaybegone]

BTW Jim Pastrick...where can you be heard now since you're no longer on 'HTT?

If I'm not mistaken...you can still hear him there voicing the Emergency Alert System! One of many faux paux moves that are forgotten in an imaging change ??? BTW Jim...do you get residuals for that?

 

[Element9]

BTW Jim Pastrick...where can you be heard now since you're no longer on 'HTT?

If I'm not mistaken...you can still hear him there voicing the Emergency Alert System! One of many faux paux moves that are forgotten in an imaging change ??? BTW Jim...do you get residuals for that?

They pay him in Citadel stock. Bwahhhh-hahhhhhh!

 

[Yeziknoradio]

We stopped at the Tops in West Seneca Christmas Eve on our way to Syracuse and while the wife was inside I stumbled upon Hits-FM...a rather interesting name for an active rock format. I liked the imaging, didn't catch an ID though...are they out of Niagara Falls or perhaps Saint Catherines? Curious...

97.7 CHTZ "Hits FM"
They've been Variety rock/Active rock forever, it seems.
(back in the 80's they were a Country station)
They broadcast out of St. Catherines Ontario.

 

[warsaw35]

In Warsaw I listen to CHWO at night on the All Night Jukebox.

 

[Tincap]

We stopped at the Tops in West Seneca Christmas Eve on our way to Syracuse and while the wife was inside I stumbled upon Hits-FM...a rather interesting name for an active rock format. I liked the imaging, didn't catch an ID though...are they out of Niagara Falls or perhaps Saint Catherines? Curious...

97.7 CHTZ "Hits FM"
They've been Variety rock/Active rock forever, it seems.
(back in the 80's they were a Country station)
They broadcast out of St. Catherines Ontario.

CHTZ makes semi-regular visits here on my dial, south of Ottawa, fighting for space with Montreal's CHOM. It also carries up into the Huntsville area ( Ontario's 'cottage country') so it has a pretty big signal.

I don't remember it being country, but remember 'finding' Hits FM shortly after dropping its country format, while in college just northwest of Toronto. It was a great station, rather album oriented, playing many tracks off of current releases which no one else played, much like Ottawa's CHEZ 106 used to be. Too bad so many station are so 'formatted' these days... :-\

~BG

 

[Yeziknoradio]

much like Ottawa's CHEZ 106 used to be. Too bad so many station are so 'formatted' these days... :-\

~BG

Chez 106 also used to be an independent station (along with sister station FM 101 in Smith falls)
But then Rogers bought them and formatics just had to be.

 

[Radio_bored-Op]

Well, I listen to 97.7, esp
in the morning for the
nine o'clock teaser...and
I thought I would post this here:

announced (today)during the game,
Iron Mike is RETIRING the teaser....
[why]? it is a fun radio show, wonders why?