As mentioned last issue, CKJR-1440 Wetaskiwin AB is switching format to All Sports during the daytime on weekdays beginning September 5th, with half the former CFRN-1260 on-air staff. The other half has just announced that their on-line-only All Sports offering begins September 6th: Edmonton Sports Talk will have Listen Live and Watch Live buttons on their web site, podcasts and YouTube; Apple and Android apps are promised for the near future.
At first glance, these two ventures looked doomed, given that Bell Canada stated that CFRN was not making money as the only All Sports station in Edmonton. How can two competing “stations” expect to make money? One answer might be significantly lower costs of “transmission”.

Speaking of CFRN, Bell Canada’s abrupt shut down of so many AM stations has led to rumors that it has now given other owners of AM stations in major markets the justification they need to shut down many of their stations. Although most of the attention has been focused on the bottom of the Ratings, CHQR Calgary may be hinting at another approach for AM stations closer to the top of the Ratings: switch an existing FM station to simulcast the AM, then shut down the AM once listeners have made the move to FM.

770 AB Calgary CHQR License would have expired on August 31st, but was granted an Administrative renewal until December 31st, to allow the CRTC more time to consider the station’s non-compliance, most notably simulcasting full-time on CFGQ-FM, a violation of both the AM-FM simulcasting rules and the FM Spoken Word rules.

1400 ON Rolphton CBOF-4 With the replacement FM transmitter now on the air, this 40 watt AM CBC LPRT will go off the air in 2-3 months. It will continue as a member of the Ici Radio-Canada Première network, formerly known as CBC’s French AM network, and simulcasts CBOF-FM Ottawa.

1410 QC Montreal CJWI Received a short-term License Renewal, until August 31 2026, due to long-standing non-compliance issues. The renewal was issued because the CRTC felt that the station was making progress towards full license compliance. Nonetheless, a Broadcasting Mandatory Order was issued to address the major outstanding issue: failure to submit a complete music list for specific recent periods of time whenever requested by the CRTC.
CANADIAN RADIO NEWS –Jon Pearkins jon@pearkins.com

The Facebook page Canadian Radio News by Dan Sys provides much of the information for this column.
IRCA DX Monitor Sept 9, published Sept 4 via WOR iog (2023-09-04)

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In this month of August, some changes have been presented in the stations of Mexico City:
690 XEN In their identification, they are only called “El Fonógrafo 690”.
940 XEQ It stopped being a repeater of the Ke Buena and is now called “La Q 9-40” with its slogan “Pura Musica”.
1030 XEQR Now it is “Radio Centro 1030” with its slogan: “Nuestra Música”.
1110 XERED Now it is called “Radio Centro Noticias y Deportes”.

Hector Garcia Bojorge via Mauno Ritola, Arctic Radio Club via WOR iog (2023-09-04)

There are a good number of broadcasting stations that use the radio spectrum to broadcast their signals, without having a license, permission, or authorization. Outside Greater Buenos Aires, unofficial stations that have been heard on the X-band are:
1610 Radio Machagai, at General Rodriguez, Buenos Aires (active)
1610 Radio Magica, at Laboulaye, Cordoba (reported inactive)
1610 Radio Fosil, at Rosario, Santa Fe (reported currently inactive)

Argentina en AM y FM FB page, July 23 to NZ DX Times via WOR iog (2023-09-03)

On 22 August the NZ government handed over a standby generator to the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC). The generator will ensure SIBC’s transmission and services via its medium and
shortwave frequencies remain operational even when there is a power outage.

Speaking at a brief handing over ceremony, New Zealand High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, His Excellency Jonathan Schwass said the donation marks another milestone in the partnership between New Zealand and SIBC. He said it is important for SIBC to have an uninterruptible power supply during broadcasting.
“Given the power outage we are having at the moment, it is really important to have an uninterruptible power supply for SIBC broadcast. That’s not just the matter of ensuring the listening pleasure of Solomon
Islanders. It is also a matter of guaranteeing the flow of essentials to the scattered Islands and the communities of this country especially in times of natural disasters and during crises like COVID-19,’’
Commissioner Schwass said. He added Aotearoa New Zealand is very pleased to be able to help SIBC to keep functioning well as its medium and shortwave transmitters are really a life-line for the whole country.
Chair of the SIBC Board Dr William Parairato said SIBC continues to strengthen its relationship with New Zealand through Radio New Zealand Pacific. SIBC continues with its relationship with New Zealand
through Radio New Zealand in the areas of news, current affairs and technical training,”

SIBC website via SWLing Post via Paul Rawdon to NZ DX Times via WOR iog (2023-09-03)

Re. https://mediumwave.info/2023/09/02/morocco-8/
Medi 1 has returned but at apparently further reduced power.

Conor Burns (2023-09-03)

Chaine 3:
I haven’t noticed any further outages on 252 kHz however the power is down further again. At 0021 UTC the station is playing what sounds like a Jamiroquai song but the signal-to-noise is too low to be properly listenable.
I believe that a new transmitter was installed within the last ten years. Does anyone know who manufactured it?

Conor Burns (2023-09-03)

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE FUTURE OF CRN

All postings that previously appeared on the CRN Facebook page have now migrated to the RadioWest Forum site:
https://radiowest.ca/forum/

I am very sad to abandon this page after building it up for the past 15 years, but we cannot work under Facebook’s ridiculous rules and regulations. Posts have gone missing because Facebook considered them as “news”, our activities were restricted because we apparently made defamatory remarks against someone. (and received no response from Facebook when we asked for the details), messages went astray in their laughable Meta Business Suite (which was impossible to maneuver), images came out blurry and out of whack in the posts even though the originals were crystal clear, and so on and so on.

I would like to thank Ted (aka: RadioFan) at RadioWest for letting us on board. There might be a few “start up” bugs that have to be worked out, but all the posts that you have become familiar with on the CRN Facebook page over the years will now be appearing at their new RadioWest home.

Dan, Canadian Radio News FB group (2023-09-02)