CANADIAN RADIO NEWS
560 ON Owen Sound
CFOS Approved by the CRTC to move to FM, despite a significant reduction in its coverage area. The station currently operates with 7500 watts Day and 1000 watts Night with three towers used for each directional pattern, from a total of four towers. CFOS-FM will be on 89.3 MHz with a non-directional 1500 watts at 702 feet above average terrain (EHAAT).
The move to FM only became possible when the CRTC recently allowed ownership of up to three FMs in a Market. Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation also owns CIXK-FM and CKYC-FM while Bell Media owns CJOS-FM, which will leave Owen Sound with no local AM stations. In addition, CBC Radio One has an FM LPRT and CJLF-FM Barrie ON has a local repeater. The existing Oldies format, which targets listeners over 50 years of age, will remain on CFOS, as well as three hours per week of so-called pure news. The station had asked for a 12 month simulcast period, but the CRTC limited them to 3 months. The owners stated that it was significantly less expensive to build a new FM transmitter site than it would be to replace just the “obsolete components for AM transmission”. On a trivia note, CFOS airs Cool Bobby B’s Doowop Stop, a staple of Sirius/XM’s 50s Gold channel which, historically, begins with a fanciful story of a much younger Bobby sneaking on to a transmitter site late at night and taking over the station after dramatically increasing its power.
630 AB Edmonton CHQT
Unexpectedly, even to staff members, left the air forever on Hallowe’en, October 31st. Although the transmitter is in good shape and might even be redeployed as a backup transmitter for the 880 (now CHED) transmitter site, the towers are long overdue for replacement. The planned November 10th end date has now been confirmed as coming from the on-site engineering staff, so it is possible that an unexpected failure led to the earlier than expected signoff.
1140 NS Sydney CBI
Heard in Western Michigan at 0500 on October 27th under WRVA.
Tips this issue come from https://radiowest.ca, Scott Fybush and Tim Tromp.
Jon Pearkins, Edmonton AB jon@pearkins.com via WOR iog (2024-11-05)