CANADIAN RADIO NEWS –Jon Pearkins
jon@pearkins.com
All times Eastern Standard Time (EST).
610 ON St Catharines CKTB
The profits from Whiteoaks Communications’ land sale of the CJYE/CJMR (see below) transmitter site will be used to rebuild their CKTB transmitter site to current standards. In addition, the primary transmitters of CJYE and CJMR will replace CKTB’s end-of-life transmitters, as primary and backup; Whiteoaks President Matt Caine estimates the current CKTB transmitters to be 50-70 years old. No word on whether any of the CJYE and CJMR towers either can be or will be used in the CKTB rebuild.
1200 BC Vancouver CJRJ
(Corrected) The CRTC has approved the change in ownership, from Shusma Datt to Kulwant Singh Dhesi. Dhesi’s company, 1101651 BC Ltd, will purchase Datt’s company, IT Productions Ltd In anticipation of this, the station recently changed branding from Spice Radio to Swift Radio. CJRJ’s new license will still include several programming restrictions. At least 11 cultural groups must be served in at least 17 different languages for at least 95% of the broadcast week; only 5% of programming can be in English, French or Indigenous languages. At least 73% of that 95% must be in Hindustani or Punjabi languages. No programming is allowed in any of the Chinese languages. The CRTC does not count midnight to 6:00 AM in these percentages but the Chinese language ban sounds like it also covers overnights.
1250 ON Oakville CJYE
First heard January 12th running a recorded message that they are leaving 1250 as part of a Digital First approach. Was off the air by early afternoon on January 13th.
1320 ON Oakville CJMR
First heard January 12th running a recorded message that they are leaving 1320 as part of a Digital First approach. Was off the air by early afternoon on January 13th. As well as their existing multiple streaming methods, CJMR and co-owned CJYE are actively working on using HD channels on one or more of the three recently-acquired FM stations in Hamilton and St Catharines. CJMR and CJYE share an Oakville transmitter site that is being sold for residential development at a price that far exceeds the value of both stations. In addition, parents at a newly-built nearby school are concerned about RF radiation from the two transmitters and have been actively pushing to get rid of the transmitter site.
1540 ON Toronto CHIN
Once the move is made to 900, the station will be allowed to continue broadcasting on 1540, simulcasting 900, for one year, to ensure that all of their listeners have migrated to 900.
Tips from Broadcast Dialogue, Gilles Michaud and SOWNY.net
IRCA DX Monitor Jan 24, published Jan 19 via WOR iog (2026-01-20)