CKFR (AM)

Infobox Radio Station


name = CKFR
airdate = November 8th, 1971
frequency = 1150 kHz (AM)
area = Kelowna, British Columbia
format = News/Talk
owner = Astral Media
erp = 10 kW
branding = AM 1150 News, Talk, Sports
slogan = The Okanagan's Information Leader
class =
website = [http://www.am1150.ca/ Official Site]
webcast = [http://www.am1150.ca/player/player Listen Live]
callsign_meaning = none (assigned randomly)

CKFR is a radio station in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Broadcasting at 1150 AM, the station airs news/talk and sports formats, and identifies on air as AM 1150 News, Talk, Sports. It is owned by Astral Media.

Current on-air talent include Phil Johnson and Whitney Deane, who together host the "CKFR Early Edition" from 6-9am Monday to Friday. Their producer and sometime conversation contributer is Daniel O'Hara. Following that, Johnson hosts "Open Line with Phil Johnson", a daily local current affairs and listener call-in radio program, till 10 a.m. Deane continues throughout the morning as the news reader for semi-hourly news updates. There is also a mid-day local and provincial news program from noon to 1pm, an evening news program from 5-7 p.m. and a Q&A call-in program from 4-5 p.m. on weekdays hosted by Doc Roberts.

Throughout the day, Charmaine de Silva reads the news during the mid-day newscasts, and Jessica Samuels takes over for the afternoon news. Denise Wong is the weekend news anchor, and also a weekday reporter. Rebecca Barton also works as a reporter.

Syndicated programming includes The Bill Good Show, Christy Clark, Charles Adler, Sportstalk with Dan Russell, and ESPN Radio, which airs from midnight to 6am seven days a week.

Other than in mandated hourly pre-recorded station identifications and the title of the morning show, the callsign "CKFR" is not mentioned on air or in station branding and promos. According to Standard Radio's Group Program Director for the B.C. Interior, Mark Burley, the callsign was randomly assigned to replace the former CKBL callsign when the station switched from 1150 AM The Bullet's country music format to Oldies 1150's oldies music format in 2004.

History

The station originated as CKIQ-AM, first signing on the air on November 8, 1971. It was owned and operated by veteran broadcasters Walter Gray, who would later serve as three-term Mayor of the City of Kelowna, and Bob Hall through their company Four Seasons Radio Ltd. Four Seasons also owned several stations in Golden, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm. The licence, for an AM station operating 1150 kHz with a day and night power of 1,000 watts, was awarded July 22 of the same year and beat out a competing application from J.B. Cooper.

In the summer of 1972, the offices of CKIQ-AM were destroyed by fire. By the next day, the station was back on the air, reportedly operating out of several motel rooms in the area. Warehouse space in the area was found for CKIQ-AM to operate out of for six months while the fire-ravaged building was rebuilt on the original property. The following year, in December 1973, CKIQ's day time power was increased to 10,000 watts while night time power remained at 1,000 power. Night time power is often lower because of changes in the planet's ionosphere that allow a station to be broadcast farther and more clearly at low power. However, in 1981, CKIQ’s night time power increased from 1,000 to 10,000 watts as well.

In 1982, CKIQ's coverage area expanded with the granting by the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission for an FM rebroadcaster at Big White Ski Village on Big White mountain. It was known unofficially as "CKIQ FM", though that was never advertised on air, when the rebroadcaster launched in 1983.

In 1995, CKIQ's operating company Four Seasons Radio Ltd. launched CKBL-FM after receiving approval for an FM licence in the Kelowna radio market. That station was branded as 99.9 The Bullet and broadcast a country music format.

A company called Okanagan Skeena Radio Group Ltd. acquired the remaining 73.2% of a personal holding company, West Global Broadcast Holding Ltd., it didn't already own from Walter Gray, Bob Hall, and other shareholders. West Global, in turned, owned the operating company for CKIQ and CKBL, Four Seasons Radio. Following this transaction, Okanagan Skeena Radio Group became the new sole owner of these radio stations, as well as stations in Golden, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm and its southern interior stations.

1997 saw major changes to the two sister stations in the Kelowna radio market. CKBL-FM became CHSU-FM, changing its branding to 99.9 Sun FM and its music format to Hot Adult Contemporary. Simultaneously, CKIQ-AM's call letters became CKBL-AM and its format switched from its twenty-six year old news/talk format to a country music format and the station was now branded as 1150 AM The Bullet. This all required, and received, approval of the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and Industry Canada for the flipping of CKBL from the FM to the AM band and the various callsign changes.

Several things happened in 1999. CKBL-AM's CKBL-FM-1 rebroadcaster at Big White Ski Village (98.1 mHz with ERP of 18 watts) ceased to be a rebroadcaster for CKBL-AM. It was now a rebroadcaster for CHSU-FM. Telemedia Radio Inc. purchased Okanagan Skeena Group Ltd. Finally, on October 28, of the same year, Okanagan Skeena Radio Group's application to convert CKBL to the FM band was denied by the CRTC. The application was submitted by Okanagan Skeena prior to Telemedia's buyout Okanagan Skeena Radio Group was finalized.

In 2002, Standard Radio Inc. acquired Telemedia's radio and northern BC TV station assets. Telemedia's printed periodical business were largely acquired by Transcontinental at the same time. By buying Telemedia's radio and TV stations, Standard became the largest privately-owned radio station owner & operator in Canada. Standard is controlled by Gary Slaight and the Slaight family. However, as of 2007, it's in the process of being sold to Astral Media Inc. subject to regulatory approvals.

On August 1 2003, CKBL-AM switched from country music format to an oldies format and its branding was also changed to Oldies 1150. In May 2004, its call letters were changed as well to its current callsign of CKFR-AM. "KFR Kelowna" was added to the Oldies 1150 logo and the station was given a slogan as well, calling itself "The Greatest Music on Earth".

On August 29 2007, CKFR-AM switched to its current format of news/talk and sports radio, branding itself as AM 1150 News, Talk, Sports when cross-town competitor CKOV-AM switched to the FM dial and began offering a country music format as B-103 "Kelowna's Best Country" on August 17. For two weeks, Kelowna was without a news/talk radio station.

In October 2007, Astral Media acquired Standard Broadcasting's terrestrial radio and television assets, including CKFR.

References

* [http://www.bcradiohistory.com/Names/CKIQPage.htm BC Radio History - CKIQ]
* [http://www.standardradio.com/node/368339 AM 1150 News, Talk, Sports | Standard Radio] Information on the station.
* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/radio/listings.php?pt=1&r=44 B.C. Interior radio station history | Canadian Communications Foundation]

External links

* [http://www.am1150.ca/ Official Site]
* [http://www.am1150.ca/player/player Listen Live]