Don’t expect any news from CTV Toronto on Christmas day. I think this is the first time that CFTO will not do a newscast on Christmas day. Although I do remember CFTO did a Ontario wide newscast that aired on CTV Kitchener, CTV Ottawa and CTV Northern Ontario a few years ago before these cuts began to happen at almost all of the CTV stations.

Now I flipped between CTV London, CTV Kitchener and CTV Toronto on how well they did an Christmas Eve newscast.

1. CTV London had a regional newscast for the first time in a while since the weekend newscasts were cut at CTV London and CTV Windsor. Carlyle Fiset was anchoring the whole newscast from London while Gary Archibald was doing the weather segments from the Windsor studio.

2. CTV Kitchener had a normal newscast but the question is where is Will Aiello? He has been off for quite sometime. They had Tyler Kelaher doing the weather segments along with the Toy Mountain campaign that appears on CTV Toronto and sometimes on CTV London. I hope Will returns soon.

3. CTV Toronto also had a normal newscast as well. Well sort of, but here is the part that bothers me the most. The anchor doing the weather. Yes that’s right Nathan Downer was doing the weather segments during the 6PM newscast. I bet that also happened on the noon newscast as well. I hope in the new year that CTV Toronto improves the weather segments by hiring subsitute weather anchors or the weather staff from CP24 since they moved into the new location a month ago.

Also don’t expect any late news on all of the CTV stations except CHCH Hamilton. There is eTalk airing on the CTV2 stations in Windsor, London and Barrie stations at 11. CTV Kitchener has a local chruch service that airs at 11:30PM. I don’t know what CTV Toronto CTV Ottawa or CTV Northern Ontario has planned to air in those timeslots. On the other hand don’t expect newscasts on CHCH, Citytv, CBC Toronto and Global News Toronto since it’s Christmas. I think they might do the National News

Listened to his podcast. His radio career is on hold and he will continue doing the after 9 podcast from his home but in a solo role. After Corus Entertainment let him go this past week, my guess is that he might file a wrongful dissmisal lawsuit against Corus Entertainment for his release for no reason.

So will the branding names on the stations change? They are still keeping the formats the same right?

MJ Vancouver wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

On the CTV London segment yesterday the graphic identified the reporter as Scott Miller CKNX TV.  A nice touch since Scott, as he mentioned is all that is left of the TV station in Wingham.  Scott was also the reporter in the clip from CKNX's last day in 2009. 

Owner of CKNX Doc Cruickshank died on February 28, 1971, the day before the Blackburn Group out of London officially took over CKNX AM and TV.  Years later when Blackburn Media sold the London Free Press, CFPL TV, CKNX TV along with CFPL AM and FM, the only broadcasting segment they held onto was CKNX AM and FM. 

There are several CTV London reporters who got their start at CKNX-TV. Sean Irvine and Bryan Bicknell both started there before moving to CFPL. Sean Irvine was the reporter who broke the Walkerton water tragedy story in May 2000 on CKNX.

Here is a clip of Sean Irvine doing the election coverage from Wingham in 2003.
CKNX-TV Wingham - 2003 Municipal Election Special

Other London FM transmitters locations that I know of is: The TVO Tower near Byron in West London, The CFPL-TV tower where CTV London’s studios are located, the CJBX-FM tower is located near the 401 and Westerchester Bourne exit, the CKLO-FM tower is located near Old Victoria Rd and the 401 in South London. Also Western 94.9 and Faith 99.9’s transmitter is on top of the One London Place building in Downtown London and CIXX-FM’s transmitter is on one of the buildings at Fanshawe College.

I saw some of it on their Instagram stories.

RadioActive wrote:

This came up in a previous thread here, but since you asked, I might not have believed it a year ago, (because who else would carry the games and do a decent post-game? CHFI? Maybe 680?) but after watching Bell layoff 4,800 people and sell or shutter 45 radio stations in February, and seeing Corus suddenly shut down 97-year-old CHML with no warning (not to mention closing those stations out west), I now believe almost anything is possible. 

Not sure how an "all podcast" format would work on 590, though. 

I know one of the iHeartMedia stations in Erie PA  had a “all podcast” format on one of their low power FM signals on 95.9 FM. But it switched to a simulcast of their Fox Sports format from the AM signal sometime ago.

I don’t know if this is true or not though. Another american streeming service might be lauching in Canada in 2025 called “Local Now”. Although there is no source online that I could find. But on Wikipedia it says that the service will launch in 2025. But no date was comfirmed. You will need a VPN set to the US in order for it to work.

From the Digital Home forum: https://www.digitalhome.ca/threads/local-now-coming-to-canada.296103/?post_id=3172146#post-3172146

RadioAaron wrote:

He was on locally for the last couple years of PROUD FM.

Sometimes if the signal from WRTS-FM (Star 104) 103.7 from Erie PA is good. I do listen to him once in a while. Depending on the weather conditions. Also his morning show is heard on WAKS Kiss 96.5 in Cleveland OH and WKGS Kiss 106.7 in Rochester NY.

RadioActive wrote:

I'm hearing rumours CFRB may be forced to vacate its Richmond W. HQ soon, forcing workers all the way out to Agincourt. I'm sure John Moore will enjoy that drive at 3 AM on a winter morning!

Will that happen to CKFM 99.9 Virgin, CHUM 104.5 and CHUM-AM 1050?

During the tour of the new location while in the CFTO news studio you can see the old Canada AM set behind the robotic cameras.

darcyh wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

This article contains audio excerpts from Jon Pole about what he sees as happening to the stations involved and how he hopes to boost its local content. And then there's the question about what happens to those currently working there. 

MBC bringing local radio back to Tillsonburg

Interesting story RA. The article makes it sound like the Tillsonburg studios were closed. I presume the station is now programmed from London?
 

Yes the stations studios are located in London at the Rogers TV building along with CHST-FM Jack 102.3 at 800 York Street across from the Western Fair. You all may remember that 102.3 used to be located at the CFPL-TV studios that now houses Pure Country 93 and 97.5 Virgin. Because CHST-FM used to be owned by CHUM along with CFPL-TV. But now it is owned by Rogers Media.

Brad wrote:

Today is CP24's last day at 299 Queen St W.

In an article in The Star, says CP24 moves today, and BNN will move in the third quarter of 2025, so roughly  a year from now.
 

Will there be a temporary set for CP24 in the meantime? I do remember CTV Kitchener using a temporary set at 864 King St during the move last year. Here is the video from CP24's Breakfast and Lindsay Deluce who used to be the anchor at CP24 made an appearance now does Your Morning for CTV.

CP24's last day at 299 Queen Street West
 

LOSat wrote:

As these discussions usually take a bit of time, Rogers may have opted not to do the Xmas switch this year. 

Pure speculation on my part but maybe Rogers is looking at another cluster in the South Western Ontario area: Blackburn or vice versa Blackburn is looking at 102.3  Seems odd that Rogers would create a London/Tillsonburg radio cluster (at last studio-wise) only to dismantle it.  The single London radio property sticks out like a sore thumb.
 

So if Blackburn accquired CHST-FM would it branded as COOL 102.3 just like the COOL stations in Sarnia, Wingham and Chatham? 98.1 would keep the Classic Rock format and 102.3 would still maintain the Classic Hits format.

darcyh wrote:

Not sure it is worth spending the money to upgrade the transmitter to deliver HD programming unless the content already exists; with respect to the London market, CFPL AM 980 could be added to FM 96's signal. But at the end of the day will it get them any more listeners?

I know during the OHL season they air the Knights games on 980 CFPL during evenings and Jays games during the Spring/Summer season. I think it would make sense for 95.9 to go HD and add 980 AM to their HD2 sub channel. After all their call sign is the same as 980.