Link to article about Henry Shannon @ CFRB circa 1978

MPL002496070pf_1192.pdf
 

mace wrote:

I don't know about traffic reports after newscasts, but Eddie Luther began doing helicopter traffic reports for CFRB in 1961. The "CHUM Chopper" began flying over Toronto soon after. I am not sure when CKEY started their helicopter reports. I suspect it came after the switch to an MOR format in early 1965.

The appended news article says 1964 for CKEY
 

Agree with you about caleb.  I had trouble remembering one of is predecessors on Blue Jays Central …Greg Zaun….I found that Zaun’s ego got in the way too often…though I liked his Sunday rants…. Caleb also called a few games in the last couple of weeks in the broadcast booth with Dan S, and he is turning into a really good play-by-play announcer.  I’m also finding that Joe sittle is “stepping up to the plate” (pardon the pun) in his booth work with Dan S.   If you watch MLB games with other teams’ broadcast teams, you will realize how good the Blue Jays crew is.  The NESN crew always puts us to sleep.   Just wish that Zwelling and Ben hyphenated-smith would dial down those meaningless statistics.

I will provide an assessment of the XHDATA 808 next week. Ordered it from Aliexpress a few days ago.  With a “coupon” it priced out at less than $120 CDN - express shipping included.  I can’t beleive the speed of getting it from China to Toronto…I suspect that with Trump’s China tariffs, not much is flowing to the US from Aliexpress or Temu…hence the discounts and record breaking shipping times via air and express ground service.  BTW, I don’t think there is a radio out there (portable) with DRM…or any other of the European digital “standards”.  The chinese are manufacturing for a world market, and oddly DAB doesn’t seem to be available in radios from Temu or AliExpress.

Yes, I understand the royalty issue, but the streaming channel isn’t financially viable…really??? They could put it on 92.5 very easily, and swap 680’s feed to 98.1.  I suspect 680 will have far more listeners on HD than the “Rocket” will ever accumulate.  But then, it’s Rogers.  

This goes back a long time but when shoreacres broadcasting (Jack Kent Cooke) owned CKEY the station moved from 580 to 590 kc.  I remember the move-day and there was a series of tones broadcast on the two transmitters to direct listeners to tune “up” the dial. This took place in 1964 and 580 was used in Windsor (CKWW).   CKEY 580 had been on Toronto Island.  I don’t know if 590 started at Grimsby or whether it broadcast from the Island.  One other frequency change.   CIRV-fm  began on 88.7 but the co-channel interference was severe from WBFO Buffalo, (a lot of tropo interference spring/fall) so after a couple of years, they were approved to move to 88.9 MHz.  I believe that Frank Alvarez would not have received a licence if he hadn't applied for a co-channel "drop in" on a Buffalo frequency...so that he did not use any of the remaining Toronto FM frequency allocatons.  

There has been a massive amount of solar activity, giant sunspots which have disrupted communications on earlth.  Seeing reports the last few days that High Frequency amateur radio bands have been badly impacted.  How much AM radio has been affected by the solar flares….I’ll leave that to Skywave to weigh in.

My favourite Canadian ad is for Kickinghorse Coffee - an Alberta based company.  An ass riding a motorcycle - priceless.  I don't know the source of the music bed.  I smile every time this ad runs.

https://youtu.be/79gcjhiCTao?si=cZmtKib76uhkKP5X

yep,  both Toronto Airports are in the 118 Mhz Band.  Polar Orbiting Satellites are in the 137.100 mhz to 137.900 band.  I get multiple (automated) transmissions each day using a computer and a home-made antenna and RTL-SDR stick.  I tried to upload a photo of one of the satellite passes from Thursday, but not having any luck wth the big yellow board system.

The TV ad is entertaining.   In it there is a donkey with only 2 legs.  The donkey is sad. The message is, don't do things "half ass". Do it right- at Rona.

I smile each time I see it.  Standards and Practice people years ago at networks would not have given this one a "pass".

Is it me or did anyone listening to the call cringe when management on the call referred to the mass firings of people at Corus as "rightsizing".Is that even a word?

Comments regarding sale of radio properties were interesting at the end.  Only real estate - i presume the land for AM transmitter sites, is up for sale at present.  No big sale of broadcast assets seems imminent.  Or, did I miss something at the start of the call?

CityTV Toronto and various Citytv branded stations owned by Rogers in Montreal, Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver are all up on Bell Satellite and the Bell Fibe App.

I suspect that Rogers withdrew their "rights" granted to Bell to provide Video on Demand content for Citytv.
That would be, likely because of the spat between Rogers and Bell over the re-launch of HGTV Food Network etc.   Bear in mind that Rogers is very actively promoting Citytv+ streaming service, which is primarily a video on demand service, within its own broadcasts on Sportsnet, Citytv, etc.

I very much doubt that Bell "dropped" the Citytv VOD content.  I think Rogers has blocked Bell.  By the way there is no regulatory obligation for a Canadian broadcaster to provide VOD content.  But, there's a big qualifier.  If for example, Rogers is providing Citytv VOD content to its own systems, such as Calgary and Toronto, and is refusing to provide the same content to Bell, Bell might have an argument, under the "undue preference/undue disadvantage" rules of the CRTC that Rogers is subjecting Bell to an undue disadvantage with respect to the VOD content.  It would likely take a complaint from a member of the public, such as your friend to get the ball rolling with the CRTC.  Worthwhile to see if Citytv VOD content is on the rogers systems - without a subscription to Citytv+.

I should also add I only have the "basic" Bell satellite service, plus a sports package and one US additional service.  So, I can confirm that Citytv is in the basic - lowest level package everywhere.

RED FM is a trade name used by three stations which are controlled by Kulwinder Sanghera of Vancouver.
The original station is CKYE-FM Vancouver 93.1 - transmits from Mt Seymour and there is a rebroadcaster in Surrey BC.  The second licence he received Is CKYR-FM Calgary.  His company purchased CIRV-FM Toronto  from Frank Alvarez.  When Alvarez owned the station it had a lot of Portuguese programming and a fair amount of Chinese and Punjabi Programming.   For many years, Fairchild purchased airtime on CIRV-FM, during those hours of the day when the CRTC forbid them from running Chinese programming on 1430 CHKT.   Each of the RED FM stations, originates most of its programming within its respective market.  The CRTC conditions of licence - for each RED FM station, require a significant number of languages (other than Punjabi) and a significant number of ethnic groups to be served each week.

In any event the branding RED FM, stands for "Reflecting Ethnic Diversity".

Skywave will know this answer, but I’ll give it a try.  My experience with assymetrical goes back to a severe interference case in Vancouver/Bellingham.  The first adjacent on KISM 92.9 (Bellingham) operating in HD was causing severe interference to analogue CKYE-FM 93.1 Vancouver.  Over a day or two, back around 2014 or 2015, the stations cooperated and the “upper sideband” - closer to 93.1 was lowered, and measurements were taken.  KISM abruptly stopped cooperating on the 2nd day of testing. I had understood at one time that Durham Radio might have used assymetrical on KX 94.7 Hamilton to protect their analogue Rock 95 signal cominng from Oshawa.  Not sure if that was a test or made permanent.  Based on the engineering measurements in the Vancouver situation, there was some noticible reducton of interference to 93.1 Vancouver, particularly as you got closer to the boarder around White Rock BC. But as I noted Saga walked away fron the testing.  I don't know the parameters of the proposal to the FCC, and whether the energy directed to "one side" of the sideband, could significantly exceed the energy levels currently permitted with symettrical HD transmission.  Skywave?