RadioActive wrote:

I know My Broadcasting's Jon Pole occasionally visits here and answers questions, which is generous of him.

I noticed on the CRTC website a note indicating that one of the items on the Commission's agenda this coming week is giving "effective control" of CFJR-FM and CJPT-FM Brockville, as well as CFLY-FM and CKLC-FM Kingston to your company.

Congrats in advance to the new additions to the family. 

Since most of us will never be in this position, I have a few questions:

-How long after the CRTC makes this official does it take for a radio company to actually take over the place? I can see why you might not be able to go in the next day and completely start afresh, but in the case of Neeti Ray, his approval for the takeover of CKWW Windsor and CKOC and CHAM in Hamilton happened quickly, but his actual changing of the stations to what they are now took months. Is there some rule that keeps the takeover from happening sooner? Or could you walk in there the day after the approval and begin running things your way? 

-Generically speaking, how long does it take to put a new format in place, if that's in the plans? Is there a run-through and meetings with the employees to outline what's happening or do you just do it gradually? I remember the stunting with 102.7 near Kingston (the brilliant "The Pole.") Do you believe in memorable relaunches or do you just pick a date and one morning, the new roster takes effect?

I'm really curious about how this process goes and how long it takes. Obviously, for competitive reasons, I don't expect you to reveal anything to the other stations, but if you can answer some of these questions generically, I think many here would be interested as to how it works when a new owner comes to town.  

Good luck with your new acquisitions!

Thank you for the kind words.

1.  Once the CRTC approval happens, it's really up to the two parties to decide on a mutual closing date (like buying a house).    Our practice has always been the end of the month that allows the lawyers to get the paperwork done.  So if the approval is early in the month it could be the end of that month.  We prepare in advance to make things as quick as possible.  If we're making changes, we make them pretty quick. The change is only ever about making the business better.

2.  Formats.  It really depends, but we tend to move really fast.  Once we have data that says "this is the sweet spot" we get to work.   Usually we divide and conquer all the separate parts, and fine tune them all together along the way - so it could be days.  I'm not sure if it's right or wrong, but we don't involve the talent till closer to the roll out - that is usually because they're not employed by us yet (we may be waiting for approval or we're hiring staff).  Most stations launch with a stunt of some kind- usually 10,000 songs or whatever... that allows you the time to get everyone ready.

The only negative of The Pole was that we didn't video the whole process and make it into a documentary.   I think people would have enjoyed the ride and some of the behind the scenes conversations and the overwhelming positive reaction.  I would also add, had I known at the time that the Bell deal was going to come along when it did, we would have changed the timing of that stunt a bit.

Who knows?  Maybe it will come back?  Radio is supposed to be fun right?

Last edited by JON POLE (February 24, 2025 9:11 am)

Thanks for the response. I know you have a lot on your plate right now, so I appreciate you taking the time. It should be interesting to hear what you have planned for your new stations and if it's anything like The Pole, it will almost be disappointing when the new format comes into effect!

Best of luck. 

I don't live in kingston, But I have ideas for you.
98.3 should be a myfm format with the myfm branding.
98.9 should stay with country.
104.9 should also be myfm.
You should also add local talkshows to your myfm stations.
But, if there's a powerfull myfm signal in kingston and brockville, maybe make both 98.3 and 104.9 softer myfms with a soft AC format.

JON POLE wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

I know My Broadcasting's Jon Pole occasionally visits here and answers questions, which is generous of him.

I noticed on the CRTC website a note indicating that one of the items on the Commission's agenda this coming week is giving "effective control" of CFJR-FM and CJPT-FM Brockville, as well as CFLY-FM and CKLC-FM Kingston to your company.

Congrats in advance to the new additions to the family. 

Since most of us will never be in this position, I have a few questions:

-How long after the CRTC makes this official does it take for a radio company to actually take over the place? I can see why you might not be able to go in the next day and completely start afresh, but in the case of Neeti Ray, his approval for the takeover of CKWW Windsor and CKOC and CHAM in Hamilton happened quickly, but his actual changing of the stations to what they are now took months. Is there some rule that keeps the takeover from happening sooner? Or could you walk in there the day after the approval and begin running things your way? 

-Generically speaking, how long does it take to put a new format in place, if that's in the plans? Is there a run-through and meetings with the employees to outline what's happening or do you just do it gradually? I remember the stunting with 102.7 near Kingston (the brilliant "The Pole.") Do you believe in memorable relaunches or do you just pick a date and one morning, the new roster takes effect?

I'm really curious about how this process goes and how long it takes. Obviously, for competitive reasons, I don't expect you to reveal anything to the other stations, but if you can answer some of these questions generically, I think many here would be interested as to how it works when a new owner comes to town.  

Good luck with your new acquisitions!

Thank you for the kind words.

1.  Once the CRTC approval happens, it's really up to the two parties to decide on a mutual closing date (like buying a house).    Our practice has always been the end of the month that allows the lawyers to get the paperwork done.  So if the approval is early in the month it could be the end of that month.  We prepare in advance to make things as quick as possible.  If we're making changes, we make them pretty quick. The change is only ever about making the business better.

2.  Formats.  It really depends, but we tend to move really fast.  Once we have data that says "this is the sweet spot" we get to work.   Usually we divide and conquer all the separate parts, and fine tune them all together along the way - so it could be days.  I'm not sure if it's right or wrong, but we don't involve the talent till closer to the roll out - that is usually because they're not employed by us yet (we may be waiting for approval or we're hiring staff).  Most stations launch with a stunt of some kind- usually 10,000 songs or whatever... that allows you the time to get everyone ready.

The only negative of The Pole was that we didn't video the whole process and make it into a documentary.   I think people would have enjoyed the ride and some of the behind the scenes conversations and the overwhelming positive reaction.  I would also add, had I known at the time that the Bell deal was going to come along when it did, we would have changed the timing of that stunt a bit.

Who knows?  Maybe it will come back?  Radio is supposed to be fun right?

I wish bell sold the stations in the GTHA to you.
You would bring a full-service format/country format to 820.
Whiteoaks still has not ran the stations it boght from bell yet.
Maybe sneek a deel with the CRTC to by 820 CHAM and put classic country and talk back on 820.
Make up something like neeti is breaking CRTC rules and the station is poorly run with no adds and no local news and talk.

Neeti should have made CHAM a full survice format like CHSC was.
Country on weakdays with talkshows, evenings and weakends have a variety of ethnic programs in a variety of languages.
They now have a 24/7 punjabi format which breaks a bunch of CRTC rules.
They should have stuck with there stunt format mixing punjabi with caribbian, african and latin music.
And, neeti should not have lied and applied for an ethnic licence for CHAM.
He said he would not make the stations ethnic, but that's what he did with CHAM.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:

Neeti should have made CHAM a full survice format like CHSC was.
Country on weakdays with talkshows, evenings and weakends have a variety of ethnic programs in a variety of languages.
They now have a 24/7 punjabi format which breaks a bunch of CRTC rules.
They should have stuck with there stunt format mixing punjabi with caribbian, african and latin music.
And, neeti should not have lied and applied for an ethnic licence for CHAM.
He said he would not make the stations ethnic, but that's what he did with CHAM.

A brand new full service english AM radio station in a subpar market? Am I speaking to someone from years past or something? Zero chance of profitability with that operation. Who cares if it's multilingual programming, that's the only worthwhile endeavour for AM radio outside of major cities anymore. If the CRTC shuts him down, the frequency will go dormant... which of those two options better serves the population?

While we're discussing GTHA radio...... my prediction is we'll see one of the "big" 5 AM stations in Toronto (CHUM or CFIQ in particular) announce that they're either going off the air, or becoming a multilingual station this year... I fail to see how they could be worth more than the land their transmitters sit on.

Radiowiz wrote:

torontostan wrote:

my prediction is we'll see one of the "big" 5 AM stations in Toronto (CHUM or CFIQ in particular) announce that they're either going off the air, or becoming a multilingual station this year... I fail to see how they could be worth more than the land their transmitters sit on.

I've said this before, and I will say it again. 1430 is the one that should shut down if one of the more powerful frequencies become available... 
 

I could see them being a contender.

fybush wrote:

Interestingly, the most valuable Toronto AM site by far is also the one that belongs to the most valuable Toronto AM station: that lakeside piece of land in Grimsby that was just open farmland when Rogers moved 680 there in 1985 is now thoroughly surrounded by high-rise condos as urban sprawl continues to push east from Hamilton along the QEW.

If it were any station other than 680 News (or maybe CFRB) on that site, the land would surely have been sold and there would be even more condos there now.

I have to imagine that Rogers is at least thinking about what happens there in the next decade or so. Moving 680 up the escarpment to the 590 site would make the 680 signal a little less potent across the lake in downtown TO, but at some point the economics almost have to force Rogers' hand.

(Be glad you're not my teenager - the last time we drove that stretch of the QEW a month ago, he got a 20-minute dissertation from me about all the machinations that got CHFI/CFTR on 680 in the first place, why Rochester was tangled up in the mess, and how those eight big towers ended up in Grimsby in the first place. And all he wanted to do was stop at the Harvey's in front of the towers for a burger.)

Would 680 have to shoot across Lake Ontario if they wish to keep up 50,000 watts? Or for instance could they move outside of Hamilton?
 

fybush wrote:

Interestingly, the most valuable Toronto AM site by far is also the one that belongs to the most valuable Toronto AM station: that lakeside piece of land in Grimsby that was just open farmland when Rogers moved 680 there in 1985 is now thoroughly surrounded by high-rise condos as urban sprawl continues to push east from Hamilton along the QEW.

If it were any station other than 680 News (or maybe CFRB) on that site, the land would surely have been sold and there would be even more condos there now.

I have to imagine that Rogers is at least thinking about what happens there in the next decade or so. Moving 680 up the escarpment to the 590 site would make the 680 signal a little less potent across the lake in downtown TO, but at some point the economics almost have to force Rogers' hand.

(Be glad you're not my teenager - the last time we drove that stretch of the QEW a month ago, he got a 20-minute dissertation from me about all the machinations that got CHFI/CFTR on 680 in the first place, why Rochester was tangled up in the mess, and how those eight big towers ended up in Grimsby in the first place. And all he wanted to do was stop at the Harvey's in front of the towers for a burger.)

I, on the other hand, would probably have found that car ride fascinating. Yes, CFTR caused major problems for Rochester once the station made the switch from CHFI-AM 1540 to CFTR 680.

fybush wrote:

[Excellent question! (Which is my way of dodging an exact answer...)

I suspect it wouldn't be hard to do 50,000 watts daytime, but night would be more challenging because there are stations on 680 in Boston and Raleigh NC that need protection from Canadian skywave signals. There's also protection within Canada between 680 in Toronto and 690 in Montreal.

And going outside of Hamilton, to the old CHML site, for instance, would mean those 50,000 watts would have to hit Toronto going mostly over soil (which isn't super conductive in our area) instead of over the clear water path from Grimsby straight into downtown Toronto. Think about how CHML sounded in the city compared to how 590, 640 and 680 penetrate from their sites south of the lake.  

Sounds like they could benefit from CHKT or CHIN's site if they were to vacate?
 

torontostan wrote:

Sounds like they could benefit from CHKT or CHIN's site if they were to vacate?
 

CHIN has no site anymore. They lost the Toronto Island site for an expansion of the adjacent waste treatment plant last year, and they're operating daytime-only from the CHLO 530 site for now.

Running 680 from the island would require tall towers, and that's impossible because of the proximity to Billy Bishop. And while it would be a flamethrower signal into downtown, it would be difficult and maybe impossible to create a directional pattern wide enough to get out to the suburbs east and west while also protecting Montreal, Raleigh and Boston. 
 

MBC's application has been approved:

https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2025/2025-59.htm

MBC welcomes its newest members.

Welcome to the Family! MBC officially acquires two stations in Brockville and Kingston