Legend is up and working on iheart.
The other streams are down.
No HD subchannels yet.

RadioAaron wrote:

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:

Legend is up and working on iheart.
The other streams are down.
No HD subchannels yet.

Don’t hold your breath for the HDs

The new owner has mentioned HD is important to him....   It seems to be important to a few of the owners out that way,  BUT they also mentioned they require some major technical upgrades including transmitters and studios. HD will likely be added to an FM that they are upgrading, as that's the time to do it.   

Bell had things controlled fairly centrally, and they are moving back to a local control setup, which is likely to explain the current technical issues.  From what I noticed, the stream cut shortly after midnight for all the St Catharines based stations, so I'm only guessing that the data connection to Bell was cut at that time, leaving the local stations disconnected from the outside world until they sort it out.       The flip seems rushed..... and not fully ready, but I think it hit a point they had to pull the trigger being 6 months in from CRTC approval. 

I seem to recall there have been times the station has been silent or on reduced power. Perhaps these technical issues will be addressed.

New Websites do not work for me.

Joy and CJMR are now on iheart.

Radio Insight article on the new stations

....and it's fixed. Guessing an automation switch intended to air The Shift on 610 went to the wrong station.

RadioActive wrote:

So if all they're going to do on 610 is the same simulcast with CFRB and Bell Media, what's the point of "the new administration?" Hopefully, it's only temporary as they ramp up, but keeping the material from another source is definitely a lot cheaper. Are they paying Bell for the use of their shows?

Probably through ad clearance, the typical syndication setup.

They don't have a lot of options; hiring a bunch more people doesn't make any financial sense.

As for the point - it was to get the FMs; they'll just try to not lose too much money on CKTB.

Last edited by RadioAaron (June 16, 2025 9:00 pm)

RadioActive wrote:

So if all they're going to do on 610 is the same simulcast with CFRB and Bell Media, what's the point of "the new administration?" Hopefully, it's only temporary as they ramp up, but keeping the material from another source is definitely a lot cheaper. Are they paying Bell for the use of their shows?

I think Bell gets to keep some timeslots for now while White Oaks figures out a budget for the station that is doable. 
Gene was a good start to show they're serious about not simply being a 1010 repeater.  
Maybe they're just making changes gradually.  
I do wonder if this now means that Gene will be repeated in encore mode on the evening shift or something...(?)

paterson1 wrote:

Not many are going to care what CKTB does in the evenings.  Daytime is what matters, and it is nice that they have a local mid morning show, along with morning and afternoons.   

I must say the logos for Legend 102.9 and Dream 105.7 are pretty ugly.  Colour choices are poor and no creativity IMO.  Who has a pukey brown logo?

I agree.... A.I. can make a better looking logo in 5 seconds.. not sure why they used WordArt from 2004

Will they play Led Zeppelin backwards?

RadioActive wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

Not many are going to care what CKTB does in the evenings.  Daytime is what matters, and it is nice that they have a local mid morning show, along with morning and afternoons.   

I must say the logos for Legend 102.9 and Dream 105.7 are pretty ugly.  Colour choices are poor and no creativity IMO.  Who has a pukey brown logo?

So what about HTZ-FM? Broadcast Dialogue quotes a statement from Whiteoaks that says the more things change, the more they'll stay the same.

"Whiteoaks will maintain heritage brand news/talk station 610 CKTB and Active Rock format 97.7 HTZ-FM, promising a renewed focus on “better playlists, deeper cuts, and a sound that hits harder. The same big personalities are still behind the mic, now with more freedom to bring their passion and perspective. From the tracks that shaped rock to the sounds pushing it forward, every song earns its spot. HTZ Nation, get ready — we’re raising the bar for rock radio.”

Whiteoaks rebrands newly-acquired Hamilton stations

HTZ is staying in format and brand, with a harder/deeper music adjustment. They also hired the Bell host who was tracking middays from Edmonton to come home and do it live. Ironically, she can’t start yet as she has to stay off through her notice period.

RadioAaron wrote:

.... They also hired the Bell host who was tracking middays from Edmonton to come home and do it live. Ironically, she can’t start yet as she has to stay off through her notice period.

Say what?   Sorry, I don't follow this...   The host gives notice to Bell while working halfway across the country in Edmonton...  and was VT'ing  a show from there for St. Catharines....   

Bell sold this cluster...  how is it a compete against / with Edmonton?   
 

Thanks for the clarification...  I just assumed it was some twisted corporate legal interpretation of a compete clause...   I was wrong.

So just the notice period... which could always be be different, but is typically two weeks?