Listening to the AM signal still coming in clear (Barrie) - I work from home and until 6pm so ill keep it on Friday to hear the shut down.  FM signal is non existent here. 

darcyh wrote:

CFOS AM has a very large daytime coverage area. I could receive it all the way to Sudbury. Driving north there are still areas with no reliable FM signals; but you can receive CFOS 560. It is too bad they were not able to monetize that large coverage area. The AM signal pattern has a sharp null to the south and west of Owen Sound to protect a station in Detroit on the same frequency. This was probably one of the reasons that 1490 CFPS which was a repeater of CFOS was constructed to serve Port Elgin area in the 1970's. I though the 1490 signal was rather weak as it did not get into Sauble Beach, 15 miles away very clearly.

Enjoy the last few days of the big 560 AM signal. At 7.5 KW day and 1KW night they sure will save on the electric bill. I wonder what they will do with the transmitter land?

Radio locator page shows the AM transmitter site: 

CFOS-AM 560 kHz - Owen Sound, ON

I heard it this morning at about 6:30 am in North Toronto.......I will miss it, but will still occasionally listen on line...I know the music mix is different now, but I still like to hear what is going on in Grey/Bruce

Two questions....I wonder if 560 Monroe Michigan will increase its power now that 560 is open

Second:   Is CFRZ Walpole Island off the air (again)....I tried to get it yesterday on the radio when I visited Walpole Island and the signal was dead, and as of now so is the website stream

gch wrote:

I heard it this morning at about 6:30 am in North Toronto.......I will miss it, but will still occasionally listen on line...I know the music mix is different now, but I still like to hear what is going on in Grey/Bruce

Two questions....I wonder if 560 Monroe Michigan will increase its power now that 560 is open

Second:   Is CFRZ Walpole Island off the air (again)....I tried to get it yesterday on the radio when I visited Walpole Island and the signal was dead, and as of now so is the website stream

Yup, the music mix is different now. Whenever a station goes from AM to FM they always change formats and that is what CFOS did. It no longer appeals to me - perhaps they will gain listeners? Although I am not sure. this will happen.
 

turkeytop wrote:

markow202 wrote:

 
Radio locator page shows the AM transmitter site: 

CFOS-AM 560 kHz - Owen Sound, ON

I grew up within sight of their towers.

Driving into Owen Sound on HWY 10. The transmitter site and towers are just a couple of miles south of town, on the right, near Rockford.
 

That's a large parcel of land. I wonder what the future holds for it?

I took what probably will be my last listen to the 560 signal today, while driving in Toronto. Lots of splatter from adjacent WGR. I noticed they only mention the 89.3 FM frequency now. I guess the next thing will be to topple those big towers :-(

560 has an interruptor announcement now regarding the closure. Heard at 9:24.

They will probably dismantle and sell the land.   Announcements are going on so far all day on the station to please tune to the FM frequency as this will no longer be available come night.

paterson1 wrote:

The 560 CFOS transmitter is scheduled to shut down at 6:15 this evening.  The station had been on AM for 85 years and 7 months.  Over the 85 years CFOS was heard on various frequencies, 1370, 1400, 1470 and 560 since 1958. 

I grew up in thatbarea. The only two in my lifetime were 1470 and 560.

I remember when they made the change from 1470 to 560. They did it in the AM around mid morning.
 

Last edited by turkeytop (October 31, 2025 9:15 pm)

I believe CFOS has been very well managed over its history.

I am only speculating but like other successful stations in the past, they were locally owned / operated and focused on their communities. The owners lived in the coverage area of the station and probably listened to it frequently. There was an adequate number of advertisers and the stations could make a profit. Costs were kept under control and the programming continued to be entertaining / informative. The owners invested the profits that 560 generated to build other stations in the area. All of them on the FM band. Fortunately CFOS continued to be locally owned which probably contributes to its ongoing success. 

In the past CFOS made several attempts to switch to the FM band but the CRTC always said no. This time they finally got their wish albeit with a low power signal. Continued good luck CFOS. I hope your new format is as successful as the old one.




 

Last edited by darcyh (October 31, 2025 9:15 pm)

CFOS is the only station in the region that moved to its exact IF Image Frequency-1470 kHz to 560 kHz. Others are close, such as WMIC Sandusky, MI from 1560 kHz to 660 kHz. 1470 is no longer in the international database. Most vacated channel allotments are still in the database. The frequency can be removed if an equivalent facility is available. 1160 Thunder Bay was deleted and replaced by 1170, to allow WYLL 1160 Chicago to change pattern and increase to 50000 watts Night from a second site near Joliet, IL. WRDT 560 Monroe, MI protected CFOS with 27 watts directional Night, and then 13.9 watts from a new location with a near 5/8 wavelength tower.

fccdata.org already has CFOS-FM 89.3 in the US Database. I assume that Michelle Bradley of REC contacted the FCC, as she is trying to get the databases up to date near the borders.



 

Last edited by CK-722 (November 1, 2025 10:21 pm)