I can’t believe it! The world’s longest gestating radio station finally has a signal up. I believe they were first awarded a licence about the same time as Marconi’s XWA went on the air in Montreal back in 1919. (Actually, it’s been seven years but who’s counting?)
 
With that minor bit of sarcasm out of the way, I called the phone number they’ve been giving out on air and got a very nice lady on the line. She answered the phone “hello?” instead of something like “CKNT, Good Morning!” so I assume they weren’t expecting many calls and there may not be an actual switchboard yet. 
 
Here’s the gist of what she told me:
 
->The target date for sign-on is tentatively July 1.
 
When I reminded her that the format is news/talk and that July 1st isn’t a very busy news day, she laughed and said that’s the date they’re planning on being on air with regular programming. But that could still change. She also told me that the test signal began on Monday at 3 PM.
 
->The station plans to cover “local news, information, weather, sports, politics” and highlight local businesses. (Whether that last category is simply trying to get sponsors remains to be seen.)
 
The station was licenced to be Mississauga-specific, but when I asked if that precluded them doing material on issues that are relevant to Toronto, she admitted they would. Like the subway pushing incident for example? Yes, because people from Mississauga work in Toronto, so it would matter to them.
 
I won’t judge them until I actually hear them, but there have been countless posts here (many from yours truly) about stations licenced to fringe GTA areas that try to grab a more lucrative Toronto audience. We’ll see if they make this effort, too.
 
->They still haven’t hired all their staff yet. “We’re going through resumes,” she told me.
 
O.K., but I have to admit if they’re planning an on-air date that comes 11 days from now, that doesn’t seem to leave them a lot of time to get a staff onboard, trained and ready to go. I don’t get the impression they’ll be paying a lot, but if you’re looking for a gig, now’s the time to submit that voice file and resume. Interestingly, when I asked for an email contact, she told me CKNT960@gmail.com
 
When I pointed out the address given on air is CKNTam@gmail.com, she insisted hers was right. So perhaps address any interest you might have to both, just in case.
 
->There’s no website yet. But she says they’re working on it. Again, with only 11 days, that’s cutting it close.

The station's studios will be located on the Mississauga-Brampton border, although she didn't give me an exact location. 
 
->Finally, my favourite answer.

I admitted I’d been following the station’s progress over the years, and asked her point blank why it took more than half a decade-plus to finally get a signal up and running. Her answer was classic.
 
“Better not to rush,” she told me and get it right.
 
With a response like that, I’m guessing she could run for political office one day!

Still, she was nice enough to call me back and answer my questions, so I appreciate that. I wish them a lot of luck. Given how weak the signal is, that it's on AM and how there’s not exactly a huge backer with lots of financial resources behind it (like a Bell, a Rogers or a Corus), they may well need it. 

They powered down for pattern change but they're still receivable here in northern North York. Noisy but listenable. However the question remains as to whether there will be anything worthwhile to listen to on the station, especially overnights. I'll be really curious to see what their programming schedule looks like - if they ever get a website up and running.

Just for fun, I phoned the Mississauga News tipline on Tuesday to ask if they were going to do an article on the city's new radio station. The woman there asked me point blank, "Mississauga has a new radio station?" 

CKNT has its work cut out for it.

Tim Brown 2016 wrote:

markow202 wrote:

On the net it shows near Heartland/Mississauga areas

https://www.google.com/maps/place/43%C2%B036'53.0%22N+79%C2%B040'26.0%22W/@43.6137588,-79.6708635,13z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d43.614722!4d-79.673889?hl=en

Can't say for sure but pretty sure that was revised earlier this spring.

Yes your right.  Its at 1137 Lorimar Drive Mississauga atop Popular Tire industrial building lol. 

RadioActive wrote:

markow202 wrote:

Its at 1137 Lorimar Drive Mississauga atop Popular Tire industrial building lol. 

According to Canadian Radio News, that's not the location either.

Check out this post from October 19, 2017:

New transmitter site approved for CKNT 960 Mississauga

Oh ok.  Being AM I wonder if its a new single tower or something else.  I remember the airport 1280AM CFYZ back in the day used a "umbrella" type antenna atop a maintenance building of theirs.  
 

Dale Patterson wrote:

They might want to re-think those call letters.

Couldn't agree more. I think it was RA that first raised this issue here some time ago, but I'm sure I would have thought of it on my own. Every time I see this thread move up to the top of the index because of a new post here, I think of how problematic they are ... in other words, I'm not getting used to them. I'm guessing they'll mostly use something like Newstalk 960 on air so it won't be that much of an issue, but it's still really strange that they chose those letters.
 

I tuned in last night in the car around 9pm on my way from Etobicoke to Brampton and signal was faded in Etobicoke and got strong by airport onwards.  The announcement that would come on was strict sounding and on the way back at midnight they had some guy talking about life human values which was interesting.   Signal became stronger now in the day due to day time signal.

Hansa wrote:

Is CKRP available? 

http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/radio/ckrp-fm
 

I thought of that as  well, and saw that CINT is also on the list. But given how long it's been since they originally applied for the licence , I'm wondering if either of them were available back then ... if not, perhaps that would help to explain their choice.  

I agree with Don... but still, it's an unfortunate choice.

This morning the music was interrupted by a segment talking about black holes. It was actually very interesting. I'm also like their choice of classical music - kind of easy listening classical.

Last edited by alangee (June 23, 2018 12:26 pm)

RadioActive wrote:

They powered down for pattern change but they're still receivable here in northern North York. Noisy but listenable. However the question remains as to whether there will be anything worthwhile to listen to on the station, especially overnights. I'll be really curious to see what their programming schedule looks like - if they ever get a website up and running.

Just for fun, I phoned the Mississauga News tipline on Tuesday to ask if they were going to do an article on the city's new radio station. The woman there asked me point blank, "Mississauga has a new radio station?" 

CKNT has its work cut out for it.

If you're referring to the radiation pattern then there is only one - omnidirectional. The transmitter runs on a single 80 foot whip antenna.
 

Tim Brown 2016 wrote:

markow202 wrote:

andysradio wrote:

They are playing classical music. I just heard an ID out of them giving out a phone number and email address. 960 AM with 2kWs day, 280 watts night.

Where did the transmitter and tower end up being? 

Just outside the western edge of Pearson Airport.

Daytime reception here is Stouffville is weak but listenable.

Tim

I had a solid copy on my car radio along the 401 to past Bowmanville. I was able to still make it out at the Onroute rest stop in Port Hope.

Chuck99 wrote:

navaidstech wrote:

Chuck99 wrote:

I received a surprisingly good signal on my car radio in Niagara Falls this afternoon.  Obviously, the range has been enhanced due to Lake Ontario.  But, I was still surprised to receive it because of possible interference from 970 in Buffalo.  I also thought it might broadcast on a northerly pattern similar to CJOY in Guelph. 

At just 280 watts, I doubt I will be able to hear it at night.  The test programming has been switched from classical music to an internet voice stream from the United States.

 

Don't knock it. 280 watts for nightime transmission is plenty. I wouldn't be surprised one bit if you did have a solid copy. If you have an LF capable radio, have a listen on 391 kHz and see if you can copy a Non Directional Beacon from Oshawa (one of many I maintain)... it runs a whopping 7 watts but gets out quite nicely, especially an night.

True.  280 watts will cover the Mississauga area just fine at night.  But any time power is reduced by more than 50 per cent, nighttime coverage will be reduced.  In Niagara Falls, the signal is decent during the day, but basically non-existent at night.  (Although I hardly think the station owners care if the signal is heard outside of the GTA).

You are also correct to suggest that there is no pattern change at night, just a power reduction.  Since the signal is non-directional both day at night, the pattern remains the same.  Pattern changes require additional towers, often as many as six or eight.  With the lack of available land in Mississauga, the non-directional signal with a single antenna was the only viable option for CKNT.  

 

Based on the positioning of the ground plane, I'm not surprised the reception is weak in NF. The antenna will favour propagation to the east than anything else, and I have observed it a couple of days ago while driving to Trenton. Oshawa is slightly further than NF and reception was rock solid there. Be it as it may, I think the target audience is in Mississauga and immediate surrounding areas so I'd say the signal is more than adequate.
Couple of weeks ago we fired up the CKNT transmitter full power for an hour at 1 AM for some testing (Industry Canada OK'd it). Prior to doing that, I sent a quick note to a fellow ham radio friend in Nova Scotia to see if he can copy it. I was just being curious and it turned out he was able to pick up the signal, albeit very weak.
Power reduction from 2k during the day down to 300w at night doesn't necessarily mean reduced coverage (well, it does if it's done during the day). We're taking 8.5dB reduction, which is ALMOST 2 S-units, if your radio has an S meter. You have to remember the AM BCB band does wonders at night, especially in the Winter. With the Sun being out of the way (static noise) and ionosphere dropping down in altitude, the signal can propagate out quite nicely. Prime example of this is WBZ-1030 (Boston) or WPHT-1210 out of Philly. Not a peep during the day but there are nights where they're just booming into Southern Ontario and quite often sounding louder than the locals. Mind you, they're full time 50 kilowatters but it illustrates the difference in propagation between day and night.

I'd be very surprised if the 960 newcomer would be allowed to change formats in the near future if the talk tanks.

If memory serves, Radio Humsafar, the yet-to-debut Brampton station at 1350, has already put in a warning about such a move to the CRTC, indicating they would not be happy if CKNT ever decided to go after what they see as their ethnic audience. 

IIRC, the same complaint/warning was made in an intervention about Grapevine Radio, the one-day-it-will-sign-on station granted a licence in the old CHSC position at 1220 AM in St. Catharines. They've pledged to stick to an oldies format. And at the beginning, at least, that's what they're supposed to do. But so far, I've seen no evidence whatsoever that they're ever going to actually sign on, leading me to wonder if we have another CKNT-years-long delay in the making.

Has anyone heard anything about Grapevine (or even heard it through the Grapevine?) I've been unable to find anything about it and last I heard they were given until April of this year to be up and running. I'm assuming they've filed for an extension, but there's no new airdate to my knowledge.

[Edit: I found this on an Airchecker site from 2017. It's the latest - and the last -I've located on the fledgling 1220:]

"The CRTC has granted an ownership change of the “yet to go on the air” 10,000 watt facility on 1220 AM in St. Catharines, Ontario which was approved in 2016. Sivanesarajah Kandiah and David J. Dancy will be relinquishing 100% control of the construction permit to Manu Datta and Ripudaman Singh Dhillon (Radio Dhun). Purchase price is $300,000.00. The new owners plan to stick with the original plans of launching the English language station with a Classic Hits." 

navaidstech wrote:

markow202 wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

According to Canadian Radio News, that's not the location either.

Check out this post from October 19, 2017:

New transmitter site approved for CKNT 960 Mississauga

Oh ok.  Being AM I wonder if its a new single tower or something else.  I remember the airport 1280AM CFYZ back in the day used a "umbrella" type antenna atop a maintenance building of theirs.  
 

It's a fibreglass whip with a Valcosphere on top. It is located in a trucking yard, on the east side of the Husky gas station (Courtney/Kennedy). You really can't miss it as you're driving on Courtneypark.
In the picture above, you have to go past the gate on the right (good luck, it is motorized with security staff on site), then make a left and go all the way to the end. The transmitter shack and the antenna are located about 100 feet behind a safety fence. The fence is there to protect people from getting too close to the antenna. It is also an area where they buried the ground plane to increase antenna's efficiency so obviously they don't want anyone driving on top of it.

Very cool! I'll have a look again when in the area. Upon a google search of this info it appears to be a proprietary system made by a company called Valcom for AM antennas.   Do you work for them? 

Last edited by markow202 (June 25, 2018 3:16 pm)