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June 25, 2016 10:44 pm  #1


Toronto Radio’s “Iron Curtain” Celebrates 40 Years

I notice a lot of media outlets are playing up the 40th anniversary of the CN Tower, which opened to the public exactly four decades ago this weekend. I’m pretty sure this won’t be a popular sentiment with many here, but I hate that phallic Frankenstein and always have.
 
Here’s why and I admit it’s not that great a reason.
 
When I was a radio-crazed kid, one of my favourite things to do was DXing, listening for distant stations. Anyone who’s done this knows that AM is the prime source for such things, and it’s easy to accumulate a lot of out-of-town destinations in just a few minutes.
 
FM was a different animal and far more challenging. It didn’t happen often, but a few times a year – usually before a thunderstorm in the summer – the skip conditions in Toronto were amazing on that band. You could pull in stations from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York state and as far away as Florida, Alabama and even Arkansas. I logged them all and in those pre-Internet days, it was amazing how far some of the signals went.
 
And then nearly every radio station in Toronto signed on from the antenna atop that fershlugginer tower. And suddenly, there was CHFI at fifteen spots on the dial, CHUM-FM taking up space at six others and various other local stations were putting out signals so strong, everything else was simply drowned out. Including many Buffalo radio stations, which I’d always enjoyed listening to clearly.
 
I’m aware there is a lot more noise on both bands these days and there are a lot more stations in the GTA, as well, taking up space where these far away intruders once briefly appeared.
 
But ever since the CN Tower became the prime spot for broadcasters in Toronto, all the good out-of-town reception is gone and it’s never come back. I always referred to the maddening monolith as the “Iron Curtain of T.O.,” and at one point, even entertained the conspiracy theory that the CRTC or Industry Canada had a hand in it to ensure we only heard Canadian radio stations and none of those big bad terrible American outlets that just happened to leak across the border.  
 
So celebrate the CN Tower’s 40th if you want.

Me, I just wish I could still change the station.

 

June 25, 2016 11:05 pm  #2


Re: Toronto Radio’s “Iron Curtain” Celebrates 40 Years

RadioActive wrote:

I notice a lot of media outlets are playing up the 40th anniversary of the CN Tower, which opened to the public exactly four decades ago this weekend. I’m pretty sure this won’t be a popular sentiment with many here, but I hate that phallic Frankenstein and always have.
 
Here’s why and I admit it’s not that great a reason.
 
When I was a radio-crazed kid, one of my favourite things to do was DXing, listening for distant stations. Anyone who’s done this knows that AM is the prime source for such things, and it’s easy to accumulate a lot of out-of-town destinations in just a few minutes.
 
FM was a different animal and far more challenging. It didn’t happen often, but a few times a year – usually before a thunderstorm in the summer – the skip conditions in Toronto were amazing on that band. You could pull in stations from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York state and as far away as Florida, Alabama and even Arkansas. I logged them all and in those pre-Internet days, it was amazing how far some of the signals went.
 
And then nearly every radio station in Toronto signed on from the antenna atop that fershlugginer tower. And suddenly, there was CHFI at fifteen spots on the dial, CHUM-FM taking up space at six others and various other local stations were putting out signals so strong, everything else was simply drowned out. Including many Buffalo radio stations, which I’d always enjoyed listening to clearly.
 
I’m aware there is a lot more noise on both bands these days and there are a lot more stations in the GTA, as well, taking up space where these far away intruders once briefly appeared.
 
But ever since the CN Tower became the prime spot for broadcasters in Toronto, all the good out-of-town reception is gone and it’s never come back. I always referred to the maddening monolith as the “Iron Curtain of T.O.,” and at one point, even entertained the conspiracy theory that the CRTC or Industry Canada had a hand in it to ensure we only heard Canadian radio stations and none of those big bad terrible American outlets that just happened to leak across the border.  
 
So celebrate the CN Tower’s 40th if you want.

Me, I just wish I could still change the station.

My recollection is that on the night before the CN Tower antenna was activated, all the Toronto FM stations who were going to be on the Tower went silent during the overnight period as the switchover was being enabled. So there was one last night of great FM DXing for those in southern Ontario. Does anyone remember this?
 


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

June 26, 2016 12:05 am  #3


Re: Toronto Radio’s “Iron Curtain” Celebrates 40 Years

Don't think the CN Tower was the defining event in terms of the inability to catch American signals. I remember being able to catch stations such as WUWU FM and WZIR FM well after the tower. WBUF had a strong  signal into Toronto well into the early 2000's and though my favorite free form format was long gone I was still able to catch shows such as Dick Bartley's Solid Gold Saturday Night well into the late 80's.

One factor that played a part for me personally was the loss of the outdoor TV/FM antennae in 1986 but there were still plenty of American catches at that time and I did not experience multiple signals of CHFI and CHUM FM. The real factor in the loss of American signals in my mind was the overlap of new Canadian signals. I will say that I remember the skip events on FM mostly from before the CN tower but last year I caught a station from Wyoming on 104.9 ( before the new country signal) and I first thought it was the CHUM AM broadcast that I heard on that frequency as few times last year.

As aside I have been recording FM off the digital Rogers box and heard a part of the John Donabie show from today and thought he had erred in mentioning Sookie Sookie as a pre Born To Be Wild single by Steppenwolf but he was right as I found out when I checked other sources. I just remember Sookie Sookie being popular post Born To Be Wild and I think I am correct in that.

Also taped some Bandstand with Tarzan Dan off the digital and was surprised by the poor quality. Did not hear a lot of the broadcast but it sounds like they are picking up the mono Zoomer Radio feed off the AM and that's really surprising as there is now a stereo FM source they could be getting. Got me to think about how many people actually listen to the radio services on digital cable.

Last edited by Fitz (June 26, 2016 12:15 am)


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June 26, 2016 12:16 am  #4


Re: Toronto Radio’s “Iron Curtain” Celebrates 40 Years

Not broadcast related (apologies) but an old friend of mine who at the time a young constable in the R.C.M.P.  was approached by C.N. brass (I'm sure he wasn't the only one) about forming/joining  a security detail for the newly minted CN tower. He declined that opportunity and I know he regretted that decision. 


  
 

June 26, 2016 1:11 am  #5


Re: Toronto Radio’s “Iron Curtain” Celebrates 40 Years

An ST-2 Antenna helps FM signal quality: https://www.amazon.ca/Magnum-Dynalab-ST-2-FM-Antenna/dp/B003ETW2F0

 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

June 28, 2016 1:12 pm  #6


Re: Toronto Radio’s “Iron Curtain” Celebrates 40 Years

I also did a lot of FM dxing in Oakville in the late 70's/early 80's when i had access to an outdoor FM antenna. My stereo had a signal strength meter. 92.5 Rochester was my go to frequency. If it was coming in, I was good for all the other Rochester stations plus Erie and Syracuse. When the E-skip hit ch 2-4, I would check out the "educational" portion of the FM band [88-92] to see where the skip was coming from. It made it a lot easier, to id the TV skip.      It is also, unfortunate that an increasing number of Buffalo FM's are no longer available or have impaired signals here. 92.9 and 106.5 are gone. 96.9 is OK Scarboro east or in Oakville, 104.1 gets grief from "The Dock". 96.1 gets splatter from 96.3 and 93.7 is overrun by Move93.5. The only frequencies I have found to be consistant are 94.5, 99.5 and 102.5.  And yes, I do remember a night when all the Toronto FM's were silent. I picked up a station in Cincinnatti at 94.1. I believe they were WSAI then and now are Country formatted Nash-FM.

 

June 29, 2016 12:12 am  #7


Re: Toronto Radio’s “Iron Curtain” Celebrates 40 Years

Mr Cheese I think that Canada's First Rogers Battreyless ( CFRB) was Ted's father's baby way back in 1925.

Mace I think 103.3  still offers a pretty clear signal. They are the EDGE now but way back when were known as 103.3 WPHD. The intruding Canadian signals are a big part of the problem but listening to some of the stations now is actually like someone reciting the alphabet.

I remember the Rochester days and sometimes Syracuse, Erie etc. Not a skip phenomena but atmospherics and the TV as well. Rochester, Syracuse , Erie, Kitchener, Peterborough and Desteronto on Channel 6.

With the internet many signals are at your fingertips and the need for DX'ing is not quite what it once was. There's is some interesting content available via the net and if I was younger I would probably explore more thoroughly.


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June 29, 2016 4:38 am  #8


Re: Toronto Radio’s “Iron Curtain” Celebrates 40 Years

I forgot about WEDG. Their signal is pretty consistant. I used to listen to them as WPHD. I loved their morning show with Taylor & Moore. El Grosso from the Land Of Fa and Dr. Mel Practice "Expert Gynacologist at your cervix"