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KX96 Wants More Power & Why AM740 Nearly Landed At 89.9
KX96 may soon be reaching more of the “country” in the GTA. The CRTC will decide this coming week if Durham Radio will be granted a request to boost the power of its repeater to 1,000 watts, in order to reach a larger audience.
According to their application to the CRTC, “The proposed additional coverage for CJKX-FM-2 provides a reliable signal to 708,000 people in 273,000 households in the west side of the City of Toronto and the east side of the City of Mississauga. This area does not have a reliable Country music format station to listen to.”
(Those poor Mississaugans! Cheated out of country radio from Ajax! What would Hazel McCallion say?)
Some other aspects of the application are also interesting. For instance how they’re presently reaching two different cities from the same stick.
“The current repeater at CJKX-FM-2 uses synchronous transmission (on the same frequency as CJKX-FM). This is a method of achieving wider area coverage using multiple transmitters but without using multiple frequencies. It became technically feasible in the mid-1970s and is used widely in other areas of the world. However, little usage of the technology is apparent in Canada.”
And did you know that back in 2013 (long before AM740 finally got its “give-it-to-us-or-we’ll-go-dark” FM rebroadcaster in the downtown core) Moses Znaimer and Durham Radio came to an agreement that apparently would have seen CFZM show up on 89.9? Here’s part of the letter outlining the understanding between the two.
“DRI operates CKJX-FM-1 at Sunderland ON, on 89.9 MHz. The parties are in agreement that MZM may seek regulatory approvals for a low-powered FM transmitter of 20-30 watts to rebroadcast CFZM AM740 from FCP (First Canadian Place) or an alternative site in Toronto on the frequency of 89.9 MHz. The parties agree to cooperate and provide reasonable commercial assistance to each other’s technical advisors, in order to facilitate “test transmissions” from FCP on 89.9 MHz. Each party shall bear its own costs during such “test transmissions” from FCP on 89.9 MHz and the review of MZM’s (final) technical proposal. The intent of the parties shall be to ensure that MZM is able to implement a technical solution, that accords residents within the downtown area of the City of Toronto, reliable reception of CFZM on 89.9 Mhz.”
Not sure why that didn’t work out, but I think 96.7 is a better spot for AM740’s repeater in any case.
Last edited by RadioActive (July 30, 2016 10:35 pm)
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Re: KX96 Wants More Power & Why AM740 Nearly Landed At 89.9
All those people in Mississauga will have to live without their country music over the air, after the CRTC denied Durham Radio's attempt to stretch its KX96 signal a lot farther. In the end, the Commisson saw this for what it was: a shot at extending its signal beyond the areas of license, which is primarily Ajax and Oshawa.
(So how do they explain why they granted a Toronto repeater? Turns out that was based on an argument that commuters from Durham working in T.O. needed to keep their local signal with them. Amazingly, the CRTC bought that one and granted the repeater in 2006.)
To no one's surprise, all the big boys - Bell, Rogers,Corus and Newcap - filed interventions, pleading poverty for their outlets in the T.O. market, not wanting any more competition for their own signals and pointing out that CJKX isn't a Toronto station in any event - something Durham tried to argue.).
"The Commission is concerned that the service expansion into the larger market of Toronto could compromise Durham's service to Ajax and Oshawa, the market it is licensed to serve. Approval of the application could lead to the regionalization of programming, at the expense of the local coverage to the communities of Ajax, Oshawa and the Durham Region."
Nice try guys. But this country wont be coming to more of the city.
CRTC Denies Power Boost For KX96
Last edited by RadioActive (August 1, 2016 11:46 am)
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