Interesting that Pattison decided to invest in the "new" medium. If memory serves, CFRB is on 99.9 and CityNews 680 is on 92.5, (and if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will correct the record.) It's telling that neither of them ever, ever mentions it. I guess because it's already set up and it doesn't cost them anything that they let it run.

Yet most new cars come with HD and it's all but ignored. That's why I think they may have given up on the entire idea. Tough to find an audience if you don't tell people it's there.  

Maybe those offering something different still care. Doesn't Indie 88.1 offer a different format on its HD signal? But again, I can't find a word about it on their website. 

I believe 92.9 The Grand extends its reach into Toronto by using an HD channel on 94.7. Again, how many people actually use it or know about it is another question. Fron their website:

How to listen

So would you say the idea is dead? The signals are there, but how many people even know about HD and of those, how many even use it?

As someone waiting on delivery of a new car, I'm interested to see what HD holds, but I can't help but wonder if these signals will someday be turned off simply for a lack of interest. 

If they're going to bother, I just wish they'd at least try and promote the thing. Otherwise, why bother? Hence my original question about whether they've simply given up and have consigned this to the DAB of Canadian broadcasting history. It's a shame, because if done right, it could have some promise for moribund and increasingly abandoned AMs, which could use all the help they can get. 

It's like UHF in the 50s. If the US Congress or Parliament make it mandatory for car manufacturers to equip vehicles with HD radio (the way Congress required TV manufacturers to include UHF) then the audience will follow.

Durham Radio also runs CIWV 98.3 (WAVE-FM) Vancouver on their HD-2's of their Hamilton and Durham FM stations.  No idea how large the audience is, but the signal is pretty good on my car radio throughout the GTA and I listen to it often while in the Car.  For about 6 years they ran the program content that used to be on 94.7 Hamilton (before it flipped to country).  When their vancouver station signed on last summer, the feed changed to Vancouver - several of the same on-air personalities, plus 3 or 4 Vancouver-based on-air staff.

The CFZM (Zoomer 740) signal on 96.3 HD-2 is excellent throughout the GTA and beyond.  I believe that the ethnic stations CIRV-FM 88.9 and the Tamiil station 101.3, promote their HD2's, 3's and 4's on air extensively.

 

Relevant to this thread:

https://gta.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=8988

RadioAaron wrote:

The ownership cap relaxation released last month is going to get the AMs onto FM in short order..

Now that's a very interesting prediction. Let's say you're right. There is almost no room left on the FM dial in the GTA for new stations (or even flipped AMs) so then the question becomes which existing station format gets obliterated to make room for a CFRB or a CityNews 680 on FM? 

Would Rogers, for example, be willing to nuke Kiss 92.5 to put a 680 rebroadcaster there? Would Corus dare to take AM640 and put it on CFNY?  And what underperforming FM lamb would Bell lead to the slaughter in order to transfer 1010 to the other stereo side of life? Or are you suggesting they might just buy out an existing player and use them? 

And what happens to those AM signals? Do they remain on like WINS and the Fan in New York City, while simulcasting on FM? Or will what is now CFRB eventually be Bloomberg 1010 after a suitable time passes and the audience gets used to the new tuning order?

This changes the thread, but it opens up a huge number of possibilities that could fundamentally alter the current Toronto radio dial as we've known it for years. Either way, the future will certainly sound different.

RadioActive wrote:

Or are you suggesting they might just buy out an existing player and use them? 

That one.

RadioAaron wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

Or are you suggesting they might just buy out an existing player and use them? 

That one.

OK. Who is willing to sell such a prime piece of spectrum and give up access to the biggest market in the country? I suppose if the price is right, any of them could be tempted. Here's a list of potential private owners that could be talked out of their licences for a profit.

CIND-FM 88.1 aka IndieFM - Owned by Central Ontario Broadcasting in Barrie. But at just 12 K, is the signal strong enough for an established FM?  

CKDX 88.5 - The Evanov's Lite Favourites. But this is their only really good signal into Toronto proper. Would they be willing to sacrifice it to one of the big 3?

91.9 CHIN-1 FM. This one has always annoyed me because it was supposed to be a rebroadcaster of 1540's AM signal. But somehow it became a full time station instead. Would the Lombardi family be willing to give up that paid time?
  
CFXJ 93.5 - Would Stingray be prepared to let Today Radio become yesterday's memory? One thing is certain - co-owned Boom is not for sale at any price. 

CJKX-FM, aka KX95.9 - Would Durham be willing to sell the larger signal into the GTA?

CFMZ 96.3 - Would the waters part for Moses to get rid of his classical signal, leaving only 103.1?

CFZM, 96.7 - Radio Wiz notes it could be for sale, but it also has a limited range due to interference issues. Would that be enough to satisfy a Rogers or a Bell?

CKFG-FM, The Flow - Owned by the CINA Group. This, to me, is the most likely to sell out, but if the past is any experience, you could expect howls of protest from some in the city's Black community, which was already angry when Stingray flipped the previous home of Flow to Today Radio. Would the CRTC approve such a sale given the sensitivity? And it also has signal issues.

CHOQ 105.1 - A non-profit for the city's Francophone community. Again, would the Commission sanction such a sale?

CHRY 105.1 - Puts in a decent signal from York University, but I'm not so sure about downtown. Another ethnically sensitive station. 

CFPT 106.5 - I believe it's obligated to serve the Indigenous community of Toronto as a condition of licence and already has virtually no listeners. Plus, it feeds its sister station in Ottawa. Could First Peoples Radio be convinced to sell it and would that even be allowed?  

CJXY 107.9 - Would Corus consider bringing the station from Burlington to Toronto and would that even be possible? 

As you can see, there aren't that many independents to go around, some have programming commitments and others have issues with power and reach. (I didn't even bother listing Evanov's Pride FM, which can barely be heard uptown.) So which of these would a Rogers, Bell or Corus consider buying? Almost all of them have a drawback, often signal related. 

The future could get interesting around here if your initial prediction is correct. 

RadioActive wrote:

 One thing is certain - co-owned Boom is not for sale at any price. 
 

It's been bought and sold three times since becoming Boom. Never say never.

Last edited by RadioAaron (January 8, 2023 2:48 pm)

RadioActive wrote:

My opinion is based on the last ratings book, which saw Boom 97.3 close to #1 in some demos. I can't see Stingray selling its best performing outlet in the biggest market in Canada, with a great signal, at any price. They don't have a lot of other stations in the GTA. So I doubt they'd part with it. At least not for now.  

Two of the last times it was sold were due to a large broadcasters exiting the industry. That could easily happen again. Little to no chance that the format will change, but #1 stations are sold all the time.