The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Bell Cuts 1,300, Closes 6 Stns., Including CJBK, Selling CKOC & CHAM

darcyh · June 16, 2023 12:16 pm

Tomas Barlow wrote:
cash wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
I'm quite sure those thrown out of work through no fault of their own will.
They weren't profitable because people weren't listening to them. The AM radio business is dying. This is not just a Canadian or Bell thing. This has been going on in the USA with Cumulus.
I'm told that CJBK was profitable but Bell can't be bothered to maintain AM sites in the future because of the negligence of those sites in recent years and the anticipated costs going forward.

According to the History of Canadian Broadcasting site Bell acquired CJBK in 2013. After ten years of ownership any maintenance is on them.

https://broadcasting-history.com/listing_and_histories/radio/cjbk-am

FWIW CKSL 1410 London was silenced in August 2016. Expensive repairs and low ratings were given as the reason.

RadioActive · June 16, 2023 12:40 pm

Radiowiz wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
Radio World on Steeles Ave. West, a few blocks west of Dufferin, has home HD radios for sale. There's not a lot of them, and some aren't exactly cheap or portable (one is a table top model) but this one seems to be the cheapest, made by Sangean, a manufacturer I've always had good luck with.

Sangean HDR-14
Too far. Not worth the bother.
Make it available at Walmart stores. Problem solved.

You can also order online through their site, so distance shouldn't be an issue. (Or you can try Amazon.ca.) I'm fortunately located not too far from them and have been in there and purchased a few radios from the place. In a world where it's now almost impossible to find a decent receiver - or in fact, almost any receiver - they have some pretty good stuff.

In Phase · June 16, 2023 12:55 pm

Tomas Barlow wrote:
cash wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
I'm quite sure those thrown out of work through no fault of their own will.
They weren't profitable because people weren't listening to them. The AM radio business is dying. This is not just a Canadian or Bell thing. This has been going on in the USA with Cumulus.
I'm told that CJBK was profitable but Bell can't be bothered to maintain AM sites in the future because of the negligence of those sites in recent years and the anticipated costs going forward.

Even if Bell (or Rogers, Corus, Zoomer, etc) wanted to maintain their AM TX sites, they would have difficulty finding qualified people to maintain them going forward.

Today's IT grads don't know anything about high powered TX's, modulation, RF systems, or phasing arrays.

Radiowiz · June 16, 2023 1:37 pm

RadioActive wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
Radio World on Steeles Ave. West, a few blocks west of Dufferin, has home HD radios for sale. There's not a lot of them, and some aren't exactly cheap or portable (one is a table top model) but this one seems to be the cheapest, made by Sangean, a manufacturer I've always had good luck with.

Sangean HDR-14
Too far. Not worth the bother.
Make it available at Walmart stores. Problem solved.
You can also order online through their site, so distance shouldn't be an issue. (Or you can try Amazon.ca.) I'm fortunately located not too far from them and have been in there and purchased a few radios from the place. In a world where it's now almost impossible to find a decent receiver - or in fact, almost any receiver - they have some pretty good stuff.

Until I see HD radios in Walmart or Best buy, they may as well not exist.
Average Jill and Joe are not going to go out of their way to obtain one.
Neither am I. I'd LOVE to have one though.

TheWiz · June 16, 2023 4:10 pm

Radiowiz wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:

Too far. Not worth the bother.
Make it available at Walmart stores. Problem solved.
You can also order online through their site, so distance shouldn't be an issue. (Or you can try Amazon.ca.) I'm fortunately located not too far from them and have been in there and purchased a few radios from the place. In a world where it's now almost impossible to find a decent receiver - or in fact, almost any receiver - they have some pretty good stuff.
Until I see HD radios in Walmart or Best buy, they may as well not exist.
Average Jill and Joe are not going to go out of their way to obtain one.
Neither am I. I'd LOVE to have one though.

\

Absolutely! This was one of the problems with the DAB experiment in the 90's. Radios were difficult to find, and when you did find them, they were expensive.

turkeytop · June 16, 2023 10:20 pm

RadioActive wrote:
Radio World on Steeles Ave. West, a few blocks west of Dufferin, has home HD radios for sale. There's not a lot of them, and some aren't exactly cheap or portable (one is a table top model) but this one seems to be the cheapest, made by Sangean, a manufacturer I've always had good luck with.

Sangean HDR-14

Thanks for posting the link to Radio World. I never knew about that.

Might be worthwhile taking a drive into the city.

TomTV · June 17, 2023 12:43 pm

Interesting if true, someone getting laid off by Bell that no one will particularly miss:

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https://twitter.com/politicsfisher/status/1670058647970275328

Robert Fisher @politicsfisher

Hearing that among the 1300 cuts @BellMedia this wk was Michael Melling who was behind the @LisaLaFlamme_ removal. The cuts also reportedly affected those CTV news pple involved in the discredited @patrickbrownont story.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RadioActive · June 17, 2023 10:10 pm

Maybe it was because of the cuts or maybe they've always been doing it and I just never noticed before. But on Saturday morning, I was up early and turned on CFRB, which was doing its usual simulcast of CP24's audio.

I was curious about what 610 was doing, so I switched to CKTB. They had CP24 on as well, which I'm sure the people of St. Catharines, if any were actually listening, didn't appreciate much. (There's nothing like hearing about a problem on the DVP in a traffic report when you're a hundred kilometres away from it and it will never affect you.)

I thought that was it, until they went to a commercial break. And that's when I discovered that it wasn't a simulcast of CP24. It was a direct simulcast of 1010, complete with traffic reports, commercials for Toronto businesses and even a CFRB ID at the bottom of the hour. They're not even substituting their own ID anymore!

After 8 AM, CKTB went back to regular and separate programming, with a local newscast. But you'd think they'd at least arrange to identify the station properly.

turkeytop · June 17, 2023 10:49 pm

Another casualty is CFVP, the 100 W short wave from Calgary.

Radiowiz · June 18, 2023 1:58 am

RadioActive wrote:
Maybe it was because of the cuts or maybe they've always been doing it and I just never noticed before. But on Saturday morning, I was up early and turned on CFRB, which was doing its usual simulcast of CP24's audio.

I was curious about what 610 was doing, so I switched to CKTB. They had CP24 on as well, which I'm sure the people of St. Catharines, if any were actually listening, didn't appreciate much. (There's nothing like hearing about a problem on the DVP in a traffic report when you're a hundred kilometres away from it and it will never affect you.)

I thought that was it, until they went to a commercial break. And that's when I discovered that it wasn't a simulcast of CP24. It was a direct simulcast of 1010, complete with traffic reports, commercials for Toronto businesses and even a CFRB ID at the bottom of the hour. They're not even substituting their own ID anymore!

After 8 AM, CKTB went back to regular and separate programming, with a local newscast. But you'd think they'd at least arrange to identify the station properly.

If CP24 is going to be on both 610 and 1010 AM then this is where "Tide gets your clothes clean" & other national ads fit in well.
No need to try and tell people in Niagara area to go to Al's Pizza shop in Toronto.
They'll never travel all the way out to Toronto.
However, an ad for Pizza Pizza works well. They're everywhere in Toronto and Niagara.
No need for local ads when National ads apply the best logic, given the situation.

RadioActive · June 18, 2023 7:09 am

I tuned CKTB in on Sunday morning and this time, they not only had local news but even an honest-to-goodness live hosted local talk show on at 7 AM. So whatever happened the day before was not repeated 24 hours later.

RadioActive · June 18, 2023 7:13 am

eladb wrote:
What a brutal day for radio!

BTW, I understand that Leafs Lunch on TSN 1050 has been cancelled as part of these Bell cuts.

Leafs Lunch co-host Mike DiStefano thanks fans after show cancelled

haydenmatthews14 · June 18, 2023 1:30 pm

Meanwhile I noticed that CTV Windsor's Friday's 11PM news was done out of CTV London with Carlyle Fieset and yesterday's 6PM regional webcast news done out of London too.

Brad · July 8, 2023 10:28 pm

I don't know if she was part of this layoff, but Brianne Foley started tonight as the weekend sports anchor for CHCH News. A quick google search shows a bio from CTV Regina, saying as of June 2023, she no longer works for Bell Media.

RadioActive · July 8, 2023 10:41 pm

This has nothing to do with the Bell layoffs, but I noticed former Global National Weekend anchor Robin Gill turned up last week subbing for Vassy Kapelos from Monday-Thursday on iHeart Radio (aka CFRB), then did fill-in duty Friday night for Jim Richards.

A Global article from 2021 says she was leaving journalism for other pursuits. Perhaps they didn't work out or maybe this was just temporary. But she did a pretty good job, either way.

Still, I wonder if her departure from Global was entirely her idea. A caller to one of the shows asked her point blank, "Are you the Robin Gill from Global?"

To which she snapped back, a bit too quickly for comfort, "Not anymore!"

ED1 · July 8, 2023 10:57 pm

RadioActive wrote:
This has nothing to do with the Bell layoffs, but I noticed former Global National Weekend anchor Robin Gill turned up last week subbing for Vassy Kapelos from Monday-Thursday on iHeart Radio (aka CFRB), then did fill-in duty Friday night for Jim Richards.

A Global article from 2021 says she was leaving journalism for other pursuits. Perhaps they didn't work out or maybe this was just temporary. But she did a pretty good job, either way.

Still, I wonder if her departure from Global was entirely her idea. A caller to one of the shows asked her point blank, "Are you the Robin Gill from Global?"

To which she snapped back, a bit too quickly for comfort, "Not anymore!"

I don't think she wanted to work weekends anymore, at a company struggling for revenue, in a dying industry.

Her blog post from 2022 at the PR firm where she was the VP is still up, and pretty much explains why she left.
https://www.talkshopmedia.com/blog/talk-shop-news/change-is-good-robin-gill-on-taking-chances-to-evolve-your-career/

Her LinkedIn also shows she is now a "freelance talk show host" for Bell Media out of Vancouver (and previously CKNW in Vancouver).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingill/?originalSubdomain=ca

peter · July 9, 2023 6:49 am

Is Ashley Kapelos Vassy's relative?

Last edited by peter (July 9, 2023 6:49 am)

RadioActive · July 9, 2023 7:04 am

Well, there's my lesson. Never post when you're half asleep! Saturday was a rough day. Thanks for the notice. I've made the correction.

Marc1178 · July 9, 2023 1:16 pm

Another possible buyer is Evanov Communications.

Radiowiz · July 9, 2023 2:01 pm

Marc1178 wrote:
Another possible buyer is Evanov Communications.

Good speculation!
That might be a good guess...Arise Christian radio Hamilton is doable, but what about the other AM station?
(& would they leave Windsor's AM 580 alone? Or make that Arise Christian radio also??)

radiokid · July 12, 2023 4:59 pm

Radiowiz wrote:
Marc1178 wrote:
Another possible buyer is Evanov Communications.
Good speculation!
That might be a good guess...Arise Christian radio Hamilton is doable, but what about the other AM station?
(& would they leave Windsor's AM 580 alone? Or make that Arise Christian radio also??)

I bet you multi-cultural will be on 820 or 1150. I also can see this done in Windsor as a stand alone. Multicultural or Religion are two formats that could work on AM and make money as stand alone operations or AM only. Oakville is a great example of this.

Radiowiz · July 12, 2023 9:03 pm

radiokid wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:
Marc1178 wrote:
Another possible buyer is Evanov Communications.
Good speculation!
That might be a good guess...Arise Christian radio Hamilton is doable, but what about the other AM station?
(& would they leave Windsor's AM 580 alone? Or make that Arise Christian radio also??)

I bet you multi-cultural will be on 820 or 1150. I also can see this done in Windsor as a stand alone. Multicultural or Religion are two formats that could work on AM and make money as stand alone operations or AM only. Oakville is a great example of this.

...and there we have it!
A company that already has a good handle on how to manage both religious programming and multicultural.
Any other AM stations for sale? Why stop there...assuming that it is the Evanov group in the first place.

It would be nice to just leave Windsor's AM 580 alone, but radio is a business, so who knows?

Glen Warren · July 12, 2023 9:38 pm

Is Windsor and area not already well served by the religious radio format, what with the recent sale of WDRQ FM and the already existing full power stations also with a religious format? Same for Hamilton. Evanov already have 1380 am in nearby Brantford with a christian radio format which reaches into Hamilton. WTSS in Buffalo has also recently been acquired by a new owner who has changed format to christian programming. Trafalgar Broadcasting also operates CJYE JOY 1250 am out of Oakville, again with christian talk and music.

The majority of theses stations either carry a network feed (US) or are operated as brokered time in Canada. Just my opinion but, is the Hamilton market not already served by this format? What would Evanov gain by running another AM from Hamilton with the same format?

paterson1 · July 12, 2023 10:06 pm

CHCH should have bought CKOC. Great for cross promotion possibilities between TV and radio. CKOC covers a large area with 50,000 watts. Move 1150 to the new CHCH building and utilize the television news department and on air personalities.

Make the radio very Hamilton/Niagara with a few talk shows, some brokered weekend programming. Any music could be a mix, run Roger Ashby's oldies show. Bring back well known Hamilton sports guy Ken Welch for a sports talk show.

Keep the station very Hamilton/Niagara with lots of personality and offer some ad packages with CHCH. Would be interesting and a win win win for Hamilton/CHCH/and CKOC.

Radiowiz · July 12, 2023 10:27 pm

Glen Warren wrote:
What would Evanov gain by running another AM from Hamilton with the same format?

Mostly a repeater of AM 530, I'm guessing, but (if the market permits) pick a language, any language outside of English and ta da, you've got Hamilton Ti Cat coverage...but I say this without actually studying the market to see if a specific language (ie Punjabi) would actually be doable, or if there is any such demand. Nice thought though...

radiokid · July 13, 2023 5:29 pm

If Evanov buys it.. doubtful they will just re-broadcast 530. Both Hamilton frequencies are 50,000 and blast into Toronto, so there is opportunity if a religious or brokered multi-cultural wanted to air their shows that target the whole area. CHCH I can't see buying either for the simple fact CHML exists. 1150 or 820 trying to offer a news talk format just doesn't make sense for the Hamilton market.

I also can't see them keeping Windsor as a music format. You are up against Detroit radio there... and as a stand alone AM, you are not going to make it work in 2023. Multi-cultural could work very well if you target Windsor and Detroit. And before anyone says it.. 1220 St Catharines isn't showing any profit yet... and I think they have a huge battle ahead of them as a music station on it's own. Not sure any one buying Windsor or Hamilton would take that risk.

Last edited by radiokid (July 13, 2023 5:31 pm)

tvguy · July 13, 2023 5:59 pm

Anyone buying the Hamilton station(s) will have a difficult battle to filip to ethnic. Not saying it cannot be done, but the CRTC will not allow a buyer to target Toronto/Mississauga - the incumbent licensees will argue against it. I suspect that an applicant proposing S. Asian languages will be well opposed by incumbents including Oakville, Brampton, and Toronto licensees. Its going to be an argument of demographics. What's the population in Hamilton-Burlington in that demo? Probably too small, and the Hamilton A.M. signals boom into Oakville where the Caine family owns 1320.

RadioAaron · July 13, 2023 5:59 pm

paterson1 wrote:
CHCH should have bought CKOC. Great for cross promotion possibilities between TV and radio. CKOC covers a large area with 50,000 watts. Move 1150 to the new CHCH building and utilize the television news department and on air personalities.

Make the radio very Hamilton/Niagara with a few talk shows, some brokered weekend programming. Any music could be a mix, run Roger Ashby's oldies show. Bring back well known Hamilton sports guy Ken Welch for a sports talk show.

Keep the station very Hamilton/Niagara with lots of personality and offer some ad packages with CHCH. Would be interesting and a win win win for Hamilton/CHCH/and CKOC.

You know it’s 2023, right?

paterson1 · July 13, 2023 7:05 pm

RadioAaron wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
CHCH should have bought CKOC. Great for cross promotion possibilities between TV and radio. CKOC covers a large area with 50,000 watts. Move 1150 to the new CHCH building and utilize the television news department and on air personalities.

Make the radio very Hamilton/Niagara with a few talk shows, some brokered weekend programming. Any music could be a mix, run Roger Ashby's oldies show. Bring back well known Hamilton sports guy Ken Welch for a sports talk show.

Keep the station very Hamilton/Niagara with lots of personality and offer some ad packages with CHCH. Would be interesting and a win win win for Hamilton/CHCH/and CKOC.
You know it’s 2023, right?

Hamilton/Niagara for the size of market is underserved with local radio. A marriage between CHCH and CKOC could work well. Make the station similar to community/regional radio but on AM. Laugh all you want, nobody else is doing this. The local cross promotion between TV and radio is something that other Hamilton stations don't have.

Because it is 2023 is the exact reason why new ideas should happen. The current model doesn't work and companies like Bell have been shown not to be the best at running radio stations. And please, spare us the stock answer of "if it were feasible, it would have been done.." If Bell knew what was feasible I doubt they would have bought CTV for $2.3 billion in 2003, sell most of it a few years later, and then turn around and buy the network back again. Nothing like paying for something twice.

darcyh · July 14, 2023 1:39 am

They should leave CKWW 580 the way it is.

It can't cost too much to run this fully automated oldies format and with 500 watts the electric bill is probably very reasonable. The station gets a decent signal into Southern Ontario and parts of Michigan. Several people I know that live in Michigan listen to 580.

I don't believe anyone is doing an oldies (50, 60, 70's) format in Detroit any longer and CKWW has carved a little niche for itself. They should solicit and target ads for Americans at appropriate rates. It worked for CKLW.