It's suggested on the radiowest board that the former CKLG itself may not shut down, as it has a superior signal to sister CKNW, which could then take over the frequency. CORUS' wording certainly leaves that door open.

However many listeners they did or didn't have, many are not happy with this news.

"Ouch": Listeners reflect on latest Vancouver radio casualty AM730

Yes, but how long did they stay?

Growing up in Vancouver I like most other kids idolized CKLG and its rival CFUN.
The jocks of both stations often switched sides as one tried to poach from the other to vie for ratings.
Little did I know I would end up working with the likes of the great Roy Hennessy.
I never worked at a radio station with him but he hired me and several other friends when we were in university to be live DJ's at a disco he briefly operated in New Westminster.
Later I met him when he came to Toronto.
CKLG and CFUN were huge in their day.
I later worked at the top 40 rocker CKDA in Victoria where my boss was JJ Richards.
He later become news director for CFUN, then owned by CHUM.
I loved those days thrilling to what stunt or promotion the two rival stations would pull off next.



 

Last edited by newsguy1 (June 26, 2024 7:21 pm)

BowmanvilleBob wrote:

Sad to see the final demise of Edmonton's CHQT AM, which had been using the Global News Radio moniker most recently. Although it was never in the same league as AM powerhouses like the former CJCA and CHED, the station had a solid commitment to news and served as the jumping off place for many journalists who went on to better things. After picking up the station from Shaw in 2000, Corus flipped it through so many formats that listeners were never sure what they were going to be hearing. I can recall the switch to all-news in 2008 where the station tried to compensate for a lack of resources by trumpeting its use of "citizen journalists", who were supposed to feed raw information into the newsroom. In another time and place, it might have worked.

For the last couple years, it was largely automated, playing a loop of stories recorded by CHED news staff.
 

BowmanvilleBob wrote:

Sad to see the demise of Edmonton's CHQT AM, which had been using the Global News Radio moniker most recently. Although it was never in the same league as AM powerhouses like the former CJCA and CHED, the station had a solid commitment to news and served as the jumping off place for many journalists who went on to better things. After picking up the station from Shaw in 2000, Corus flipped it through so many formats that listeners were never sure what they were going to be hearing. I can recall the switch to all-news in 2008 where the station tried to compensate for a lack of resources by trumpeting its use of "citizen journalists", who were supposed to feed raw information into the newsroom. In another time and place, it might have worked.

I listened back in the 90s when it was “Familar Favourites” and “Alberta’s Major News Station”. I loved the format of CHQT back then. There’s not much out there for airchecks except for this one.

https://youtu.be/6KnjiRMw7fE?si=8RiwcD-Gim5B8p1Q

Just to show how much the value of radio has changed. RadioWest reports on this date in 2006 Pattison Media purchased Island Radio which consisted of six FM stations in BC.  Two stations in Nanaimo, two in Parksville, one station in Courtenay and one in Port Alberni.  Pattison paid 12.5 million for the six, or an average of $2,080,000 each. 

CHAM, CKOC  in Hamilton, and CKWW in Windsor went for about $270,500 each including transmitter sites.   All AM but also in much larger markets.    

To be clear, Neeti P. Ray is leasing the transmitter sites for $366,000 in the first 5 years of a term that will not exceed 20 years. Bell retains ownership of the equipment and more importantly the land..

CJOY is likely next to go dark.

km93 wrote:

Still upsets me when I get a ride from someone and a Corus owned station is on the preset

Oh, how precious.

km93 wrote:

CJOY is likely next to go dark.

I could see that. I was thinking CFPL or CHML could be next but CJOY is a definite contender.

Last edited by Binson Echorec (June 28, 2024 3:27 pm)

If the existence of a corporate entity bothers you, that's on you.

I dislike Apple. My friends and family using iPhones doesn't make me queasy.

Sorry, but your reaction is an overreaction in my eyes.

I'll even amend my original comment to: "Really? You can't be serious."
 

Last edited by Binson Echorec (June 29, 2024 8:24 am)

The Vancouver Sun asked former CKLG DJs about their years at the now shuttered station. They all recall it as the glory days of radio, and lament the current state it's in, including Terry David Mulligan. 

“When I first got to LG73 it was rocking, it owned the town,” he said. “The state (radio) is in now, wow. It’s not just bodies flying out the door, which is really unfortunate. It’s entire stations going down. Entire networks going down. 

“The guys in the suits screwed it up from the time they got their hands on radio, they really did.” 

AM 730 is owned by Corus Entertainment, whose shares were worth $25 a decade ago, but are now worth 15 cents."

Vancouver radio station AM 730 fizzles out, long after its glorious LG73 heyday

Paul Jeffries wrote:

Of course, you'll probably find people that'll swear that radio is no better or worse than it was in back in the old days, it's just "different" these days.

PJ

I loathe that response whenever I hear it Paul.  I find those people are either extreme "company" people, in denial or just desperate to ride "what they know" until retirement, because they're too afraid to try something different.  It's sad that I say this because there are so many great people that bless the industry with their presence.  However there are a LOT of inflated egos that would feel empty without radio.

Last edited by Jody Thornton (July 4, 2024 11:00 am)

To add to ED1's earlier post, we've got a 1993 aircheck of Bob Bradburn on 880 CHQT Edmonton as the "Aircheck of the Week" on RadioWest - https://radiowest.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45742