The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / CKOT 101.3

**Posted by darcyh** November 22, 2024 5:52 pm

I thought I would start a new thread about CKOT 101.3 from Tillsonburg. A few years ago this was an independent station that was unique in the market. With its 50 kilowatts (now 22kw) of power it got a good signal into London, Kitchener, Brantford, Guelph and Woodstock. It was generally live from 6:00 am until midnight with automation overnight. I would be driving on the 401 on a Sunday night and Easy 101.3 would be the only station with weather and road condition reports.

The music content was pretty good with a diverse playlist. The station probably benefited from a change in format at CFCA FM 105.3 Kitchener (another once great station) when it abandoned its 'old fogy' programming and targeted a much younger demographic.

Long story short; once Rogers took over they started playing the most annoying supposed easy listening music. Live programming was reduced. The station lost all of its local charm. Just another scan pass station on the FM dial. I wonder what its ratings are today?

Perhaps the new owner(s) could consider returning this station to a full service operation with some actual live announcers and a return to more traditional easy listening music. The old CKOT had a pretty long list of advertisers. There is no shortage of potential sponsors: car dealerships, funeral homes, appliance, furniture, flooring, renovation, drug stores etc. that could benefit from a station that makes no apologies of catering to an older demographic.

The station can't get any worse than it is...

**Posted by Radiowiz** November 22, 2024 6:17 pm

darcyh wrote:
Perhaps the new owner(s) could consider returning this station to a full service operation with some actual live announcers and a return to more traditional easy listening music. The old CKOT had a pretty long list of advertisers. There is no shortage of potential sponsors: car dealerships, funeral homes, appliance, furniture, flooring, renovation, drug stores etc. that could benefit from a station that makes no apologies of catering to an older demographic.

The station can't get any worse than it is...

I agree please restore the easy listening.

**Posted by km93** November 22, 2024 6:17 pm

@darcyh I agree 100% with all your points-this was once a one of a kind station and it certainly can be again.

**Posted by RadioAaron** November 22, 2024 6:23 pm

Older demo for local sales? Absolutely. Live announcers? Two at most.

**Posted by Saul** November 22, 2024 6:38 pm

CKOT has in past years struck me as having the perfect format for the area. And stable - not jerking the local community around by changing formats every five minutes (which basically brands you as a loser). If anything, I'd increase community focused talk stuff...boost emphasis on things like ag reports, talk about the region.

**Posted by turkeytop** November 22, 2024 7:33 pm

Yes. The old CKOT was great. Even when we lived up in the Owen Sound area I could get it once in a while.

They still get a good signal into London here, but it's not worth listening to.

**Posted by mace** November 23, 2024 2:38 am

When I lived in Oakville, I had access to an outdoor Wineguard non directional FM antenna. CKOT would come in occasionally. I think they were the last of the "Beautiful Music" format stations in Southern Ontario.

**Posted by kevjo** November 23, 2024 11:49 am

mace wrote:
When I lived in Oakville, I had access to an outdoor Wineguard non directional FM antenna. CKOT would come in occasionally. I think they were the last of the "Beautiful Music" format stations in Southern Ontario.

The simple and stark reality is there is a reason the "beautiful music" format has disappeared from the commercial dial - there's no money in it. The demographic would be mostly 75 plus, of little interest to most advertisers. I'm not saying that's how it should be, it just is.

**Posted by turkeytop** November 23, 2024 12:27 pm

kevjo wrote:
mace wrote:
When I lived in Oakville, I had access to an outdoor Wineguard non directional FM antenna. CKOT would come in occasionally. I think they were the last of the "Beautiful Music" format stations in Southern Ontario.
The simple and stark reality is there is a reason the "beautiful music" format has disappeared from the commercial dial - there's no money in it. The demographic would be mostly 75 plus, of little interest to most advertisers. I'm not saying that's how it should be, it just is.

Got a call from an outfit that compiles radio listening statistics. The guy asked me if I'd be willing to participate. I told him I would. So he started asking for my personal information. As soon as I told him my age, he said they weren't interested in hearing from people in my age group.

I can't understand why. We're a demographic that is mostly debt free. We have a steady and disposable income.Wouldn't their advertizers want to speak to us, if there was radio we listened to?

**Posted by RadioAaron** November 23, 2024 12:30 pm

turkeytop wrote:
kevjo wrote:
mace wrote:
When I lived in Oakville, I had access to an outdoor Wineguard non directional FM antenna. CKOT would come in occasionally. I think they were the last of the "Beautiful Music" format stations in Southern Ontario.
The simple and stark reality is there is a reason the "beautiful music" format has disappeared from the commercial dial - there's no money in it. The demographic would be mostly 75 plus, of little interest to most advertisers. I'm not saying that's how it should be, it just is.

Got a call from an outfit that compiles radio listening statistics. The guy asked me if I'd be willing to participate. I told him I would. So he started asking for my personal information. As soon as I told him my age, he said they weren't interested in hearing from people in my age group.

I can't understand why. We're a demographic that is mostly debt free. We have a steady and disposable income.Wouldn't their advertizers want to speak to us, if there was radio we listened to?

I'll type this again so it can be ignored: They DO survey your demographic, but you're also the easiest demographic to get ahold of on the phone. So by the time they got to you, they had enough sample of your demo already and were looking for harder-to-get-ahold of younger demos.

**Posted by turkeytop** November 23, 2024 1:09 pm

RadioAaron wrote:
turkeytop wrote:
kevjo wrote:
The simple and stark reality is there is a reason the "beautiful music" format has disappeared from the commercial dial - there's no money in it. The demographic would be mostly 75 plus, of little interest to most advertisers. I'm not saying that's how it should be, it just is.

Got a call from an outfit that compiles radio listening statistics. The guy asked me if I'd be willing to participate. I told him I would. So he started asking for my personal information. As soon as I told him my age, he said they weren't interested in hearing from people in my age group.

I can't understand why. We're a demographic that is mostly debt free. We have a steady and disposable income.Wouldn't their advertizers want to speak to us, if there was radio we listened to?

I'll type this again so it can be ignored: They DO survey your demographic, but you're also the easiest demographic to get ahold of on the phone. So by the time they got to you, they had enough sample of your demo already and were looking for harder-to-get-ahold of younger demos.

Oh.

**Posted by Radiowiz** November 23, 2024 1:50 pm

kevjo wrote:
mace wrote:
When I lived in Oakville, I had access to an outdoor Wineguard non directional FM antenna. CKOT would come in occasionally. I think they were the last of the "Beautiful Music" format stations in Southern Ontario.
The simple and stark reality is there is a reason the "beautiful music" format has disappeared from the commercial dial - there's no money in it. The demographic would be mostly 75 plus, of little interest to most advertisers. I'm not saying that's how it should be, it just is.

Easy favourites is the term I think I am more accustomed to hearing in 2024, which DOES grab a younger audience. I really miss the old CKOT from before Rogers took it over. It was nice hearing instrumentals of songs anywhere from yesterday to yesteryear that I knew the words to. I'm also decades younger than 75.

**Posted by RadioAaron** November 23, 2024 3:17 pm

Radiowiz wrote:
kevjo wrote:
mace wrote:
When I lived in Oakville, I had access to an outdoor Wineguard non directional FM antenna. CKOT would come in occasionally. I think they were the last of the "Beautiful Music" format stations in Southern Ontario.
The simple and stark reality is there is a reason the "beautiful music" format has disappeared from the commercial dial - there's no money in it. The demographic would be mostly 75 plus, of little interest to most advertisers. I'm not saying that's how it should be, it just is.

Easy favourites is the term I think I am more accustomed to hearing in 2024, which DOES grab a younger audience. I really miss the old CKOT from before Rogers took it over. It was nice hearing instrumentals of songs anywhere from yesterday to yesteryear that I knew the words to. I'm also decades younger than 75.

You're an exception. Soft instrumentals doesn't get a younger audience or much of an audience at all. The closest you'd get is ambient or chill music, but that's far too niche for radio.

**Posted by Radiowiz** November 23, 2024 4:09 pm

RadioAaron wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:
kevjo wrote:

The simple and stark reality is there is a reason the "beautiful music" format has disappeared from the commercial dial - there's no money in it. The demographic would be mostly 75 plus, of little interest to most advertisers. I'm not saying that's how it should be, it just is.

Easy favourites is the term I think I am more accustomed to hearing in 2024, which DOES grab a younger audience. I really miss the old CKOT from before Rogers took it over. It was nice hearing instrumentals of songs anywhere from yesterday to yesteryear that I knew the words to. I'm also decades younger than 75.
You're an exception. Soft instrumentals doesn't get a younger audience or much of an audience at all. The closest you'd get is ambient or chill music, but that's far too niche for radio.

CKOT had a good strong audience before Rogers took it over, and it wasn't all old people either. I have solid faith in the idea that it could still work today.

**Posted by darcyh** November 23, 2024 4:31 pm

I believe most of the younger demographic hardly even listens to the radio. So programming aimed at them is mostly wasted.

Much of this demographic also has a lot of debt and live pay day to pay day. But they do have the latest and most expensive cell phone (on monthly payments of course) and a Spotify subscription. Heck many of these folks could not scrape up a grand without borrowing it. Geeze, why are these such a coveted group? Many don't listen to the radio period; and many don't have any disposable income to spend.

I am not suggesting CKOT adopt a beautiful music format, just replace the crap they play now with more traditional easy listening music, some live announcers and maybe news. Currently there is nothing on the FM dial in this region that is worth tuning in to. I bet they could be very successful. It will be interesting to see if the station stays non-relevant or takes advantage of the opportunity to rebuild its audience.

**Posted by Fitz** November 23, 2024 4:32 pm

Here is some audio of CKOT from 1991. The same tape also has a show called the Beat of the Band from CFCA and a country station from London called BX 93 both of which are from 1980. Cant remember when or how I obtained the tape.

CKOT 1991

Last edited by Fitz (November 23, 2024 6:19 pm)

**Posted by Radiowiz** November 23, 2024 5:36 pm

Fitz wrote:
Here is some audio of CKOT from 1991. The same ape also has a show called the Beat of the Band from CFCA and a country station from London called BX 93 both of which are from 1980. Cant remember when or how I obtained the tape.

CKOT 1991

Nice, except for the standards and the vocals. Instrumental is the way to go.