The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / CHIN AM could be on the move

**Posted by andysradio** June 27, 2025 11:53 am

They are applying to move to 900 AM with 435 watts day, 300 night from an new site in Toronto - atop of a parking garage.

https://applications.crtc.gc.ca/portail-portal/eng/listes-lists/public-proceedings/18

Last edited by andysradio (June 27, 2025 1:44 pm)

**Posted by Easily Amused** June 27, 2025 1:28 pm

I take it the station has been transmitting from that tall tower out Milton way, after a strong storm raised hell with the Toronto Islands back in 2023?

**Posted by RadioActive** June 27, 2025 1:46 pm

Something happened to the Island location and they had to abandon it, which is why they're on 1540 now as a daytimer only. (Ironic, since they convinced the CRTC to give them 91.9 as a rebroadcaster of their nighttime AM signal, then promptly began using it as a full time third outlet.)

I'm not sure when they moved their TX to the Island, but that wasn't where the station began. Check out this story from June 9, 1966, on their sign-on after CHFI-AM (now CFTR) moved off 1540. (Also note the specific mention that it was NOT going to be broadcasting in anything but English! That didn't last long. And that Al Boliska, of all people, was the morning man, and that Pete Nordheimer, another early CHUM jock, was also there.)

**Posted by Easily Amused** June 27, 2025 2:06 pm

Thank you. In 2016, I spent a few weeks as a shipkeeper in Toronto Harbour, on what is known as the shipping channel. At night, from the officers' dining room, I could see the aircraft warning lights on the towers, although I am unsure if they were the CHIN towers, or the CHKT towers.

**Posted by tvguy** June 27, 2025 7:34 pm

I believe they left Toronto Island because their towers were located on or adjacent to a water reservoir owned by the City. Toronto had wanted to get the AM stations off of the island for more than a decade, because of concerns about RF radio from the towers, at a school located on the islands. I think the school has a special environmental program for students throughout the city. CHIN made an attempt to use the CHKT towers, (diplex), but their proposal was not accepted. So CHIN exited. I also think that the City jacked up rental fees. Even ethnic AMers are feeling financial decline, a revolving door of “brokers” who don’t pay their bills on time, and a soft advertising market. So it is no surprise that CHIN has opted for a much cheaper solution, versus their big Island installation. Besides, they were awarded 91.9 as a rebroadcaster…very cheap to operate that transmitter, and it provides adequate service.

**Posted by Easily Amused** June 27, 2025 7:57 pm

tvguy wrote:
I believe they left Toronto Island because their towers were located on or adjacent to a water reservoir owned by the City. Toronto had wanted to get the AM stations off of the island for more than a decade, because of concerns about RF radio from the towers, at a school located on the islands. I think the school has a special environmental program for students throughout the city. CHIN made an attempt to use the CHKT towers, (diplex), but their proposal was not accepted. So CHIN exited. I also think that the City jacked up rental fees. Even ethnic AMers are feeling financial decline, a revolving door of “brokers” who don’t pay their bills on time, and a soft advertising market. So it is no surprise that CHIN has opted for a much cheaper solution, versus their big Island installation. Besides, they were awarded 91.9 as a rebroadcaster…very cheap to operate that transmitter, and it provides adequate service.

If you do a web search, odds are good you'll come across Scott Fybush's fine work from March of 2023, where he visited a number of tower sites in and around Toronto. This was before the derecho hit later that year that caused all the problems.

https://www.fybush.com/site-20230331/

**Posted by turkeytop** June 27, 2025 9:44 pm

andysradio wrote:
They are applying to move to 900 AM with 435 watts day, 300 night from an new site in Toronto - atop of a parking garage.

https://applications.crtc.gc.ca/portail-portal/eng/listes-lists/public-proceedings/18

How large a coverage area would that power level permit? When I lived up in the Owen Sound area, CHIN used to pound in during the day. I suppose there aren't many ethic listeners up there their advertizers would want to reach.

**Posted by Saul** June 27, 2025 9:55 pm

turkeytop wrote:
How large a coverage area would that power level permit? When I lived up in the Owen Sound area, CHIN used to pound in during the day. I suppose there aren't many ethic listeners up there their advertizers would want to reach.

Imagine they think of the AM as a repeater for the FM...

**Posted by turkeytop** June 27, 2025 10:44 pm

Saul wrote:
turkeytop wrote:
How large a coverage area would that power level permit? When I lived up in the Owen Sound area, CHIN used to pound in during the day. I suppose there aren't many ethic listeners up there their advertizers would want to reach.
Imagine they think of the AM as a repeater for the FM...

In American broadcasting circles I often hear the term "translator." I don't think I've ever heard it used here. Is it just a low powered repeater?

**Posted by Evuguy** June 27, 2025 10:55 pm

Thanks Andysradio. The transmitter is right at Lawrence and the DVP - Codeco Court. What I found odd with their Engineer's submission is that he completely omitted very nearby CHTO 1690 in his intermod interference calculations. He used 1280, 1430 and 1610, which have their antennas much further away down by the lake. CHTO is just a few km's away on a building rooftop in East York, much like this one will be. To quote "The proposed 900 kHz antenna will be located in North York, and is well removed from any other broadcast transmitter sites. The closest stations are CHKT 1430, located on Toronto Island, and CJTM 1280 and CHHA 1610, both of which are located in the Toronto Portlands."

The red diamond marks CHTO.

I also think 0.5mV from this site towards Hamilton and Newcastle from a monpole at this location and power level (425W day) could be a bit optimistic! The Engineer calculated that they would need to run the transmitter at 900W just to get 425W radiated as the antenna is not efficient.

Now at least my elderly Italian neighbour will be able to enjoy her programs again.
https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/chin-shifts-italian-language-programming-to-am.772107/

**Posted by Easily Amused** June 28, 2025 8:41 am

I am nothing more than a casual follower of radio and the nuts and bolts of the industry, not so much the personalities of the business. I was surprised during the shipkeeping gig in Toronto to see how small a tower that CHHA and CJTM use. CHHA broadcasts quite clearly to me daytime, here in the south of the Niagara Peninsula. After seeing so many antennas perched high on towers, or farms of towers for other stations, it's interesting to see the modest antennas at relatively low heights.

Last edited by Easily Amused (June 28, 2025 8:49 am)