My guess is 102.9 will called “The Hammer” I find that name great in my opinion and keep the Adult Hits format. My guess for 105.7 in Niagara would be “Easy Rock” if they stay with the AC format unless they tweek the format to Hot AC they would call it “Cool 105.7”, “105.7 Today FM” not like the Vista branded 2Day stations. But if they went to CHR (Top 40) format it would be called “105.7 The Beat”. Now for 97.7 since they are doing well with their active rock format. I would guess that they are keeping the HTZ-FM branding along with 610 CKTB.

haydenmatthews14 wrote:

My guess is 102.9 will called “The Hammer” I find that name great in my opinion and keep the Adult Hits format. My guess for 105.7 in Niagara would be “Easy Rock” if they stay with the AC format unless they tweek the format to Hot AC they would call it “Cool 105.7”, “105.7 Today FM” not like the Vista branded 2Day stations. But if they went to CHR (Top 40) format it would be called “105.7 The Beat”. Now for 97.7 since they are doing well with their active rock format. I would guess that they are keeping the HTZ-FM branding along with 610 CKTB.

"The Hammer" is great branding. Surprised it hasn't been used in Hamilton before.
 

Especially considering all their transmission problems in the last few months, some of which kept them off the air for over a week. 

I have seen a few people saying that they start with Whiteoaks as of Tuesday and someone else teasing an announcement saying they will be heard on air soon. Speculation is Tueday that Whiteoaks will take over the 4 stations. I am not sure what Move and Bounce will change to. I know the format will mostly be the same. Either way I am excited to hear what Tuesday brings if the changes happen then. 

haydenmatthews14 wrote:

My guess is 102.9 will called “The Hammer” I find that name great in my opinion and keep the Adult Hits format. My guess for 105.7 in Niagara would be “Easy Rock” if they stay with the AC format unless they tweek the format to Hot AC they would call it “Cool 105.7”, “105.7 Today FM” not like the Vista branded 2Day stations. But if they went to CHR (Top 40) format it would be called “105.7 The Beat”. Now for 97.7 since they are doing well with their active rock format. I would guess that they are keeping the HTZ-FM branding along with 610 CKTB.

OK....let me stop you right there. Why in the HELL would CHRE rebrand as Cool 105.7 and do hot AC? There's a station about a few slots down the dial. You might have heard of it: 105.1 the River. They do the same format and have been doing it for quite a few years.

Last edited by ckg927 (May 17, 2025 5:41 pm)

Any more updates or leaks from whiteoaks about there new brandings for CHRE and CKLH?
Or, do you know if there's a date when whiteoaks will take over?
There's nothing on there website as of yet.

ckg927 wrote:

SBR99: I'm SPECIFICALLY referring to the Niagara market. A market that size can only handle 1 of each formatted station. CHRE is AC and that format is not likely to change. Positioner change, MAYBE. Then again, Whiteoaks may decide to keep everything the same.. We're not going to know until it does happen.

Z 103.5 is rhythmic CHR and is way out in the burbs, which also puts dance and electronic music into its playlist as well.

Then, if a change happens, CHRE might change to a soft AC and be branded ez rock or klight.
But, I think bounce is more likely to change into a soft AC station because I've notised the playlist getting much softer and CHRE's playlist going more hotter or venturing into CHR taritory.
They air american top-40 which no AC station that I know of airs.

RadioAaron wrote:

The scoop:

102.9 and 97.7 are swapping frequencies, except CKTB will take over the 102.9 half (using 97.7's HD) while 97.7's Rock format moves to 105.7 as "The Monkey", who's HD2 will feed 610AM so The Monkey can simulcast, except at night, when 610 breaks and becomes paid-time Punjabi (brokered by Rock 95 Barrie.)  Meanwhile, 102.9 (formerly 97.7) will target Toronto as K-LOVE, while K-LOVE gives Whiteoaks 102.5 so they can run Cancon-free Classic Country.

Is that actualy true or just a joke?

RadioAaron wrote:

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

The scoop:

102.9 and 97.7 are swapping frequencies, except CKTB will take over the 102.9 half (using 97.7's HD) while 97.7's Rock format moves to 105.7 as "The Monkey", who's HD2 will feed 610AM so The Monkey can simulcast, except at night, when 610 breaks and becomes paid-time Punjabi (brokered by Rock 95 Barrie.)  Meanwhile, 102.9 (formerly 97.7) will target Toronto as K-LOVE, while K-LOVE gives Whiteoaks 102.5 so they can run Cancon-free Classic Country.

Is that actualy true or just a joke?

Yes.
 

Yes its true?
Please answor that question.
Cant whate to do an fm bandscan!

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:

Is that actualy true or just a joke?

Yes.
 

Yes its true?
Please answor that question.
Cant whate to do an fm bandscan!

I don't think it is true because it makes no sense as all these stations that have decent to good ratings would be throwing away and confusing all their remaining listeners especially those that don't know about all these other sister stations, frequencies and HD (I'm terribly confused and I follow this stuff too deeply). And who would honestly brand a rock station or any station "The Monkey"?

Imagine "Southern Ontario's Best Rock 1057 The Monkey"

 

km93 wrote:

Imagine "Southern Ontario's Best Rock 1057 The Monkey" 

And yet one of the top stations with a great signal in Jacksonville, Florida in the 60s was this one:

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:

ckg927 wrote:

haydenmatthews14 wrote:

My guess is 102.9 will called “The Hammer” I find that name great in my opinion and keep the Adult Hits format. My guess for 105.7 in Niagara would be “Easy Rock” if they stay with the AC format unless they tweek the format to Hot AC they would call it “Cool 105.7”, “105.7 Today FM” not like the Vista branded 2Day stations. But if they went to CHR (Top 40) format it would be called “105.7 The Beat”. Now for 97.7 since they are doing well with their active rock format. I would guess that they are keeping the HTZ-FM branding along with 610 CKTB.

OK....let me stop you right there. Why in the HELL would CHRE rebrand as Cool 105.7 and do hot AC? There's a station about a few slots down the dial. You might have heard of it: 105.1 the River. They do the same format and have been doing it for quite a few years.

Toronto has 2 CHRs, kiss and vergion.
But, kiss is leening more hot AC like CHUM.
Most large and medium sized markets hat 2 sometimes 3 stations in the same format, but each one tries to program differently.
CHRE might be a softer hot AC while the river is a real hot AC.
And, CHRE has a stronger signal into Toronto and hamilton so it will be hamilton's only hot AC station.
Just like kiss and vergion.
Vergion is a real CHR station while Kiss is a hotter CHR with a lot more throughbacks.
Oops! forgot about Z.
Z is hard to describe, Half dance, Half ethnic pop from europe and latin america, and half hip-hop and caribbian music.

Kiss 98.5 is like 92.5. It’s more like a Hot AC/Adult Top 40 format since the original Star 102.5 was sold back in 2023. They simulcasted with WKSE for a while until they transfered 102.5 to it’s new owner. Also don’t forget about 95.3 they are more of a Adult Top 40/CHR format as well.

RadioAaron wrote:

The scoop:

102.9 and 97.7 are swapping frequencies, except CKTB will take over the 102.9 half (using 97.7's HD) while 97.7's Rock format moves to 105.7 as "The Monkey", who's HD2 will feed 610AM so The Monkey can simulcast, except at night, when 610 breaks and becomes paid-time Punjabi (brokered by Rock 95 Barrie.)  Meanwhile, 102.9 (formerly 97.7) will target Toronto as K-LOVE, while K-LOVE gives Whiteoaks 102.5 so they can run Cancon-free Classic Country.

Bravo! Someone keeps obnoxiously asking for details and leaks, here's what you get. Calm yourself. The takeover will happen when it happens. It's seriously annoying every other post asks for who has details. The answer: No one on here.

Nothing was worse than the CINA takeover of CHAM. 

God, I still miss Funny 820, especially on a day when every station is in rerolls. 

RadioActive wrote:

God, I still miss Funny 820, especially on a day when every station is in rerolls. 

If there weren't already too many religious choices in the Niagara area, it would be very easy to speculate that 102.9 or one of the others would indeed become a religious station...if it is legal to do so.

The better question is whether or not Big 820 is on the air legally?  Do they indeed have a legal multicultural broadcast licence? I don't recall that being granted...