The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / MY Broadcasting Launching CKOT-FM at 3pm

**Posted by km93** August 6, 2025 5:21 pm

Is CKOT's signal still very powerful? I remember being able to pick it up fairly clear heading into Brant County. I'll have to test it out when heading to Kitchener this weekend.

**Posted by zed** August 6, 2025 6:02 pm

km93 wrote:
Is CKOT's signal still very powerful? I remember being able to pick it up fairly clear heading into Brant County. I'll have to test it out when heading to Kitchener this weekend.

Yes

**Posted by turkeytop** August 6, 2025 7:44 pm

km93 wrote:
Is CKOT's signal still very powerful? I remember being able to pick it up fairly clear heading into Brant County. I'll have to test it out when heading to Kitchener this weekend.

For many years I lived on the Bruce Peninsula, north of Wiarton. Until the late 1970s there was no local FM up there. Just had to settle for whatever DX might be available on a given day. One of the more reliable DX catches was always CKOT. Sometimes I could get it on a portable radio with a whip antenna.

Once or twice a year I travel up around Grand Bend, on L Huron. CKOT always pounds in on the car radio up there.

**Posted by darcyh** August 6, 2025 9:59 pm

km93 wrote:
Is CKOT's signal still very powerful? I remember being able to pick it up fairly clear heading into Brant County. I'll have to test it out when heading to Kitchener this weekend.

Ten or 15 years ago when CKOT was still locally owned they replaced the tower with one that was significantly higher by about 300 feet (if memory serves me correctly) this additional height allowed them to reduce their effective radiated power from 50 to about 22 kilowatts and still achieve (theoretically) the same coverage area. This power reduction would have saved them lots of money in electricity costs. In London the signal was still strong but lost some of its penetrating power into buildings in the west end of the city from my observations.

The tower is visible on highway 19 south of the 401. It was interesting to watch the new tower being constructed beside the original one.

CKOT has a large coverage area.

Last edited by darcyh (August 6, 2025 10:01 pm)

**Posted by haydenmatthews14** August 7, 2025 3:13 pm

So it looks like 101.3 will compete against 95.9 and 98.1? The rock format wars begin now.

**Posted by LOSat** August 8, 2025 11:42 am

101.3 disappeared as preset on my car radio after their flip and 95.9 and 98.1 have both never been preset.

**Posted by haydenmatthews14** August 8, 2025 3:01 pm

LOSat wrote:
101.3 disappeared as preset on my car radio after their flip and 95.9 and 98.1 have both never been preset.

Unless 98.1 could switch to Classic Hits and adopt the “Cool” branding just like the Blackburn stations in Chatham, Sarnia and Wingham.

**Posted by RadioQuiz** August 8, 2025 3:31 pm

LOSat wrote:
101.3 disappeared as preset on my car radio after their flip and 95.9 and 98.1 have both never been preset.

Wow. Non rock fan doesn't listen to rock music. Pictures at 11.

**Posted by sbpointer** August 9, 2025 12:32 pm

haydenmatthews14 wrote:
LOSat wrote:
101.3 disappeared as preset on my car radio after their flip and 95.9 and 98.1 have both never been preset.
Unless 98.1 could switch to Classic Hits and adopt the “Cool” branding just like the Blackburn stations in Chatham, Sarnia and Wingham.

98.1 has a great on air team right now. A flip to Classic Hits going head to head with Rogers JACK 102.3 would be an interesting move. Was it here I read the rumor that Blackburn was pursuing a purchase of CHST-FM?

**Posted by haydenmatthews14** August 9, 2025 4:18 pm

sbpointer wrote:
haydenmatthews14 wrote:
LOSat wrote:
101.3 disappeared as preset on my car radio after their flip and 95.9 and 98.1 have both never been preset.
Unless 98.1 could switch to Classic Hits and adopt the “Cool” branding just like the Blackburn stations in Chatham, Sarnia and Wingham.
98.1 has a great on air team right now. A flip to Classic Hits going head to head with Rogers JACK 102.3 would be an interesting move. Was it here I read the rumor that Blackburn was pursuing a purchase of CHST-FM?

So if Blackburn did purchase CHST-FM what branding would they use? “Cool 102.3”?

Last edited by haydenmatthews14 (August 9, 2025 4:18 pm)

**Posted by RadioAaron** August 9, 2025 4:39 pm

sbpointer wrote:
haydenmatthews14 wrote:
LOSat wrote:
101.3 disappeared as preset on my car radio after their flip and 95.9 and 98.1 have both never been preset.
Unless 98.1 could switch to Classic Hits and adopt the “Cool” branding just like the Blackburn stations in Chatham, Sarnia and Wingham.
98.1 has a great on air team right now. A flip to Classic Hits going head to head with Rogers JACK 102.3 would be an interesting move. Was it here I read the rumor that Blackburn was pursuing a purchase of CHST-FM?

It would make a LOT of sense. Competing as a stand-alone against Bell and Corus is very difficult. 98.1 and 102.3 will probably be paired one way or the other.

**Posted by Aytononline** August 9, 2025 6:07 pm

Blackburn Media has not started or bought a radio station or anything else in a long time. Gone are the days when they owned everything in London. (newspaper, radio and tv).
I always wondered way they never really expanded beyond they home base.

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** August 9, 2025 7:24 pm

Mz media should have bot CKOT.
I think mybroadcasting is now acting like the big guys.
Bying stations left and right.
John, if you want your stations to be local, learn from bayshore and have a news centre, a lunchtime magazene show, specialty programs on the myfm and country stations, and have more local staff on the myfm stations and local morning shows.
When i've listened to the myfms, they sound the exact same.
Same playlist, simular programing, short local snipits, and no local morning show.
Small cities and towns nead extralocal radio, now more than ever.
Maybe you should get into talkradio on am

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** August 9, 2025 7:28 pm

Aytononline wrote:
Blackburn Media has not started or bought a radio station or anything else in a long time. Gone are the days when they owned everything in London. (newspaper, radio and tv).
I always wondered way they never really expanded beyond they home base.

Good for blackburn.
Whiteoaks is the same, hopefully, they keep there stations localy oriented.
There doing a great job sofar with the new stations, I love the new legend format.