the crtc website has 90 positive interventions for this application, so clearly people do care.....
https://applications.crtc.gc.ca/ListeInterventionList/Default-Defaut.aspx?en=2024-11&dt=i&lang=e&S=O&PA=B&PT=NC&PST=A
 

Their proposal would have CFOS at 89.3 on the FM band with 1.5 kilowatts of power. Not sure what frequencies are available in the area but given the terrain of the Grey Bruce area (rocky and hilly) that 1.5 kilowatts won't cover that much territory with a solid signal even if radiating from a tower at 600 feet.

Bayshore knows what they are doing and I wish them luck.

I bet they end up asking to keep the AM going indefinitely

I can just get a staticky signal on 560 during the day in North York, but it's there and it's mostly listenable, depending on your noise tolerance. 

I believe CFOS only plans to simulcast on 560 for 3-6 months when they get the FM up and running.  The AM station's transmitter needs to be replaced and major work done at the transmitter site south of town so I doubt they will build both a new studio with new equipment for FM and all of the expense for whatever needs to be done on 560 to keep it on the air. The AM tower land will be worth good money.  

Bayshore has their own FM tower which has their two existing stations, Country 93 and Mix 106.  Bounce FM rents off of Bayshore's FM tower, and other clients may be renting space as well.  CFOS FM would be at the top of the structure and apparently the frequency and power will give them their current daytime service area of CFOS AM which is below.

Currently they actually do reach a larger area in the daytime (areas like Perry Sound, south of Sudbury, north of Toronto etc.) with their distant and fringe signals but they derive no revenue from these areas and don't cater and rarely acknowledge them.

In the evening pattern, the CFOS AM signal is not reliable not far outside of town, even unlistenable.  At least the new FM signal will give them exactly the same pattern day and night and this is what they want.  Hockey broadcasts are a big deal and the Owen Sound Attack evening broadcasts are not listenable often  with the night time pattern in rural areas not far outsie the city.  

The CFOS service area is the red configuration on the map and the new FM signal apparently will give them this day and night.  This is also the area where the station brings in ad revenue. 

 

Last edited by paterson1 (February 26, 2024 8:35 pm)

The FM signal will be mostly for Owen sound and area maybe as far as Collingwood to the east due to the escarpment (blue mountain) it wont reach as good as the AM one. 

RadioActive wrote:

In some final housekeeping, the CRTC has finalized the requirements for the conversion and did not receive a single comment on the change. So the only questions now are: when does the big switch take place? And how long will they have to continue simulcasting on 560 before turning off the AM signal for good?

They've been on 560 since 1958. Somehow, "CFOS 89.3" just doesn't sound right!

I remember the day they went to 560. Prior to that they were on 1470.
 

Strange to see this post as im listening to them clearly in Barrie while working, on a Sony radio. This will be lost (signal-wise) for me when gone to FM.