CBR (AM)
CBR is a Canadian clear-channel radio station broadcasting at 1010 kHz in Calgary, Alberta. It broadcasts the programming of the CBC Radio One network. CBR's studios are located in the Parkdale neighbourhood of northwest Calgary, while its transmission facilities are located east of Calgary in Rocky View County.
| Broadcast area | Southern Alberta |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1010 kHz (AM) |
| Branding | CBC Radio One |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/Talk |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
| CBR-FM, CBCX-FM, CBRT-DT, CBXFT-DT | |
| History | |
First air date | September 8, 1948 (as CBX, transmitting from Lacombe) October 1, 1964 (transmitting from Calgary) |
Call sign meaning | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CalgaRy |
| Technical information | |
| Class | AM: A (clear-channel) FM: B |
| Power | 50,000 watts (AM) |
| ERP | 1,870 watts (FM) |
| HAAT | 331 meters (1,086 ft) (FM) |
Transmitter coordinates | 51°02′24″N 113°38′51″W / 51.04000°N 113.64750°W |
| Links | |
| Website | CBC Calgary |
CBR's daytime signal covers most of the southern two-thirds of Alberta. It can be heard at city-grade strength from Red Deer to Lethbridge, and provides secondary coverage as far as Edmonton to the north and several counties on the Montana-Alberta border to the south. At night, it covers most of western North America.
As of Winter 2020, CBR was the 2nd-most-listened-to radio station in the Calgary market according to Numeris.[1]
History Edit
The origin of CBR began on September 8, 1948 when CBX, with studios in Edmonton, started broadcasting on 1010 kHz from a site near Lacombe, roughly halfway between Calgary and Edmonton, in an attempt to serve both cities from a single 50,000-watt transmitter.[2]
From early on, however, reception of CBX in Calgary was poor.[3][4] To rectify this ongoing issue, on October 1, 1964, the original CBX transmitter was decommissioned and the single station was split into two distinct 50,000-watt stations with their own studios: one transmitting near Edmonton and one transmitting near Calgary.[5][6]
The Edmonton station kept the CBX call sign but moved to a frequency of 740 kHz, while the Calgary station obtained the CBR call sign but kept CBX's former frequency of 1010 kHz and clear-channel designation.[7]
Prior to CBR's sign-on, private station CFAC had aired CBC radio programming.
On March 16, 2006, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved an application by the station to implement a new, nested FM transmitter in Calgary itself to simulcast the AM programming, due to the AM signal's poor reception in some parts of the city.[8] This new FM signal, CBR-1-FM 99.1 was launched on November 28, 2006.[9] In recent years, the CBC has branded 99.1 as the main transmitter, even though 1010 is technically the main station.
Various other AM and FM rebroadcasters have been installed throughout southern Alberta.
On December 19, 2008, the licensee proposes to use a Subsidiary communications authority (SCA) channel to broadcast multi-cultural programs.[10]
On July 7, 2011, the CRTC approved an application by the CBC to relocate CBR's transmitter and antenna array from their original site in southeast Calgary to a site 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the northeast in Rocky View County. All other technical parameters would remain unchanged.[11][12] The move was completed in 2013.[13]
Local programming Edit
CBR's local programs are Calgary Eyeopener in the morning, and The Homestretch in the afternoon.
Transmitters Edit
| City of license | Identifier | Frequency | Power | Class | RECNet | CRTC Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banff | CBRB-FM | 96.3 FM | 1,180 watts | A | Query | CRTC 2005-225 |
| Blairmore | CBXL | 860 AM | 40 watts | LP | Query | |
| Calgary | CBR-1-FM | 99.1 FM | 7,000 watts | B1 | Query | |
| Coleman | CBR-2-FM | 102.3 FM | 51 watts | LP | Query | CRTC 2013-1 |
| Coutts | CBRA-FM | 90.9 FM | 720 watts | A | Query | |
| Etzikom | CBRI-FM | 92.1 FM | 1,114 watts | A | Query | |
| Exshaw | CBRE-FM | 100.7 FM | 138 watts | A1 | Query | |
| Harvie Heights | CBRC-FM | 97.9 FM | 420 watts | A | Query | |
| Lethbridge | CBRL-FM | 100.1 FM | 100,000 watts | C | Query | |
| Medicine Hat | CBRM-FM | 98.3 FM | 3,000 watts | A | Query | |
| Pincher Creek | CBRP-FM | 97.5 FM | 44 watts | A1 | Query | |
| Red Deer | CBRD-FM | 102.5 FM | 3,570 watts | B | Query | |
| Lake Louise | CBRQ-FM | 103.9 FM | 130 watts | A1 | Query | CRTC 2015-310 |
In 1993, the CRTC approved the CBC's application to operate new FM transmitters at Medicine Hat 98.3 MHz and Etzikom 92.1 MHz. The new FM transmitter at Medicine Hat would replace CJMH the existing AM transmitter 1460 kHz owned by Monarch Broadcasting Ltd. Monarch would surrender the license of CJMH once the new transmitters were in operation.
On April 30, 2015, the CBC submitted an application to add a new FM transmitter in Lake Louise with the call sign CBRQ-FM. If approved, the new transmitter would operate at 103.9 MHz to rebroadcast CBR.[14] A transmitter currently listed at 103.9 MHz in Lake Louise. The transmitter was owned by the Lake Louise Community Association.[15] The CRTC approved the CBC's application to operate a CBC Radio One transmitter at Lake Louise on July 14, 2015.[16]
References Edit
- ^ "PPM Rankings Winter 2020". Retrieved 2021-04-01.
- ^ "CBC To Construct New Radio Station". Edmonton Journal. January 31, 1963. p. 3. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ "TV Sets Interfere With Radio 'Casts". The Calgary Albertan. December 22, 1956. p. 3. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "The CBC Station You Almost Never Hear" (Editorial). Calgary Herald. February 9, 1953. p. 4. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "CBC Move Set". The Calgary Albertan. February 4, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "Fifth Calgary Station Starts Broadcasting". Calgary Herald. October 1, 1964. p. 27. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "Station Starting In Oct". The Calgary Albertan. September 26, 1964. p. 11. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ CRTC Decision 2006-84
- ^ "Completely Calgary", CBC.ca.
- ^ Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2008-120
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-413, CBR Calgary – Technical change, CRTC, July 7, 2011
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-413-1, CBR Calgary – Technical change – Correction, CRTC, July 14, 2011
- ^ "CBR-AM | History of Canadian Broadcasting". broadcasting-history.com. from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ 2015-0372-2
- ^ VF2105 in the REC Canadian station database
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2015-310, CBR Calgary - New transmitter in Lake Louise, CRTC, July 14, 2015
External links Edit
- CBC Calgary
- CBR history - Canadian Communications Foundation
- CBR in the REC Canadian station database
- CBR on Radio-Locator