CKKL-FM
CKKL-FM (93.9 FM) is a radio station in Ottawa. Owned by Bell Media, it broadcasts a country music format branded as Pure Country 94. CKKL's studios are located in the Bell Media Building on George Street in Downtown Ottawa's ByWard Market, while its transmitter is located in Camp Fortune, Quebec.
 | |
| City | Ottawa, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | National Capital Region |
| Branding | Pure Country 94 |
| Slogan | Ottawa's Pure Country |
| Frequency | 93.9 MHz (FM) |
| First air date | 1947 |
| Format | Country |
| Language(s) | English |
| ERP | 95,000 watts |
| HAAT | 323 meters (1,060 ft) |
| Class | C1 |
| Call sign meaning | CK KooL FM (former branding) |
| Former call signs | CFRA-FM (1947-1961) CFMO (1961-1992) |
| Owner | Bell Media (Bell Media Ottawa Radio Partnership) |
| Sister stations | CFGO, CFRA, CJMJ-FM, CJOH-DT, CHRO-TV |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www.iheartradio.ca/purecountry/Ottawa |
History
Frank Ryan originally launched the station in 1947 as CFRA-FM, simulcasting the programming of its AM sister station. In 1959, the station began airing some separate programming. In 1961, Ryan sought approval to increase power from 860 watts to 146,000 watts via a new transmission site at Camp Fortune.[1][2] The Ryan Tower would become the area's main radio and television transmission site. Two years later, in 1961, the station's programming became fully independent of CFRA's, and the station adopted the callsign CFMO. CFRA and CFMO were subsequently acquired by CHUM Limited in 1968.
The station manager at the time was veteran broadcaster Gord Atkinson, well known to Ottawa listeners. The music director was Ray Eckford. Announcers included: John Cavill and Bryan Williams (mornings) as well as Jim Bristow and Dick Richards (whose real name was Richard "Dick" Gasparini from CKWW and CKCY-FM) in the evenings. The station's MOR format included an unwavering diet of traditional artists such as Bing Crosby (a personal favourite of Atkinson's), Mantovani, Peggy Lee, Ronnie Aldrich, the Somerset Strings, Frank Sinatra and others of the same genre.
CHUM dropped the station's longtime easy listening format on August 28, 1992, adopting the CKKL-FM calls and the brand name Kool FM for its new Hot AC format. The first song was Time, Love & Tenderness by Michael Bolton. The CFMO calls and format were picked up by CHEZ-FM Inc., and adopted on what is now CKBY. During their Hot AC days, they aired mostly CHR music during the evening hours (in large part due to CRTC regulations banning FM stations for having more than 50% of hit material on their playlists to protect AM stations and French-language stations), as well as the dance music show "Pirate Radio" with Chris Sheppard on Saturday nights. During the 1990s, CKKL competed against Top 40 stations CKTF-FM (which airs in French) and AM station Energy 1200 (which aired in English). Station liners during this time promoted "Hit Music on FM," directly targeting Energy 1200 listeners. After "Energy" flipped to alternative rock in 1997, CKKL was considered the default English-language hit music station in Ottawa. By February 2003, when CIHT-FM (now a CHR station) launched with its Rhythmic CHR format, CKKL completely shifted to CHR.
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On May 31, 2003, at 9:39 AM, CKKL-FM dropped its CHR format, and began stunting with the audio from the movie What About Bob?. After the movie aired, snippets of music played, with Bob FM launching at Noon that day, adopting the adult hits format. The first song on "Bob" was I Want A New Drug by Huey Lewis and The News.
Bob FM's morning show, Cub & Company, was hosted by Cub Carson and Melanie Adams, and until February 2013, Sandy Sharkey. The show was formerly hosted by "Stuntman" Stu Schwartz, who is now at CJMJ-FM.
In 2007, CTVglobemedia bought CKKL-FM along with the other CHUM Limited properties. In 2011, Bell Canada acquired CTVglobemedia, renaming the company as Bell Media.
On February 1, 2013, Bell Media announced that longtime Bob FM announcers Steve Gregory and Sandy Sharkey were leaving the station as a result of cuts.[3]
Flip to country
On November 10, 2014, Bell Media announced that the Bob FM format would be discontinued, citing changing "market conditions" and the need to "pursue a new opportunity". All of the station's on-air talent, including Cub Carson, were laid off, and the station began airing blocks of music punctuated by promos announcing an impending relaunch. Its website referred Bob FM listeners to the online stream of sister station CJPT-FM.[4][5] On November 12, 2014 at 11:45 a.m., after playing "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, CKKL went into a 15-minute stunt of a ticking clock. At Noon, CKKL flipped to country music as New Country 94—launching with a marathon of 10,000 songs played commercial-free.[4][6]
On May 28, 2019, the station was renamed Pure Country as part of a nationwide rebranding.[7]
References
- "Ottawa Citizen - Google News Archive Search".
- "Ottawa Citizen - Google News Archive Search".
- https://ottawacitizen.com/news/Bell+Media+cuts+staff+Majic/7902363/story.html
- "Country Rising From Bob's Ashes In Ottawa". Radio Insight. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
- "Ottawa's BOB-FM goes silent after decade of music and conversation". Ottawa Citizen. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- "Bell Media shakes up radio scene". Ottawa Citizen. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- "Pure Country: Nationwide rebrand gives new name to Big Dog 92.7". CTV News Regina. Retrieved 2019-05-28.