CKCL-FM

CKCL-FM (107.1 MHz, Classic 107) is a commercial radio station in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Owned by Golden West Broadcasting, it broadcasts classical and jazz music.

For other stations that held the CKCL call sign, see CKCL.
CKCL-FM
Broadcast areaWinnipeg, Manitoba
Frequency107.1 MHz (FM)
BrandingClassic 107
SloganWinnipeg's Classical and Jazz Station
Programming
FormatClassical, Jazz
Ownership
OwnerGolden West Broadcasting
CHVN-FM
History
First air date
October 21, 1999
Former call signs
CFEQ-FM (1999-2013)
Former frequencies
93.5 MHz (1999-2000)
Call sign meaning
Corruption of "classical"
Technical information
ClassC1
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT223 meters (732 ft)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websiteclassic107.com

CKCL's studios and offices are located at 741 St. Mary's Road in St. Vital. Its transmitter is on Provincial Trunk Highway 2 near Route 424 in Springstein, Manitoba.[1] CKCL-FM is one of only a handful of commercially licensed Classical stations in North America.

History

As FREQ 107

In 1999, Christian Solutions Group Inc. received Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approval to operate CFEQ-FM, an English language Christian rock station. It was a specialty low power radio station at 93.5 FM, broadcasting at 22 watts.[2] In 2000, CFEQ moved from 93.5 to 107.1 FM.[3] The station branded as FREQ-FM. A year later, the station's licence was revoked by request of the owner of Christian Solutions Group.[4]

In 2002, HIS Broadcasting (a company led by the station's previous manager Tom Hibert, and later renamed Kesitah Inc.), received CRTC approval to launch a Contemporary Christian music station, targeted towards youth and young adults, on the same frequency as the former CFEQ.[5] The new station launched once again as CFEQ-FM, with the on-air branding FREQ 107,

The station initially broadcast a CCM format, but it later segued to a secular, modern rock-based presentation in an attempt to become more competitive with commercial stations in the market. The ploy was unsuccessful, as secular advertisers were not interested in advertising on what was still legally a Christian station, and faith-based advertisers objected to its "liberal" positioning.[6] As its CRTC license still required at least 95% of all music played by the station weekly to be "non-classic religious music", Kesitah relied on a broad interpretation of the category. [6]

Kesitah later sought a license amendment from the CRTC to reduce this quota to 31%. The company argued that there was limited listener interest in religious music, and that being able to shift to a predominantly-secular format would allow CFEQ to be more competitive with other commercial stations in the market. It also argued that the station's small youth audience and difficulty attracting advertisers was making it unprofitable.[6]

The amendment was denied by the CRTC in 2006, citing that the station's original approval was on the basis that it would be a Christian music station, and that allowing it to compete directly with mainstream stations would undermine the CRTC's competitive licensing process.[6]

Acquisition by Golden West, flip to classical
Logo as Ignite 107, used from 2008-2013.

In early 2008, Golden West Broadcasting acquired Kesitah, making CFEQ a sister station to Winnipeg's other Christian music station, CHVN-FM.[7] On September 29, 2008, CFEQ-FM flipped to Christian CHR as Ignite 107. On February 14, 2011, Golden West applied for a major increase in CFEQ-FM's effective radiated power, going from 920 watts to 100,000 watts. The CRTC granted approval on October 7, 2011.[8]

On April 8, 2013, the CRTC approved a request by Golden West to convert CFEQ to a specialty music format focusing on classical music. Golden West stated that the station had continued to be unprofitable, and cited Winnipeg's position as a "cultural centre" of Canada, as well as CBC Radio 2's shift away from classical music, as providing a potential audience. The CRTC approved the application, ruling that the new format would increase the diversity of the market, and that CHVN would be able to supplant CFEQ's former role as a Christian station.[9] The new station, carrying the CKCL-FM call sign and the Classic 107.1 name, launched at 10 a.m. on December 5, 2013.[10]

In late 2019 the station's studio moved from its former location at 20 St. Mary's Rd. in St. Boniface to 1-741 St. Mary's Rd. in St. Vital, co-locating with sister station CHVN-FM.

References
  1. FCCdata.org/CKCL-FM
  2. Decision CRTC 99-467
  3. Decision CRTC 2000-385
  4. Decision CRTC 2001-35
  5. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2002-226
  6. "CFEQ-FM Winnipeg - Licence amendment". CRTC. 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
  7. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2008-134
  8. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-644
  9. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-180, April 8, 2013.
  10. Winnipeg Free Press: "New station to hit airwaves", November 29, 2013.

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