CBLA-FM

CBLA-FM (99.1 FM) – branded CBC Radio One 99.1 – is a non-commercial Canadian radio station licensed to serve Toronto, Ontario, and primarily covering the Greater Toronto Area. Owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, this station acts as the flagship station of the CBC Radio One network, broadcasting a mix of news and talk radio. In addition to the Toronto market, CBLA-FM also reaches much of Central Ontario with a network of twelve rebroadcasters. The CBLA-FM studios are located at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre, while the station transmitter resides atop the First Canadian Place. Besides a standard analog transmission, CBLA-FM streams its programming online.

"CBLA" redirects here. For the forensic technique, see Comparative bullet-lead analysis.
CBLA-FM
CityToronto, Ontario
Broadcast areaGreater Toronto Area
Central Ontario
Frequency99.1 MHz
BrandingCBC Radio One 99.1
Programming
Language(s)Canadian English
FormatNews/Talk
NetworkCBC Radio One
Ownership
OwnerCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
Sister stationsCBL-FM, CJBC, CJBC-FM, CBLT-DT, CBLFT-DT
History
First air dateMarch 5, 1928 (1928-03-05)
Former call signsCKGW (1928–32)
CRCT (1932–37)
CBL (1937–99)
Former frequencies910 kHz (AM) (1925–41)
740 kHz (1941–99)
Call sign meaningCanadian Broadcasting Corporation Great LAkes[1]
Technical information
Licensing authorityCRTC
ClassC1
ERP55,100 watts (average)
98,000 watts (peak)
HAAT303.7 metres (996 ft)
Transmitter coordinates43°38′56″N 79°22′54″W
Repeater(s)See § Rebroadcasters
Links
WebcastListen live
Listen live (via TuneIn)
Websitewww.cbc.ca/toronto/

History

CBLA-FM's origins date back to the March 5, 1928 launch of CKGW at 910 AM, a commercial station owned by Gooderham and Worts, with studios at the King Edward Hotel.[2] Due to the instability of frequency allocations in North America at the time, the station's frequency changed several times over the next number of years, to 960, 690 and finally clear channel 840. In 1932, the station was leased by the CBC's predecessor, the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission. It used the call letters CRCT until 1937, when the station was purchased outright by the CBC and adopted the callsign CBL, moving to a new transmitter facility in rural Hornby. The 650 ft guyed mast that the station transmitted from was for many years the tallest structure in all of Canada.[3] With NARBA in 1941, the station moved to 740 kHz; its former channel, now 860 kHz, went to CFRB (which would relocate to 1010 kHz in 1947), while the 840 kHz clear channel was relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, where it was taken by WHAS. (See Canadian allocations changes under NARBA.)

Between 1938 and 1943, CBL had a rebroadcaster, CBY, to supplement coverage in Toronto. CBY broadcast on 960 kHz, switching to 1420 in 1939 and then to 1010 in 1941. CBY is now CJBC 860, Toronto's Première station.

In 1946, CBL-FM was launched, bringing the CBC's FM network (now known as CBC Music) to Toronto. It originally broadcast on the same 99.1 MHz frequency now used by CBLA, but moved to 94.1 in 1966. (99.1 was vacant until 1977, when it was assigned to the CKO radio network. CKO ceased operations in 1989, and the frequency was again vacant until it was assigned to CBLA.)

CBL established a large low-power relay transmitter (LPRT) network in Northern and Central Ontario during the 1950s and '60s. These transmitters, all on AM frequencies, mainly rebroadcast the CBL signal but also offered some separate regional programming directed towards the regions served by the LPRT network in place of some local Toronto programming. One example of this was the daily Northern Ontario Report, which aired in the late afternoon. Most of these LPRT network transmitters now rebroadcast CBCS in Sudbury or CBQT in Thunder Bay. Some of these transmitters have switched to FM as well, or have been shut down as FM transmitters covering areas served by multiple AM transmitters have signed on.

In 1997, CBL applied to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for conversion to FM. 740's daytime signal easily covered Buffalo, New York; Erie, Pennsylvania and Youngstown, Ohio. It was also powerful enough to serve as the CBC outlet for the Waterloo Region as well. Its nighttime signal reached much of the eastern half of North America (including three-fourths of Canada). However, radio frequency interference made the station nearly unlistenable in some parts of downtown Toronto. In a controversial decision, the CBC was awarded the 99.1 frequency[4] over Milestone Radio, which had applied to open an urban music station, and which would have been the first station operating under that format in Canada, to serve the city's large black community. Adding to the controversy of the CBC being awarded a station on the FM band in the country's biggest market, 99.1 was believed at the time to be the last available FM frequency in the city. On April 19, 1998, the new FM signal signed on for the first time, and began simulcasting CBL.

On June 18, 1999, the station completed its move to FM, adopting the CBLA calls. CBL remained in operation for an additional day, broadcasting a recorded loop listing alternative FM frequencies for any remaining listeners. The final announcement ran thus:

This is CBC Radio One, broadcasting from the Hornby transmitter at 740 AM. In the Toronto area, we will now move to 99.1 FM, with additional frequencies throughout southern Ontario. This transmitter has served the community well since 1937, and has been at 740 AM since 1941. This is the end of an era in Canadian broadcasting history. Now, signing off, from CBL, adieu.

— Philip Savage, CBC Communications department[5]

The CBC subsequently surrendered two relay transmitters outside the city which duplicated the CBLA signal. In 2000, the CRTC awarded one of the new frequencies to Milestone, who launched CFXJ in 2001, and the other to the Aboriginal Voices Radio Network, who launched CFIE in 2002. The Hornby transmitter was leased to the new occupant of 740, CHWO, in 2001. That station is now known as full service oldies station CFZM.

The Jarvis Street transmitter site was demolished in 2002 to make way for the RadioCity condominium development.

Local programming

The station's local morning program is Metro Morning, and Toronto's most popular radio show in the ratings since 2004.[6] Now hosted by Ismaila Alfa, the program was previously hosted by Andy Barrie from 1995 to 2010 and by Matt Galloway from 2010 to 2019. Here and Now, hosted by Gill Deacon since September 2013,[7] airs in the afternoon slot. On weekend mornings the station produces Fresh Air, hosted by Nana aba Duncan and heard throughout Ontario. Saturday afternoons the station broadcasts an arts and culture magazine, Big City, Small World, hosted by Mariel Borelli.

The station also produces a second morning program, Ontario Morning, which airs on most of the network's transmitters in Southern Ontario outside of the Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ottawa, London and Windsor metropolitan areas. Ontario Morning is currently hosted by Wei Chen. Similarly, the aforementioned Big City, Small World is replaced by CBLA-FM-2 Kitchener-Waterloo's In the Key of C (formerly CBO-FM Ottawa's Bandwidth until its cancellation) on all of the station's rebroadcasters outside Toronto.

Since October 2005, Here and Now has begun at 3 p.m. on CBLA's main transmitter in Toronto, unlike most CBC Radio One stations whose local afternoon programs begin at 4 p.m. However, the station's rebroadcast transmitters outside of Toronto air regular CBC network programming for the first hour and join Here and Now in progress at 4.

CBLA's rebroadcaster in Crystal Beach, which serve areas within commuting distance of Toronto, normally air Metro Morning instead of Ontario Morning, but otherwise abides by the schedule used by other rebroadcasters – it carries neither the 3 p.m. hour of Here and Now, nor any other specially-scheduled programming specific to the Toronto area. (For example, special weekend editions of Metro Morning aired on CBLA during the 2010 G20 Toronto summit; however, the Crystal Beach and Paris transmitters carried a morning show originating from Ottawa, as did CBLA's other rebroadcasters outside Toronto.)

In September 2011, the CBC announced plans to launch a new local radio service for the Kitchener-Waterloo area beginning in fall 2012, re-using the existing transmitter, CBLA-FM-2 (89.1 FM) in Paris.[8][9] On November 7, 2012, the CBC applied to the CRTC to convert CBLA-FM-2 to a self-sustaining FM radio station, which would carry national CBC Radio One programs, along with a minimum of 12 hours and 30 minutes a week of local programming.[10] The new station commenced programming on March 11, 2013,[11] but was later forced to resume rebroadcaster-only service in April, due to a misunderstanding of the application details and the conditions of the repeater license.[12] The new station received full approval from the CRTC on April 25, 2013.[13] Prior to its sign-on, CBLA-FM-2 carried the same schedule as the provincial CBLA feed, apart from Metro Morning (Kitchener-Waterloo, like Crystal Beach, is also within commuting distance of Toronto).

Rebroadcasters

CBLA-FM has the following rebroadcasters.

CBLA-FM
CBCB-FM
CBCM-FM
CBCO-FM
CBCP-FM
CBLA-FM-1
CBLA-FM-3
CBLA-FM-4
CBLA-FM-5
CBLR-FM
CBLU-FM
CBLY-FM
CBOD-FM
CBLA-FM rebroadcasters in Southern Ontario
Rebroadcasters of CBLA-FM
City of licenseIdentifierFrequencyPowerClassRECNetCRTC Decision
BancroftCBLA-FM-599.3 FM269 wattsAQuery2014-488
Crystal BeachCBLA-FM-190.5 FM319 wattsAQuery98-428
HaliburtonCBLY-FM92.3 FM50 wattsLPQuery89-765
HuntsvilleCBLU-FM94.3 FM70,000 wattsC1Query92-783
MaynoothCBOD-FM89.3 FM110 wattsA1Query89-612
OrilliaCBCO-FM91.5 FM5,200 wattsBQuery88-487
Owen SoundCBCB-FM98.7 FM100,000 wattsC1Query
Parry SoundCBLR-FM89.9 FM180 wattsA1Query92-783
PenetanguisheneCBCM-FM89.7 FM2,800 wattsAQuery98-27
PeterboroughCBCP-FM98.7 FM10,170 wattsBQuery98-516
ShelburneCBLA-FM-4102.5 FM2,600 wattsAQuery2001-157
WinghamCBLA-FM-3100.9 FM11,800 wattsBQuery99-192

In the 1970s, the CRTC approved the CBC's application to change the frequency of CBOD 1230 to 1400 kHz and later moved to 89.3 MHz in 1989.[14]

In 1986, the CRTC approved the CBC's application to change the frequency of CBLY 710 to 1400 kHz[15] and later moved to 92.3 MHz in 1989.

On July 4, 2014, the CBC submitted an application to convert CBLV 600 to 99.3 MHz; this was approved on September 23, 2014.[16] In March 2015, the call sign CBLA-FM-5 was chosen for the new FM transmitter to replace CBLV.[17][18] CBLV was one of the last AM low-power relay transmitters to rebroadcast CBLA-FM Toronto.

Former rebroadcasters
  • Kitchener-Waterloo - CBLA-FM-2 (89.1 FM) - A former repeater of CBLA-FM what is now a local CBC Radio One outlet serving the Kitchener-Waterloo region.

Former callsigns

CBLA is a former callsign of a defunct CBC radio transmitter in Atikokan, as well as the defunct CBLR in Red Rock that now belongs to CBLA's rebroadcaster in Parry Sound.

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References
  1. Meaning of call letters
  2. "CKGW: Canada's Cheerio Station". City of Toronto. 2017-11-23. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  3. http://www.nydxa.info/archive/1999/NYDXA0899.PDF
  4. Decision CRTC 97-362
  5. Fybush, Scott (1999-06-19). "CBL, Adieu". Archived from the original (MP3 audio news story) on 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
  6. Renhart, Anthony, "Andy Barrie battles Parkinson's; Popular CBC radio host comes out ‘as a guy with a disability'", Globe and Mail, June 29, 2007
  7. "Gill Deacon named host of Here and Now". CBC News, May 31, 2013.
  8. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (2011-09-26). "CBC to introduce new local service to Kitchener-Waterloo". Retrieved 2011-09-26.
  9. Rubinoff, Joel (2011-09-27). "CBC to expand radio and internet presence in Kitchener and Waterloo by fall 2012". Waterloo Region Record. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
  10. Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2012-616, CRTC, November 7, 2012
  11. "CBC launches new Waterloo Region station March 11". CBC News, January 22, 2013.
  12. "CBC temporarily takes KW morning show off air". CBC News. 2013-04-23. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  13. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-203, English-language FM radio station in Paris and licence amendment for CBLA-FM Toronto, CRTC, April 25, 2013
  14. The Ottawa Journal from Ottawa, on October 18, 1975 · Page 47 Decision CRTC 78-473
  15. Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) (1986-10-01). "ARCHIVED - Licence amendment - CBLY Haliburton". crtc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  16. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2014-488, CBLA-FM Toronto - New transmitter in Bancroft, CRTC, September 23, 2014
  17. Canadian Radio News recap for February, 2015 Archived 2016-09-15 at the Wayback Machine (under call letter data), airchecker.ca, March 1, 2015
  18. CBC Radio station list - Ontario, dxinfocentre.com
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