CHSU-FM

CHSU-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 99.9 FM in Kelowna, British Columbia. The station currently broadcasts a contemporary hit radio format branded as 99.9 Virgin Radio.

CHSU-FM

City	Kelowna, British Columbia
Frequency	99.9 MHz (FM)
Branding	99.9 Virgin Radio
Slogan	Kelowna's #1 Hit Music Station
Programming
Format	CHR/Top 40
Ownership
Owner	Bell Media
Sister stations	CKFR, CILK-FM
History
First air date	1997
Call sign meaning	CH SUn FM (former branding)
Technical information
Class	B
ERP	11,000 watts average 35,000 watts peak horizontal polarization only
HAAT	114.5 meters (376 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	49°46′5.16″N 119°30′3.60″W
Links
Website	Virgin Radio Kelowna

History

CHSU traces its origins to 1995 when the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) granted Four Seasons Radio Ltd. a new FM licence for the Kelowna market offering country music.[1] Its initial call letters were CKBL and its branding was 99.9 The Bullet. "The Bullet" signed on in October, 1995, and was the sister station of CKIQ, a news/talk radio station on the AM band that was owned by Four Seasons Radio Ltd. as well. In 1996, Okanagan Skeena Radio Group Ltd. acquired a number of radio stations in the Okanagan market when it bought out Four Seasons' parent company.

One year later, in 1997, 99.9 Sun FM replaced "The Bullet" by offering a hot adult contemporary music format. Its call letters were changed to CHSU as well. Simultaneously, CKIQ changed its call letters to CKBL, which meant the Kelowna market lost a news/talk radio station leaving cross-town competitor CKOV (since early 2010, an FM station with the call letters CKQQ) as the sole station offering that format. CKBL continued to offer country music on the rebranded 1150 AM The Bullet.

In 1999, Telemedia acquired Okanagan Skeena Radio Group Ltd. along with other radio assets across the country. In 2002, Standard Broadcasting acquired Telemedia's radio assets. Standard later sold some stations in other provinces to various companies but it has retained its British Columbia stations and 99.9 Sun FM continues to operate with the same format and branding.

In October 2007, Astral Media acquired Standard Broadcasting's terrestrial radio and television assets, including CHSU-FM. Astral was in turn acquired by Bell Media.

On October 3, 2019, CHSU dropped its long-time "Sun FM" brand and relaunched as 99.9 Virgin Radio.[2]

Rebroadcasters

Rebroadcasters of CHSU-FM

City of license	Identifier	Frequency	Power	Class	RECNet	CRTC Decision
Big White Ski Resort	CHSU-FM-1	98.1 FM	(Horizontal polarization only) 18 watts	LP	Query	99-35

References

1. Decision CRTC 95-131
2. "Sun FM no more: Kelowna's 99.9 FM pulls off surprise rebrand". Kelowna Now. October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.

External links

• Official website
• CHSU-FM history – Canadian Communications Foundation
• CHSU-FM in the REC Canadian station database