Rock Radio Scrapbook
AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of
February 15, 2015
Edition #822
Subject: CHLO
SWITCHES FROM 680 to 1570
Station: CHLO
St. Thomas, Ont.
Date: February
12-13, 1970
Time: 31:39 (unscoped)
13:00 (scoped)
Money talks, and when CHFI-AM offered to pay to move CHLO from 680 to 1570, the St. Thomas, Ont., station listened.
Radio historian Bill Dulmage of the Canadian Communications Foundation has the rest of the story...
"1963 - Ted Rogers, owner
of CHFI in Toronto was willing to pay CHLO St. Thomas to move from 680 kHz to
1410 kHz so that CHFI could use the 680 frequency and add night-time service.
CHFI was limited to daytime-only operation on 1540 kHz because it was an
American clear channel and stations such as KXEL in Waterloo, Iowa, had to be
protected. CHLO’s application to move to 1410 kHz was denied and the frequency
was awarded to CKSL 1290 in London. Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. decided to move
ahead with its application to use 680 kHz for night-time operation only while
continuing to operate on 1540 kHz during the day.
In October, CHFI-AM was given approval to add night-time service, using 680 kHz
with a power of 10,000 watts. Daytime operation would continue on 1540 kHz with
power of 50,000 watts.
1964 - CHFI-AM was authorized to broadcast on 680 kHz during the day as
well as at night.
1965 - Souwesto Broadcasters made it clear that it had no plans to vacate
the 680 frequency when rumours continued to circulate on the matter. The company
said CHLO had been on 680 kHz since it signed on the air in May of 1948 and was
staying there. Engineering research showed that CHLO and CHFI could both operate
full-time on 680 kHz.
1966 - On March 28, CHFI Toronto ceased daytime operation on 1540 kHz and
began fulltime broadcasting on 680 kHz. CHLO switched to a Top 40 format.
1970 - On February 13, at 12 a.m., CHLO moved from 680 kHz to 1570 kHz, CFPL
London’s old frequency. Power increased from 1,000 watts full-time (one
directional pattern) to 10,000 watts full-time (two directional patterns). CHLO
was now operating from a transmitter site located about one mile west of Sparta
on Elgin Road 27. Eight 220 foot towers were used. Ted Rogers, owner of CHFI
Toronto made two agreements with CHLO. The first was in 1966, allowing CHFI to
move from 1540 kHz to 680 kHz, thus causing some interference to CHLO. In the
second agreement, Rogers paid for CHLO’s move from 680 kHz to 1570 kHz."
CHLO and CHFI-AM took divergent paths after the frequency switch. In 1972, faced with stiff competition from CJOE (later known as CJBK), CHLO switched to an album rock format. Later, it took a country format. By 1994, CHLO moved to FM at 103.1, was renamed CFHK and as "The Hawk", began playing classic rock. Meanwhile, CHFI-AM changed its call-letters to CFTR in 1971, switched from easy-listening to Top 40 and quickly became one of Canada's leading rockers. In 1993, CFTR moved from Top 40 to all-news.
Bobby Steele was the final jock on 680 CHLO and Rich Greven was the first jock on 1570 CHLO. Doug Hines does the final newscast on 680 CHLO as you'll hear on this aircheck
.Hear how CHLO switched from 680 to 1570 (UNSCOPED) here.
Hear how CHLO switched from 680 to 1570 (SCOPED) here.
(The Charlie Ritenburg Collection)
More 1970 airchecks here!
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