Rock Radio Scrapbook

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Subject: CHLO SWITCHES FROM 680 to 1570
Station: CHLO St. Thomas, Ont.
Date: February 12-13, 1970
Time: 13:00

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 www.billdulmage.com 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.

Hear how CHLO switched from 680 to 1570 here.

(The Charlie Ritenburg Collection)

More 1970 airchecks here!

RETURN TO ROCK RADIO SCRAPBOOK