1994
On June 29, the CRTC approved the sale of CHOO Ajax by Golden West Media Consultants Ltd. (Elmer Hildebrand) to Durham Radio Inc. (Robert Marshall and Douglas Kirk). The commission also approved the conversion of CHOO to the FM band. It would continue to offer a country music format on a frequency of 95.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 3,440 watts. Antenna height would be 100 metres (EHAAT). The transmitter site would be located near Claremont. Durham Radio indicated that replacing the existing facilities with a new FM station was necessary in order to overcome technical problems which, in the past, had contributed to the erosion of its audience, thereby creating financial hardship. The greater range and improved quality of the FM signal and enhanced locally-oriented programming were expected to reverse existing market erosion. Durham expected to expand the potential audience of the station through repatriation of listeners from out of market country music stations and from younger listeners moving from the AM to FM band.
CJKX-FM (KX96) began test broadcasts in October and officially signed on the air November 1 at 7:00 a.m.
On November 28, the CRTC approved a power increase for CJKX from 3,440 to 5,110 watts.
1999
KX96 was now broadcasting on the internet with Real Audio.
On June 23, the CRTC approved Durham’s application to add a rebroadcast transmitter at Sunderland for CJKX-FM. The transmitter would serve the northern part of Durham Region which was not adequately served by the main transmitter. The new transmitter would operate on 89.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 2,240 watts.
By Letter of Authority dated September 17, the CRTC approved a change to the effective control of Durham Radio Inc. The transfer was effected through the rolling over of 475,000 common voting shares into non-voting shares and by the redistribution of 479,667 common shares from four shareholders to Douglas Kirk and 52,000 common voting shares from two shareholders to Mary Kirk. Consequently, Mr. Kirk’s voting interest increased from 30.43% to 86.46% and Mrs. Kirk’s, from 6.19% to 13.54%.
2000
On May 5, Burlingham Communications Inc. (Douglas Kirk and Rae Roe) was awarded a licence for a new FM station in Hamilton. Kirk owned CJKX-FM and Rae was an Ancaster consultant. The station would broadcast on frequency 94.7 MHz and have an effective radiated power of 1,880 watts. The format would be contemporary/smooth jazz and target the 30 to 50 age group. The licence would expire August 31, 2006. The new Hamilton station – CIWV-FM – signed on the air September 1 at noon, as “Wave 94.7” with a sample of its programming. Official, regular broadcasting began September 5 at 5:30 a.m. Studios and offices were at 589 Upper Wellington Street, in the former Hume’s Family Sports store. The transmitter and antenna were located near the Devil’s Punchbowl on Ridge Road above Stoney Creek.
2001
Rae Roe, a minority shareholder in Burlingham, sold his interest in the company.
On August 17, Burlingham was granted a power increase for CIWV-FM, from 1,880 to 3,600 watts. The increase was sought in order to improve CIWV’s signal within commercial and high rise buildings.
2002
In January, Durham Radio Inc. completed the purchase of a 25% equity interest in Pineridge Broadcasting of Cobourg.
2003
In January, Doug Kirk joined the radio business on a full-time basis. Until this time, he had spent 26 years in commercial banking and investment banking with Burns Fry which later became BMO Nesbitt Burns. Kirk provided clients with analysis and research on cable TV and telecom companies, and had been involved in several public offerings and consulted for a number of different companies.
On April 23, the sale of Oshawa’s CKDO-AM and CKGE-FM by Corus Entertainment Inc. to Durham Radio Inc. was approved by the CRTC. Durham owned CJKX-FM in nearby Ajax. Durham took control of CKDO and CKGE in early June.
On June 12, CKGE Oshawa – “Magic at 94.9” – relaunched at “94.9 The Rock”. The format consisted of music from the 1960’s to today.
On September 1, the CJKX studios and offices joined CKDO and CKGE’s operation at 1200 Airport Blvd., Suite 207.
CIWV Hamilton was given approval on October 20 to increase average effective radiated power from 3,600 to 11,390 watts (10,000 to 25,000 watts maximum) and to increase antenna height from 135 to 136 metres (EHAAT). These changes would improve the station’s signal, particularly in the western and northern parts of the amalgamated City of Hamilton.
On December 18, CJKX-FM-1 Sunderland received CRTC approval to increase in the average effective radiated power from 3,000 to 5,000 watts.
On December 23, Durham received CRTC approval to increase in the average effective radiated power for CJKX Ajax from 15,560 watts to 19,940 watts.
2004
On May 19, CIWV increased its average effective radiated power to 11,390 watts from 3,600 watts.
On August 20, CKDO Oshawa was authorized to add a nested FM transmitter in Oshawa, operating on 107.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 250 watts. That frequency was awarded to CKMB-FM Barrie in a competing application. CKDO was asked to seek an alternate channel. It later turned out that 107.7 could not be used in Barrie so CKDO was given the go ahead to use it at Oshawa.
2005
CKDO 1350’s new booster transmitter – CKDO-FM-1 – began broadcasting on March 30. The booster was designed to fill gaps, especially at night, in the AM signal, particularly in Oshawa, Whitby and Ajax.
On November 15, CKDO was given approval to change its main frequency from 1350 to 1580 kHz and to increase power from 10,000 watts day and 5,000 watts night to a full-time power of 10,000 watts. The existing Curtis transmitter site would be used and the number of towers would be reduced from five to two. On 1350, CKDO had different patterns for day and night operation. On 1580, the station would use the same pattern, day and night.
On December 5, CIWV Hamilton was granted an increase in average effective radiated power, from 11,390 to 21,400 watts (maximum power from 25,000 to 45,000 watts).
2006
On March 29, the CRTC approved an application by CJKX-FM Ajax to operate a synchronous FM transmitter in downtown Toronto. Average effective radiated power would be 85 watts. While CJKX-FM’s audience was primarily located in Durham Region, which included Ajax and Oshawa, and secondarily in east Toronto and York Region, many of its listeners commuted to downtown Toronto for work or went there regularly for personal business, professional services and entertainment. CJKX claimed that these listeners were unable to receive a good quality signal from CJKX-FM in downtown Toronto because of interference caused by the concentration of Toronto FM radio stations operating from the CN Tower and First Canadian Place. The station said the proposed transmitter would not extend CJKX’s signal beyond its existing authorized contours. Since the transmitter would operate at the same frequency used by the main Ajax transmitter, approval of this application would not represent the use of additional scarce analog frequency spectrum in the Toronto radio market. CJKX-FM-2 Toronto went on the air later in the year.
Just after the 10:00 a.m. news, August 13, CKDO left the 1350 frequency. The station returned to the air late that evening on its new 1580 frequency. The down time between 1350 and 1580 was spent setting up the transmitter for the new frequency. CKDO continued to operate on 107.7 FM in addition to the new, stronger 1580 kHz.
On December 21, Durham Radio Inc. received approval to increase the average effective radiated power for CJKX-FM-2 Toronto from 85 watts to to 122 watts (maximum ERP remains at 220 watts).
2007
On February 23, Durham Radio Inc. was authorized to increase the effective radiated power of CKDO-FM-1 from 250 watts to an average ERP of 665 watts (maximum ERP of 2,000 watts). The increase would improve the reception of CKDO-FM-1, optimize the use of 107.7 MHz by counteracting co-channel interference from U.S. station WLKK-FM Weathersfield, N.Y., and continue the turnaround of CKDO from both a listener acceptance and a financial standpoint.
Burlingham Communications merged with Durham Radio Inc. on September 1 and continued as Durham Radio Inc.
Burlingham Communications Inc. attempted to extend CIWV-FM’s New Adult Contemporary/Smooth Jazz service via proposed transmitters at Meaford, Peterborough and Ottawa. The Meaford application (102.9 MHz with effective radiated power of 9,900 watts) was turned down by the CRTC on October 24. The Peterborough (100.7 MHz with ERP of 1,700 watts) and Ottawa (99.7 MHz with ERP of 4,800 watts) applications were denied on November 29.
2008
Durham, operating in this case as Forest City Radio Inc., lost out to Blackburn Radio for the operation a new FM radio station in London. It should be noted that at the time of this application filing, Douglas Kirk was also a minority shareholder in John Wright’s K-Rock FM Kingston and that Wright was a partner of Kirk’s in the London application.
2009
On June 16 the CRTC approved the application by Durham Radio Inc. to increase average effective radiated power for CIWV-FM from 19,500 watts to 40,000 watts. The changes would reduce the protected area that existed between CIWV-FM and Blackburn Radio’s CIBU-FM and CKNX-FM (Wingham). Both companies agreed to eliminate the protected area to allow for maximum use of their respective channels.
2010
On August 19, the CRTC denied the application by Durham Radio Inc. to modify the authorized contours of its transmitter CJKX-FM-2 Toronto by decreasing the average effective radiated power from 122 to 31 watts (maximum ERP from 220 watts at 16 degrees to 175 watts at 0 degrees). The proposed change would result in an increase in the potential listenership within the 3 mV/m contour of the transmitter from 131,776 to 500,921 persons and within its 0.5 mV/m contour from 773,107 to 1,901,557 persons. Durham stated that the reason for the application was to provide the country music format to listeners in the Greater Toronto Area. Durham argued that CJKX-FM supported and promoted Canadian country music and, by extending the coverage to a greater proportion of the GTA population, Canadian country artists would receive greater exposure. Durham further submitted that, because the proposed technical change would be small, there would be no interference to other stations that served the GTA. It was the Commission’s general practice to approve technical amendments only in instances in which the licensee had demonstrated that the amendment was needed to correct a technical issue in order to improve service to the licensed market or because of a clear economic need. In this application, Durham had not cited technical issues or economic need to support its application.
2011
On February 10, the CRTC denied the applications by 1486781 Ontario Limited for authority to effect a change to its effective control through the transfer of all of its issued and outstanding shares from its sole shareholder, Anthony Schleifer, to Durham Radio Inc. and to delete conditions of licence related to music from subcategory 35 (non-classic religious), Canadian selections from category 3 (Special interest music), and the use of hit material. The applicant indicated that approval of this application would permit CFWC-FM to replace its Christian music format with a broad-based rock format. The commission later approved the sale of CFWC to Sound of Faith Broadcasting.
On August 1, CIWV (Wave 94.7) with a Smooth Jazz format became CHKX (KX 94.7) with a Country format. The change gave the Hamilton station the same imaging as sister station CJKX (KX96) in Ajax – also with a Country format. The former “Wave” format would continue as an online stream.
2012
CKGE Oshawa changed format from Mainstream/Classic Rock to Active Rock.
2015
On July 16, the CRTC administratively approved the change to the ownership and effective control of Pineridge Broadcasting Inc., from Donald T. Conway to My Broadcasting Corporation. For the record, Dave Hughes (was the general sales manager) and Douglas Kirk (Durham Radio) were also involved in the ownership of Pineridge. My Broadcasting took control of Pineridge on September 1.
2016
On July 8th it was announced that the CRTC had approved an application by Durham Radio Inc. for authority to acquire from Vista Radio Ltd. CKJN-FM Haldimand County, Ontario. The transaction would benefit Haldimand by providing programming that was more focused on the community and by securing the station’s long-term viability. According to Durham’s proposal, $50,000 over the next five years would flow primarily to local artists’ initiatives. Accordingly, it served the public interest and furthered the objectives for the Canadian broadcasting system set out in the Broadcasting Act. The Commission also approved Durham’s application to change CKJN-FM’s authorized contours by increasing its average effective radiated power (ERP) from 2,500 to 3,750 watts (maximum ERP from 10,000 to 15,000 watts) and by decreasing the effective height of antenna above average terrain (EHAAT) from 109.4 to 108.6 metres. On September 1 at 9:29 a.m., CKJN Country 92.9 became CHTG The Grand with a Classic Hits format.
In August, the CRTC turned down Durham Radio’s application to improve coverage of KX96 in western Toronto. The station had applied to expand its service into the west side of Toronto and east side of Mississauga, but the Commission ruled the primary markets KX96 was licensed to serve were Ajax and Oshawa. Durham had proposed to increase ERP for CJKX-FM-2 from 122 to 194 watts (220 to 800 watts Max.).
CHKX Hamilton was now operating in HD with two channels being offered. The station’s regular FM programming – Country KX94.7 was on CHKX-HD1. On CHKX-HD2, the station offered smooth jazz – Wave-FM 94.7. This was the format originally offered by CHKX when it signed on the air as CIWV-FM in 2000. When the station went country, it continued to offer the smooth jazz format on the internet.
On October 11, the CRTC approved Durham’s application to add the following condition to CKJN-FM’s licence: As an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in sections 2.2(8) and 2.2(9) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations), in any broadcast week where at least 90% of the musical selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) broadcast are selections released before 1 January 1981, the licensee shall devote 30% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 in that same week and between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety. Durham noted its intention to offer a classic hits format focused on music from the 60s and 70s. It also stated that if it did not remain in the pre-1981 classic hits format, it would continue to adhere to its condition of licence requiring it to devote 40% or more of its popular music selections throughout the broadcast week and between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety, as set out in Broadcasting Decision 2016-258.
2017
CJKX Ajax began testing in HD, offering KX96 on HD channel 1, Wave.fm’s smooth jazz on HD2 and CKDO-AM on HD3.
2018
On July 11, the CRTC awarded a licence to Durham Radio for the operation of an FM station at Grimsby/Beamsville, operating on 88.5 MHz with ERP of 2,000 watts (maximum ERP of 4,000 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 6 metres). Durham proposed a Classic Hits/Oldies music format targeting adults aged 25 to 64 and would offer local, regional and national reflection. The applicant agreed to devote at least 30% of the musical selections from content category 2 (Popular Music) to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety when at least 90% of the selections broadcast in a week were selections released prior to 1 January 1981. The licence would expire August 31, 2024.
On September 25, the CRTC approved CHTG’s application to delete the condition of licence requiring it to refrain from soliciting local advertising in Brantford and in the Town of Simcoe. CHTG submitted that the condition of licence was imposed based on concerns about its original technical contours, which were never implemented and had since changed. The station noted its existing 3mV/m contour did not enclose the Town of Simcoe or the City of Brantford or their respective counties.
2020
On August 11, the CRTC denied an application by Durham Radio to change the authorized contours of unlaunched CKLK-FM Grimsby/Beamsville by decreasing the average ERP from 2,000 to 1,530 watts, increasing the maximum ERP from 4,000 to 5,000 watts, increasing the EHAAT from 6 to 124.5 metres, and amending the coordinates of the transmitter site. According to Durham, the approved transmitter site would not allow CKLK-FM to provide adequate coverage for the market it had been approved to serve, since approximately one-third of the residents of Grimsby would not receive the station’s signal. In the applicant’s view, the proposed changes were therefore necessary for CKLK-FM to offer full coverage of both Grimsby and Beamsville. The commission felt Durham had not submitted any evidence of other technical limitations and considered that Durham’s objective was to increase CKLK-FM’s coverage to include an area that the station was not originally licensed to serve…Hamilton.
2021
On July 8, the CRTC approved Durham’s application to acquire CIRH-FM Vancouver from 0971197 B.C. Ltd. (Roundhouse Radio).
Durham Radio Inc. Radio Stations
(Click on the call letters to view individual station histories)