CFYT-FM

CFYT-FM, Dawson City

StationYearFreq.PowerOwner/Info
CFYT-FM2006106.95Dawson City Community Radio Society
CFYT-AMn/a1400100Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

1945-46

C.H. Chapman was granted a licence for an AM station at Dawson City, using a frequency of 1230 kHz with power of 100 watts.

1948

There was an application by the Department of National Defence for an AM station with 100 watts on 1230 kHz at Dawson City. The Royal Canadian Signals had operated a station at Dawson City since 1923 (also one at Mayo). It was designed to serve miners, as well as aircraft and boat operators. This new application was for the operation of a civilian radio station, operated by the community. CFYT (Canadian Forces Yukon Territory) 1230 signed on the air on April 1.

1952

CFYT still was not on the air in 1950 but in 1952 an application was approved that would see the station change frequency from 1230 to 1400 kHz with power remaining at 100 watts.

1958

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation took control of CFYT Dawson City and CFWH Whitehorse. The 100 watt community station in Dawson City would continue to be staffed by local residents, some working on a part-time basis. CBC planned to schedule more daily news, and some live programming would be piped in over CN Telegraph lines…now suited for voice only, but expected to be improved to handle music as well. For now, tapes of regular CBC programs would be flown to both communities.

The CBC was now officially in the North with the takeover of CFWH and CFYT. Two 40 watt relay transmitters were to be installed at Watson Lake in the southern Yukon and Fort Nelson in northern B.C. CBC was also taking over stations at Fort Smith on the N.W.T. – Alberta border; Hay River on the south shore of Great Slave Lake; Inuvik, the new Aklavik town site on the Mackenzie River Delta; and Goose Bay, Labrador. Within a year, the CBC hoped to link Fort Nelson, Watson Lake, Whitehorse and possibly Dawson City to the Trans-Canada network. The stations would get about 50 hours a week of program tapes delivered by plane for rebroadcast about a week after the original airing. Special daily newscasts would be sent by wireless to stations not connected by landline to the network. CBC was also planning a shortwave transmitter at Vancouver.

1960

The CBC had plans to set up a regional radio network in the Yukon – an extension of the Trans Canada network…to the Dawson area. The existing network ran north from Edmonton, along the Alaska Highway and stopped at Whitehorse. CN Telegraphs were now building new lines in Yukon. When completed, Dawson would receive live programs for the first time.

CFYT 560 received permission to decrease power to 40 watts, operate with a non-directional antenna from a new site, and operate as a low power relay transmitter (LPRT).

1984

The Dawson City Community Radio Society was established in 1984 to take over the operation of CFYT-AM.

Early 2000’s

Financial problems forced CFYT off the air in the early 2000’s.

2006

On October 3, the CRTC approved the application by Dawson City Community Radio Society to operate an English-language, developmental community FM radio programming undertaking. The station would broadcast 126 hours of programming per week, of which a minimum of 18 hours would be station-produced. The local programming would include rock, blues, jazz and folk music as well as programs featuring Yukon and First Nations artists. The remaining 108 hours of programming would originate from the commercial radio station CKRW-FM Whitehorse. The licence would expire August 31, 2009. The station would broadcast on frequency 106.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 5 watts.

After a few years off the air waves, CFYT returned to the air – now at 106.9 FM.

2009

On October 27, Dawson City Community Radio Society received CRTC approval to operate an English-language low-power Type B community FM radio station. It would replace the very low-power developmental community radio programming undertaking in Dawson City authorized in 2006. The station would operate at 106.9 MHz with a maximum E.R.P. of 50 watts with E.H.A.A.T. of 24.7 metres. The applicant indicated that the station would broadcast 126 hours of programming each broadcast week, and offer 44 hours of local programming and 82 hours of programming originating from the commercial radio station CKRW-FM Whitehorse. Musical programming would include folk, soul funk, indie rock, jazz and blues music as well as selections from other genres. Spoken word programming would provide news, discussions between hosts and guests on current affairs, sports reports supplied by the City Recreation Department and school news as provided by the school newsletter. The licence would expire August 31, 2016.

The story continues elsewhere…
Effective September 1st 2019, we will only be adding new material to these station histories in exceptional circumstances. Our intent to chronicle the early days of these radio and television stations has been achieved, and many new sources and technologies, from the CRTC website to Wikipedia, and others, are now regularly providing new information in these areas.

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