By Greg Holden
The radio dial will become busier in Chatham after the CRTC ruled in favour of an application by CKXS-FM to strengthen their signal.
The proposed changes will increase 99.1’s maximum effective radiated power (ERP) from 1,150 to 3,000 watts.
“This has been a long process and we are very pleased with the results,” said Mike Kilby, President of Five Amigos Broadcasting. “The CRTC listened to our concerns regarding our signal quality and our listening area. They’ve agreed we should be able to increase our signal strength to better serve our customers in Wallaceburg, Dresden, Mitchell’s Bay and the surrounding Chatham-Kent area.”
The physical and technological changes necessary to accommodate the new parameters for CKXS are expected to take a few months time. The company is moving immediately to have a new tower and antenna installed. The local airwaves can expect the boost in the late summer or fall of 2014.
“This is a great step in the evolution of 99.1 since its inception four years ago,” said Kilby. “We hope our customers and listeners will be pleased with the better quality signal and the ability to take 99.1 with them a little further in Chatham-Kent.”
Described by many as “hyper-local”, 99.1 CKXS is Chatham-Kent’s locally owned and operated radio station. The ownership group of Five Amigos Broadcasting is comprised of local C-K residents including Kilby, Max Fantuz, Greg Aarssen and long-time local radio veterans Greg Hetherington and Gary Patterson.
Greg Hetherington told the CKReview that CKXS-FM will respect their existing audience, so no major format change is expected. However he did leave the option open to having feature programs that could include some rock. Chatham rock fans have been suffering since Blackburn shut down their rock station.
In their decision the CRTC also allowed a boost to the signal of CJAM-FM, a non-profit station run by the University of Windsor, who also broadcast at 99.1 MHz. The Windsor station expressed concern of interference on their signal. That station will have its signal strength boosted by 400%, reaching new markets as well.
