CISN Country 103.9 and Edmonton’s Corus stations raised over 1.4 million dollars during the 19th annual Corus Radiothon, in support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Alberta. With the support of 92.5 Fresh Radio (CKNG-FM) and 630 CHED, along with a special live broadcast from Global News Edmonton, this year’s fundraiser hit one of its biggest totals in the last decade. Since 2000, the Corus Radiothon has raised more than $22 million for kids in need.
CICV-FM, Lake Cowichan, BC’s community radio station, has shut down for lack of volunteers. At the request of the Cowichan Valley Community Radio Society, the CRTC has revoked the broadcasting license for the low-power, English-language station.
Rob Macleod has wrapped up the longest-running blues show on Canadian commercial radio after 10 years. Macleod started as a jock at The Coast FM (CIYN-FM) Kincardine, initially playing rare and obscure music, but when a group called the Bruce County Blues Society came onto the local scene they partnered to launch a one-hour blues show, starting in 2007. The show later went to two hours, and then extended to three after the station was relaunched as myFM in 2010. For the last five years, Macleod has recorded the show remotely from Germany.
Jim Robson, the legendary Vancouver Canucks radio and television announcer, will be honoured by the City of Maple Ridge with a street to be renamed Jim Robson Way. Part of the Ridge Meadows Minor Hockey Association’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the Canucks’ current play-by-play announcer, John Shorthouse, will act as MC for the Jan. 27 event. Robson, 83, was born in Prince Albert, SK., but spent much of his childhood in Maple Ridge, and graduated from Maple Ridge Secondary School.
Vista Radio has voluntarily surrendered the licenses for all of its low power AM rebroadcast transmitters in B.C. Vista says the equipment is in a state of disrepair and it’s not economically viable to replace them. The stations affected are CIFJ-AM 1480 Fort St. James and CIFL-AM 1450 Fraser Lake, which both simulcast CIVH 1340 Vanderhoof; as well as CHLD-AM 1480 Granisle and CKBV-AM 1490 New Hazelton, which both simulcast CFBV-AM 870 Smithers.
The Bear 93.1 (CHLW-FM) Barriere, BC has been sold to Kenneth Brown. The license for the low-power, English-language commercial station was previously held by retired broadcaster Stephen Guay, who is best known for his time in Montreal under the on-air name Steve Shannon.
A 1940 RCA 50 kW shortwave transmitter, located at the decommissioned CBC/Radio- Canada International site in Sackville, NB is up for sale. The 222-acre property was bought last February by Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Incorporated, a group of Mi’kmaq First Nations, who are still taking electronic components apart at the site and removing old equipment. The group is asking $5,000 for the piece of Canadian radio history, which is no longer in working order. Read more here.
