Corus Entertainment has announced it’s shuttering Hamilton heritage station, 900 CHML.
The closure was announced in a post to the station’s social media channels at noon ET, saying the decision had been made after “years of financial losses.”
An important announcement from CHML: pic.twitter.com/Z9EA10ix8N
— 900 CHML (@AM900CHML) August 14, 2024
“This decision, though incredibly difficult, has been made after careful consideration and is necessary following years of financial losses,” the statement reads. “The shift of advertising revenues to unregulated foreign platforms, combined with the difficult regulatory and competitive landscape, has forced us to make the difficult decision to close.”
The station has been serving the community since 1927 and celebrated its 95th anniversary last September. Corus has operated CHML since late 1999 when it took over the assets of 12 stations formerly owned by Western International Communications (WIC).
Among the well-known voices to grace CHML’s airwaves over the decades have been Paul Hanover, Bob Bratina, Tom Cherington, John Hardy, Ken Soble, Jane Gray, and more recently Bill Kelly, among many others.
Those confirming their departures from the station include reporter Lisa Polewski, who had been with the CHML since 2015, talk show host Scott Thompson, who had been heard on the station for two decades, and content producer Liz Russell, who’d been working with the station for 10 years. A handful of layoffs were also reported at Corus’ 980 CFPL London on Wednesday, including reporters Natalie Lovie and Ben Harrietha, in addition to two news anchors.
I would just like to ‘thank’ everyone who ever took the time to listen to The Scott Thompson Show! It has been an incredible 40 year run. It was an honour to be part of the legendary CHML and its service to the great people of Hamilton. Be well!!! @AM900CHML #Hamont @980CFPL
— Scott Thompson (@ScottTalking) August 14, 2024
The move follows the closure in late June of 880 News (CHQT-AM) Edmonton, a sister station to 630 CHED, and Vancouver all-traffic station AM 730 (CKGO-AM), a sister station to 980 CKNW.
Corus has not divulged whether it will be returning those licences to the CRTC or whether it’s seeking a buyer for any of the AM properties.
“Today we have implemented some difficult but necessary changes to ensure a sustainable future for Corus, specifically within our Audio and News divisions,” the company said in a statement. “As a result, certain roles within our Audio and News divisions have been impacted.”
“After decades of broadcasting, we are closing 900 CHML in Hamilton and adjusting the format of CFPL in London. These decisions were not made lightly and came after long and careful consideration of our business operations. As you can imagine, navigating the closure of a legacy AM radio station is very difficult – CHML has played a significant role in our history and has been deeply cherished by our team and our listeners alike.”
The Corus statement, released late Wednesday, alluded to more consolidation between radio and Global News television properties, however a spokesperson declined to elaborate.
“Additionally, we are applying new workflows and ways of working, using the latest server-based technology that will enable us to pave the way forward for Global News’ future. As a result, certain roles within some Global News stations have been impacted,” the statement said. “Finally, in order to continue the momentum of network news content being efficiently created, communicated, and distributed across multiple national and local platforms – including radio – we are redefining the leadership of the Network News Desk (NND) and its deeper integration within the rest of our organization.”
As of Spring 2024, CHML’s total average weekly cume was 52,734 listeners.
Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath called news of CHML’s closure “devastating” in a post to X.
“This is a tremendous loss to our community. This station has connected us in unquantifiable ways, with each other and with the rest of the province, the country, and the world for almost a century,” wrote Horwath. “It’s important to identify how the local news landscape continues to be impacted by ever-expanding web-based platforms. Advertising dollars are increasingly going digital, directly threatening the radio and print industries which is a troubling trend that reduces our access to local news and content. CHML is another local victim of that trend.”
Subscribe Now – Free!
Broadcast Dialogue has been required reading in the Canadian broadcast media for 30 years. When you subscribe, you join a community of connected professionals from media and broadcast related sectors from across the country.
The Weekly Briefing from Broadcast Dialogue is delivered exclusively to subscribers by email every Thursday. It’s your link to critical industry news, timely people moves, and excellent career advancement opportunities.
Let’s get started right now.
