CJKR-FM

CJKR-FM
Broadcast area Winnipeg, Manitoba
Branding 97.5 Big FM
Slogan Winnipeg's Classic Rock
Frequency 97.5 MHz
First air date May 27, 1948
Format Classic rock
Audience share Decrease 4.4% - Rank: 9[1]
ERP 310,000 watts
Former callsigns CJOB-FM (1948-1976)
CHMM-FM (1976-1984)
CKIS-FM (1984-1991)
Owner Corus Entertainment
(Corus Premium Television Ltd.)
Sister stations Radio: CJOB, CJGV-FM
TV: CKND-DT
Webcast Listen Live
Website www.975bigfm.com

CJKR-FM is a radio station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Owned by Corus Entertainment, the station broadcasts an classic rock format branded as 97.5 Big FM. The station shares studios with sister stations CJOB and CJGV-FM in Winnipeg's Polo Park area.

History

The station was launched in 1948 as CJOB-FM, an FM simulcast of CJOB.[2] The station applied to the BBG to move its broadcast frequency from 103.1 MHz to the current 97.5 MHz.[3] It opened with distinct programming in 1962, featured a country music format as CHMM-FM in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and changed its format to soft rock and its callsign to CKIS-FM in 1984.[4] In the late 1980s, CKIS-FM moved to a rock format, which was not in compliance with its licence at that time. Eventually the station was allowed to amend its licence, stick with the rock format, and changed its call letters to CJKR-FM in 1991.

It used to be part of Western International Communications, but the stations were acquired by Corus Entertainment in 2000.

In April 2010, Corus Radio Winnipeg announced the relocation of its radio broadcast facility to 1440 Rapelje Avenue (since renamed Jack Blick Avenue), as part of a lease agreement between Corus Entertainment and Cadillac Fairview. The relocation to Polo Park was scheduled for January 2011. CJOB 680, CJGV-FM and CJKR-FM would become the anchor tenants. Corus Radio Winnipeg planned to occupy the second floor of the three-storey building, expanding its radio, production and business operations to 17,500 square feet (1,630 m2). At the time, general manager Garth Buchko said the stations had outgrown their 930 Portage Avenue facility. With the move, Corus Radio Winnipeg would also upgrade to state-of-the-art, fully digital on-air systems. At the end of February 2011, CJKR-FM completed the move to its new location at 1440 Jack Blick Avenue. In the late 2000s, the station moved from mainstream rock to active rock by reducing the classic rock in its playlist.


At noon on January 29, 2015, after playing "Fade to Black" by Metallica, CJKR began stunting with liners promoting that Winnipeg would be getting "big" the following day at 8 am, interspersed between 5-second clips of songs with the word "big". At that time, CJKR changed to a classic rock format as 97.5 Big FM. The first song on "Big FM" was "Big Time" by Peter Gabriel. The new format was described as an "homage to Winnipeg's rock heritage", with a playlist that is "familiar, less predictable and has rock credibility".[5][6] [7] In November of 2015 veteran broadcaster Shadoe Davis was hired for "The Shadoe Davis Show" from 6-10am weekdays. In March, he was joined by another veteran Winnipeg broadcaster Joe Aiello. "Shadoe & Joe" can now be heard together with traffic reports from Randy Parker and news with Kathy Kennedy weekday mornings on Winnipeg's Classic Rock.

References

  1. ↑ "Spring 2013 BBM Canada Survey"
  2. ↑ "Local radio station prepares FM sending". Winnipeg Tribune. April 13, 1948.
  3. ↑ "City station asks two FM programs". Winnipeg Tribune. September 29, 1960.
  4. ↑ "Local FM station is going to CKIS". Winnipeg Free Press. May 29, 1984.
  5. ↑ "Power 97 FM playing different tunes today". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Power gives way to 97.5 BIG FM". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  7. ↑ Power 97 Becomes Big-FM

External links

Coordinates: 49°46′57″N 97°12′55″W / 49.78250°N 97.21528°W / 49.78250; -97.21528

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