CBX (AM)
Broadcast area | Northern Alberta |
---|---|
Frequency | 740 kHz (AM) |
Branding | CBC Radio One |
Programming | |
Format | News/Talk |
Ownership | |
Owner | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
CBX-FM, CHFA-FM, CBXT-DT, CBXFT-DT | |
History | |
First air date | September 8, 1948 |
Former frequencies | 1010 kHz (1948–1964) |
Call sign meaning | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation X |
Technical information | |
Class | B |
Power | 50,000 watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 53°19′10″N 113°26′43″W / 53.31944°N 113.44528°W |
Links | |
Website | CBC Edmonton |
CBX is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 740 kHz (AM) in Edmonton, Alberta. It broadcasts the programming of the CBC Radio One network. CBX is a Class B station broadcasting on a Canadian clear-channel frequency; the dominant station on 740 AM is CFZM in Toronto, Ontario. CBX's studios are located at Edmonton City Centre on 102nd Avenue Northwest in downtown Edmonton, while its transmitters are located near Beaumont.
As of Feb 28, 2021, CBX is the 3rd-most-listened-to radio station in the Edmonton market according to a PPM data report released by Numeris.[1]
History
[edit]CBX started broadcasting September 8, 1948 on a frequency of 1010 kHz.[2] It was the third of three 50,000-watt Trans-Canada Network AM radio stations to sign on in the Prairie Provinces (the others being CBK in Saskatchewan and CBW in Manitoba). Prior to CBX's launch, Trans-Canada Network programming aired on commercial radio stations in Edmonton, namely CJCA, which continued to air CBC programming on a secondary basis after CBX signed on.[3]
Although CBX's initial studios were located inside the Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton, the station's transmitter was located near Lacombe,[4] roughly halfway between Edmonton and Calgary, in an attempt to serve the southern two-thirds of Alberta from a single transmitter.[5]
From the start, the CBX signal did not adequately cover either Edmonton or Calgary. To rectify this problem within Edmonton, a 250-watt rebroadcaster operating on 740 kHz was launched in the city in 1953. This rebroadcaster had the call sign CBXA.
Meanwhile, reception continued to be poor in Calgary.[6] In order to provide a long-term solution to the station's reception issues, in 1964, the CBC launched separate radio stations for Calgary and Edmonton while also decommissioning the original CBX transmitter.[7] Under the new setup, CBX was reoriented to be Edmonton's CBC station and took over CBXA's frequency of 740 kHz from a newly-constructed 50,000-watt transmitting site near Beaumont. At the same time, CBR signed on as Calgary's CBC outlet, using CBX's old frequency of 1010 kHz.[8]
In 2004, CBC Edmonton operations moved into a new digital broadcast facility downtown, bringing all operations of Radio and TV under one roof. The old TV facility on 75th Street had 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2), while the Radio building on 51st Ave. had 48,000 square feet (4,500 m2). The new combined facility has 38,700 total square feet. It is located at the Edmonton City Centre, on Winston Churchill Square.
On March 16, 2006, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved the station's application to add a nested FM transmitter at 93.9 MHz in Edmonton to simulcast the AM programming.[9] This relay, CBX-2-FM, officially began April 20, 2007.
Local programming
[edit]Local programs produced by CBX include Edmonton AM, and Radio Active. CBX also produces half-hourly news bulletins between 5:30 AM and 6:00 PM each weekday. Provincial or national news bulletins air on CBX outside of those hours.
CBX also produces two music shows for the entire CBC radio networks: Saturday Night Blues and Canada Live air nationally on CBC Radio One/Sirius 137 and CBC Music, respectively.
The last few BBM radio ratings measurements have shown CBX steadily climbing in audience share in Edmonton. As of the spring 2009 BBM measurement, CBX is the second-most listened to radio-station in Edmonton, behind news-talk radio station CHED. Edmonton AM also ranks second in the morning, while Radio Active ranks fourth amongst the afternoon radio drive-time shows.[10]
Transmitters
[edit]City of license | Identifier | Frequency | Power | RECNet |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bonnyville | CBX-1-FM | 92.9 FM | 55,500 watts | Query |
Chateh | CBXA-FM | 103.5 FM | 983 watts | Query |
Edmonton | CBX-2-FM | 93.9 FM | 3,931 watts | Query |
Edson | CBXD-FM | 95.3 FM | 50 watts | Query |
Fort McMurray | CBXN-FM | 99.3 FM | 20,000 watts | Query |
Fort Vermilion | CBXF-FM | 105.1 FM | 50 watts | Query |
Fox Creek | CBXV-FM | 91.3 FM | 38 watts | Query |
Fox Lake | CBXK-FM | 96.9 FM | 425 watts | Query |
Grande Cache | CBXC-FM | 92.3 FM | 50 watts | Query |
Grande Prairie | CBXP-FM | 102.5 FM | 100,000 watts | Query |
High Level | CBXL-FM | 99.5 FM | 50 watts | Query |
Hinton | CBXI-FM | 88.1 FM | 3,000 watts | Query |
Jasper | CBXJ-FM | 98.1 FM | 259 watts | Query |
John D'Or Prairie | CBXH-FM | 102.5 FM | 230 watts | Query |
Manning | CBXM-FM | 100.5 FM | 13,500 watts | Query |
Peace River | CBXG-FM | 93.9 FM | 822 watts | Query |
Rainbow Lake | CBXW-FM | 101.5 FM | 50 watts | Query |
Swan Hills | CBXS-FM | 91.5 FM | 88 watts | Query |
On September 10, 2012, the CBC applied to move the following CBC low-power AM transmitters to FM. The CBC received approval on January 31, 2013 to convert the remaining AM transmitters to FM and the new transmitters will operate on these following frequencies:[11]
- CBXD 1540 to 99.3 with 50 watts (new callsign CBXN-FM)
- CBKC 1460 to 105.1 with 50 watts (new callsign CBXF-FM)
- CBWI 1450 to 92.3 with 50 watts (new callsign CBXC-FM)
- CBKD 1560 to 99.5 with 50 watts (new callsign CBXL-FM, originally approved to move to 88.1 in 1986)[12]
- CBXX 1240 to 101.5 with 50 watts (new callsign CBXW-FM)
On October 25, 2013, the CRTC approved the CBC's application to delete the following low-power AM transmitter, CBXH John D'Or Prairie. An FM transmitter operates at 102.5 as CBXH-FM.[13]
The AM transmitters were deleted once the new FM transmitters commenced operation.
References
[edit]- ^ "Winter 2021 PPM Data". Retrieved 2021-04-17.
- ^ "Alberta's Big Radio Station Now Open". Red Deer Advocate. September 15, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "City Will Get Major CBC Link". The Edmonton Bulletin. January 10, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "Powerful New Radio Station CBX Opens Here Wednesday". Edmonton Journal. p. 6. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "CBC To Construct New Radio Station". Edmonton Journal. January 31, 1963. p. 3. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ "TV Sets Interfere With Radio 'Casts". The Calgary Albertan. December 22, 1956. p. 3. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "CBC Move Set". The Calgary Albertan. February 4, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "Fifth Calgary Station Starts Broadcasting". Calgary Herald. October 1, 1964. p. 27. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2006-84
- ^ http://www.cbc.ca/edmonton/features/cbcratings/ [dead link ]
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-31, CBX Edmonton – New transmitters in Edson, Grande Cache, High Level, Fort Vermilion and Rainbow Lake, CRTC, January 31, 2013
- ^ Decision CRTC 86-369
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-566, Various radio stations – Deletion of rebroadcasting transmitters, October 25, 2013
External links
[edit]- CBC Edmonton
- CBX history - Canadian Communications Foundation
- CBX in the REC Canadian station database