CJBK
 | This article needs to beupdated.(November 2010) |
| Defunct | |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Southwestern Ontario |
| Frequency | 1290kHz(AM) |
| Programming | |
| Format | Silent |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | |
| CFPL-DT,CIQM-FM,CJBX-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | January 25,1967 |
Last air date | June 14,2023 (56 years, 140 days) |
Call signmeaning | "Christ Jesus, Be Kind" (in reference to Detroit radio station WJBK, nowWLQV) |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | CRTC |
| Class | B |
| Power | 10,000watts |
CJBKwas a Canadianradio station,broadcasting inLondon, Ontario,Canada, on the assigned frequency of 1290kHz.The station is owned byBell Media,has anantennasystem input power of 10,000watts,as a Class B station. CJBK's studios were located at 1 Communications Road along with sister stationsCJBX-FM,CIQM-FMandCFPL-DTwhile its formertransmittersite was located near White Oak Road and Manning Drive south of London. The station last aired aNews/Talk/Sportsformat. It broadcast the Western Ontario Mustangs college football team, served as itsflagshipstation. It also broadcastToronto Maple Leafs,Ottawa Senators,andDetroit Red Wingsgames.[1]
As of June 14, 2023, the station has ceased broadcasting.[2]
History[edit]
CJBK went on the air January 25, 1967, as CJOE. The "JOE" in the call letters stood forJoe McManus,the founder of the station (under the banner of Middlesex Broadcasters, Ltd.). The station originally featured aBeautiful Musicformat. Eventually CJOE began to supplement theeasy listeningmusic with soft rock and thenTop 40music during the evening hours, but the station remained unprofitable.
In 1972, McManus sold the station to Rick Richardson (two-thirds Baron Communications, Ltd. and one-third Bruce Communications, Ltd.). On September 6, 1972, Richardson took control of CJOE and changed the call letters to CJBK and the format to full-time Top 40 music. Richardson wanted a "CJ"call signto distinguish the new AM 1290 from its competitorsCFPLandCKSL,but it has also been suggested that the CJBK calls were a personal tribute to formerDetroitTop 40 stationWJBK,which had been a favourite station of Richardson's while he lived and worked inWindsor.CJBK's main catchphrase in the 1970s was "Have a Good Day!" In 1980, CJBK added an FM sister withcountry-formattedCJBX-FM92.7.
In 1987, CJBK and CJBX were acquired by Middlesex-Lambton Broadcasters Ltd., and CJBK shifted from itsCHR/Top 40format toadult contemporaryin August of that year. The station began broadcasting inAM stereoin 1989. In early 1992, the station changed format from AC tooldies.
London Communications, Inc. acquired CJBK and CJBX in September 1993 and shifted CJBK from oldies to the currentNews/Talkformat on August 12, 1996. The stations were sold again in 1999 toTelemedia,which already owned ACCIQM-FMand would purchase CKSL the following year. Standard Radio acquired Telemedia's London stations in 2002.
In October 2007,Astral Mediaacquired Standard Broadcasting's terrestrial radio and television assets, including CJBK. As part of Astral's merger withBell Mediaon June 27, 2013, CJBK is owned by Bell Media.
Morning host Steve Garrison had been a fixture on CJBK since the late 1970s. After a stint as station promotion manager, Garrison became a mid-day DJ in January 1984, and began co-hosting a morning show in 1990 with futureCBC NewsanchorHeather Hiscox.After moving back to middays for a few years, he began hosting his current morning show when the news/talk format was adopted in 1996. In November 2015 Bell Media let the London radio icon go as part of a company-wide restructuring.[3]
Starting in mid-2014 after theBell Mediapurchase, CJBK began airing top of the hour news andsimulcastingthe 6PM newscast from theCTV Londonnewsroom.
The station, in its final run, featured live talk shows including The Morning Show with Ken Eastwood and Loreena Dicksonfrom 5AM to 9AM,TheJerry AgarShow,TheEvan SolomonShow,The Rush,andThe Late ShowgramwithJim Richardsovernights.
CJBK also broadcast livesports,Western Ontario Mustangs football andNFLFootball. On evenings and weekends, the station carried a variety ofNews/Talkprogramming from other Bell Media stations includingCFRBinToronto,CJADinMontreal,andCFRAinOttawa.
On June 14, 2023, as part of a mass corporate restructuring at Bell Media, the company shut down 6 of their AM radio stations nationwide, including CJBK. The station ended regular programming at 11 a.m. that day, replaced with a looped message about the impending shutdown, which is expected to last until the completion of the signoff.[4][5]
References[edit]
- ^"NewsTalk 1290 CJBK | Modern talk radio for London - iHeartRadio".
- ^Hudes, Sammy (June 14, 2023)."Bell cutting 1,300 positions, closing or selling 9 radio stations".Financial Post.Canadian Press.
- ^London radio host Steve Garrison loses job at AM 1290 as part of Bell Media layoffs
- ^Bell Media Shuts 6 AMs, to Sell 3 Others, as Part of Companywide Cuts
- ^Closing of a London AM radio station signals loss of local news options,CBC London,June 17, 2023
External links[edit]
- CJBKat The History of Canadian Broadcasting by theCanadian Communications Foundation
- CJBKin the REC Canadian station database