CKEY-FM

"This article is about the FM station in Fort Erie, ON. For the former Toronto AM station see CHKT (AM)"Infobox Radio station
name = CKEY-FM


city = Fort Erie, Ontario
area = Buffalo-Niagara Falls
branding = Z101
slogan = Today's Hit Music
airdate = 1986
frequency = 101.1 MHz (FM)
format = Rhythmic Top 40
power = 26 kW
owner = CJRN 710 Inc.
webcast = http://www.z101.fm/z101.asx|here
website = http://www.z101.fm

CKEY is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 101.1 FM in Fort Erie, Ontario. The station broadcasts a CHR format with a rhythmic lean under branding Z101.

The station was originally launched in 1986 as AM 530 CJFT. It moved to FM in 1991, and adopted its current callsign. Previous to adopting the name "WiLD 101", the station aired a hot AC format, which has since moved to sister station CFLZ 105.1 FM. The "WiLD 101" name was adopted several years ago when the station, then running hip hop and urban music, was under a local marketing agreement with Citadel, who operated the station as part of its Buffalo, New York cluster. That LMA was discontinued when the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) threatened to revoke its licence.

The station was known as "101.1 The Planet" in the mid 90's being owned partially by the same owners of Burlington's "Energy 108" and Orangeville's "Hot 103.5" using some of their DJ's on voice over. It lasted for about 2 years. The main DJ who was known to the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area "Big D" went on to work for Hot 103.5 when The Planet changed format and owners.

The Planet would do live-to-air broadcasts from local clubs in the Niagara Falls, NY area just across the river literally from where the station was located in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The Planet morphed into The River 101.1 as a sort of retro- 80s type station in the late '90s.

CKEY is locally co-owned with CJRN-AM 710 AM and CFLZ 105.1 FM.

From 1945 to 1991, CKEY was the callsign of an AM radio station in Toronto, which now airs Chinese programming as Fairchild Radio affiliate CHKT. Its longtime frequency of 590 kHz has been occupied by sports radio station CJCL (The Fan) since 1995.

Because of its format and music choice, CKEY competes with long-time urban station WBLK and top 40 music station WKSE since CKEY also serves the Buffalo area, which has become its main listening audience.

Originally thought to be an April Fools joke, "Wild 101" changed its brand name to "Z101, Today's Hit Music" on April 1, 2007.

External links

* [http://www.z101.fm/ CKEY-FM "Z101" website]
* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/radio/histories.php?id=608&historyID=839 CKEY History at Canadian Communications Foundation]
* [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/1990/DB90-1099.htm Decision CRTC 90-1099]
* [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/1986/DB86-141.HTM Decision CRTC 86-141]