CHPR-FM

CHPR is a Canadian radio station, which airs at 102.1 FM in Hawkesbury, Ontario. Owned by RNC Media, the station airs a francophone oldies format branded as Lov' Radio.

CHPR was originally launched in 1976 as a daytimer on AM 1110 to rebroadcast the programming of Cornwall's CFIX. In 1983, ownership of the stations was transferred to Guy Vaillancourt, who also owned CJLA in Lachute, Quebec.

Due to the area's unique circumstances as a predominantly franco-ontarian community with limited local media service due to the region's proximity to the United States, the station was also licensed at that time to launch a low power FM repeater to improve reception and provide a nighttime service. Vaillancourt shut down CFIX that year, and subsequently transferred CHPR's programming source to CJLA. In 1985, he committed to produce 32 hours per week of local programming on CHPR, with CJLA providing the station's programming the rest of the time.

In 1987, the FM transmitter increased its signal to 780 watts. The AM transmitter was discontinued at that time. Also that year, CHPR and CJLA affiliated with the Radiomutuel network. The following year, the stations were acquired by Radio Fusion, a subsidiary of RNC Media.

In 1997, RNC Media became the direct licensee of the stations after a corporate reorganization. CHPR was also licensed to increase its signal to 3 kW, and to reduce its local programming to 15 hours per week.

Despite simulcasting the majority of its programming, CHPR is one of only three francophone commercial radio stations operating in Ontario. CHYC in Sudbury and CHYK in Timmins are the others.

External links

* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/radio/histories.php?id=450&historyID=740 CHPR history at Canadian Communications Foundation]
*RecnetCanada|CHPR-FM