CKOB (AM)

CKOB (originally part of Opeongo Broadcasting) radio located in Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, broadcast on 1400kHz. using non-directional 1000W circular beam.

The station was launched in the early 1970s.

Richard Armitage (program director) managed early 1980s announcers such as Bob Rose (sports director), Rick Niemi (music director), Gerry Gava and Brother Lee Nelson as they entertained the Ottawa Valley region with an assortment of cross-country, middle-of-the-road and adult contemporary music. The station was semi-automated between midnight and six in the morning playing back pre-recorded music from a simple reel-to-reel logger machine running at 3/32 inches per second.

Live local lunch time phone-in shows such as "In the Mayor's Chair", hosted by then news director Terry Horner or Derek Neil put the listener directly in touch with the presiding mayor (Audrey Green) in an open forum to discuss topics of the day.

The station along with co-owned CKOA in Arnprior, were sold by then-owner Jamie Pole in 1990 to Annapolis Valley Radio Ltd. In their decision, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) believed this transaction would provide the stations a new opportunity for growth and community involvement. Unfortunately they also permitted the reduction of locally produced programming from 126 to 21 hours per week. Eventually Pelmorex acquired CKOB and CKOA, both of which were converted to rebroadcasters of CHRO in Pembroke.

CHVR moved to FM in 1996. Due to its signal strength, the Renfrew and Arnprior rebroadcasters were both discontinued. Local programming was also discontinued in both communities. No doubt feeling the backlash against these decisions, in 2004 the CRTC approved a new FM licensed station in Renfrew, Ontario to Jamie Pole's son, Jon Pole. Jon, co-owner of the new station, also serves as president of the local station along with stations in Pembroke, Strathroy, Napanee, and a re-broadcaster in Arnprior.

During its high point, CKOB-AM was entrenched in the local community and regularly took out full page advertisements in the "Renfrew Mercury" [http://www.runge.net/section11.php ] newspaper.

(The former CKOB callsign now currently belongs to a radio station out in Obed Mine, Alberta).

External links

* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/radio/histories.php?id=1157&historyID=1106 CKOB history at Canadian Communications Foundation]
* [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/1985/DB85-424.HTM Decision CRTC 85-424]
* [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/1986/DB86-917.HTM Decision CRTC 86-917]
* [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/1986/DB86-919.HTM Decision CRTC 86-919]
* [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/1990/DB90-987.HTM Decision CRTC 90-987]
* [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/1990/DB90-1053.htm Decision CRTC 90-1053]