CHFA-680 Could Go Dark

[jon]

The CBC has applied to switch CHFA-AM (10,000 watts on 680 KHz) to 90.1 MHz with 100,000 watts, in a move that swaps the two French networks on FM in Edmonton. CBCX-FM-1 would move to 101.1 MHz with 3931 watts, replacing the CHFA nested repeater, which has been running off the Sherwood Park CBC facility because of building electrical issues Downtown.

Thanks to Dan Sys for this!

There are already Housing Developments to the East of the CHFA transmitter site in the extreme SW corner of Edmonton (East of the North Saskatchewan River), and they are rapidly approaching from the North. Sadly, this is all on the finest (Grade of) farm land in Alberta.

[jon]

A picture from 3 years ago.

[Dan Sys]

I've heard rumours that once the power increase to 97,600 watts is approved for the CBC Radio One "nested repeater" in Vancouver on 88.1 the CBC will once again try to shut CBU 690 down. Based on this application from Edmonton today I would say that's a darn good possibility.

[jon]

I was going to ponder what level of complaints will be received by the French arm of the CBC with the disappearance of CHFA's coverage outside the range of a 100KW FM Edmonton signal, but then I checked and discovered that CHFA already has FM repeaters in major centres that might otherwise have relied on CHFA's signal: Bonnyville, Falher, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Hinton and Peace River.

At first glance, most of those communities don't hit me as ones historically having a sizable French language population. That is because it is easy to forget the large number of Quebec and New Brunswick workers who have recently moved into Central and Northern Alberta to work in the Oil Industry. In much the same way that cable systems in Hinton and Fort McMurray carried Newfoundland radio and television 20 years ago when the Newfoundland economy nearly collapsed and large numbers of skilled oil and pulp industry workers moved to those communities.

The French equivalent to Radio Two is called Espace Musique and is primarily a jazz network. Its only Alberta transmitters are in Edmonton and Calgary.

[erratics]

A picture from 3 years ago.

It certainly looks like a prime location for Edmonton sprawl and subdivisions over the next 5 to 10 years.

[i2thesky]

If they did that, they might need a repeater in Legal. I work up there all the time and the big Edmonton 100 kw stations start to fade north of Legal and are almost non existent around Vimy, Clyde and Westlock. Those communities are pretty much bilingual.

[TRENT310]

Beaumont and Falher definitely have the French demographic, that come immediately to mind anyway.

I think I remember where that is... it's what is now 170St SW in Edmonton, or Rge 253. I remember always seeing it when heading out to Rabbit Hill.
Windermere is expanding in that area now, so is Heritage Valley.

Funny, listening to CHFA was actually a grade school homework assignment during grade 7.

[SKradiophile]

The CBC French AM signal is so strong in and around Sasktoon, it actually begins to bleed at least 3 points on the dial BEFORE its spot and an additional one spot right after it. I'm thinking on a clear night, that station might have listeners in Mexico! But to suggest that this strength might be examined is tantatmount to starting another French revolution in this part of the world!

[i2thesky]

I live just south of Edmonton about an hour, CHFA barely comes in during the day and invisible at night, I think they send about 5 watts to the south at night.

[radiofan]

No signal to the SW at all. I have never picked them up in Vancouver. They do a great job of protecting KNBR!

[jon]

For a long time in the late 1960s, when I DX'ed actively from Burnaby, CHFA was the only remaining Alberta station, other than LPRTs, that I had not heard.

I only ever heard them once, on a Monday morning at signon, before KNBR and daytimers such as KOMW (Omak, WA) signed on. And, of course, before CBU-690 signed on. Where was CJOB-680 Winnipeg? Probably on the air, but on night pattern, which sends their signal NNE and nowhere else.

In those days, CHFA had 5000 watts. Hard to say what their directional pattern looked like, as they really had to tighten it up to get 10,000 watts granted, as the CBC did as soon as they bought them.

Overall, between CBU on 690 and KNBR on 680, 680 was a really tough frequency to DX. KOMW was the second to last Washington station I heard, with only KPOR-1370 in Quincy to go before I managed to hear every AM station in Washington state. Both of them were 1000 watt non-directional daytimers back then.