CBW-990 Off Air - Power Failure

[jon]

As a DX friend remarked, it is rare to see a major CBC transmitter (like this CBW-990 50KW blowtorch) off the air:

Transmitter failure knocks CBC off AM radio
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | 8:59 AM CT
CBC News

A power failure at a CBC transmitter west of Winnipeg has hushed the radio broadcast on the AM dial.

Programming can still be heard at 89.3 FM but selecting 990 on the AM side only brings soft static.

There is a backup generator at the site in but that too, has failed.

Crews are working to restore power.

ref. - http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story ... nipeg.html

[jon]

Lots of comments to the Winnipeg Free Press version of the article: to the effect that no one listens to AM or the CBC. So, I thought it would be fun to find some recent ratings:

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Winter ratings for CITI, Clear FM up; CJOB, CBC 2 lose listeners
By: Staff Writer
2/04/2009 1:58 PM

The two Winnipeg radios stations owned by Rogers Communications increased their listenership in the winter S1 BBM ratings book released yesterday.

Classic rock music station 92 CITI FM attracted eight per cent of all listeners aged 12 and over, an increase from a 7.7 share last fall, while Clear 102.3 FM also earned an eight share but its was up from 6.7.

"We¹re both strong with the 25-54-age group," said Craig Letawsky, general manager of both signals. "That's the demographic most want to reach."

Perennial leader CJOB 680 AM saw a slight decline, and CBC Radio 2 also lost listeners, in what would be considered the first meaningful ratings measurement since it dropped its all-classical music format last September.

Here is the complete list of 12-and-up ratings for the period between January and March 1, with last year's numbers for the same period in parentheses):

1. CJOB ‹ 15.6 (17)
2. CBC Radio One ‹ 10.7 (11.7)
3. Hot 103 ‹ 8.9 (9.8)
4. QX-104 ‹ 8.9 (7.5)
5. CITI ‹ 8 (7.7)
6. Clear FM ‹ 8 (6.7)
7. Bob FM ‹ 7.6 (6.7)
8. Power 97 ‹ 6.6 (6.5)
9. Curve FM ‹ 3.5 (3.5)
10. CFRW ‹ 3.2(2.8)
11. CBC Radio 2 ‹ 2.9 (3.5)
12. Groove FM ‹ 1.8 (2.5)
13. Hank FM 1.3 (‹)

[Mike Cleaver]

So the people's broadcaster doesn't have a backup transmitter?
And an auxiliary generator is only good if it's tested once a week running for at least a half an hour under load.
Did CBC fire all it's engineers who know anything other then computers?