CKWD-FM
 | |
| Broadcast area | Calgary Region |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 95.3 MHz (FM) |
| Branding | Wild 95.3 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| CKCE-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | April 25, 2014 |
Former call signs | CHPK-FM (2014-2016) |
Call sign meaning | C K WilD FM |
| Technical information | |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 272.9 meters |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wild953.com |
CKWD-FM is a Canadian radio station broadcasting at 95.3 FM in Calgary, Alberta owned by Jim Pattison Group. The station broadcasts a country music format branded as WILD 95.3. CKWD's studios & offices are located on 58th Avenue Southwest in Calgary, while its transmitter is located on Old Banff Coach Road.
CKWD-FM's license was granted by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on May 24, 2012.[1] It is a sister station to CKCE-FM. Its owners, the Jim Pattison Group, purchased that station from Bell Media on May 16, 2013, as part of a series of divestments required as part of its acquisition of Astral Media. The newly acquired station was consolidated into CHPK's facilities.[2] The station officially launched as CHPK-FM on April 25, 2014 with an adult album alternative format as 95.3 The Peak.[3][4]
At 10:15 a.m. on February 29, 2016, CHPK flipped to country branded as Wild 95.3; the station's general manager Eric Stafford cited low interest and ratings for the station's AAA format as an impetus for the switch. In particular, Stafford believed that The Peak was unable to fully distinguish itself from its main competitor, CFEX-FM, in order to remain competitive. The new Wild format competes mainly against the historically dominant CKRY-FM; Stafford stated that Wild would have a younger-skewing format with a focus on newer material and fewer "throwback" songs.[5][6] In addition, the station changed call letters to CKWD-FM.[7]
References
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-308, Licensing of new radio stations to serve Calgary, Alberta, CRTC, May 24, 2012
- ^ "Pattison group looks to buy castoffs from Bell Astral deal". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ "95.3 The Peak Calgary Debuts". Radio Insight. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ http://formatchange.com/95-3-the-peak-debuts/
- ^ "Calgary's new Wild 95.3 replaces Peak radio, because 'there just wasn't enough interest'". Calgary Herald. Postmedia. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/105237/wild-country-comes-to-calgary/
- ^ http://airchecker.ca/2016/03/06/canadian-radio-news-recap-february-2016/
External links
- Official website
- [1] - Canadian Communications Foundation
- CHPK-FM in the REC Canadian station database
51°03′37″N 114°10′17″W / 51.06028°N 114.17139°W
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