CKXY-FM


CKXY-FM is a radio station licensed to Cochrane, Alberta. Owned by Golden West Broadcasting, it broadcasts a country music format.

History

The station was originally a rebroadcaster of CFIT-FM/Airdrie on 95.3 FM. In March 2009, the CRTC approved an application by original owner Tiessen Media to move the transmitter to a new, higher location, and change its frequency to 91.5 FM. Tiessen cited that this would improve reception, and allow it to be fed over-the-air by CFIT's main signal.
On July 9, 2015, the station's current owner Golden West Broadcasting submitted an application to the CRTC to replace CFIT-FM-1 with a new autonomous station serving Cochrane on the same frequency, airing a country music format with a focus on local news and information. The application was denied by the CRTC: although the station's signal would only reach a small portion of Calgary, there was a concern that the station would not be economically viable in the present economic environment, and there was a risk that it would have to rely on advertising sales outside of Cochrane, which could dilute the revenue and audience of Calgary-based stations, even if it were to be formally forbidden from soliciting advertising in Calgary.
On December 3, 2018, the CRTC approved a revised application for the station, citing improving economic conditions and population growth in Calgary and Cochrane that are sufficient to support a new radio station, a signal with a shorter primary contour than before, and Golden West agreeing to a condition of license forbidding the station from soliciting advertising in the city of Calgary.
On October 24, 2019, the new station officially launched as 91.5 Cochrane Now, with the call letters CKXY-FM.

Call letter history

The CKXY callsign was used at a number of unrelated defunct radio stations such as AM 1040 Vancouver, British Columbia in the late 1980's and 92.3 FM in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, a repeater of CIRK-FM Edmonton, until it left the air in 2018.