CIDR-FM
Encyclopedia
CIDR-FM is the callsign for a radio station, broadcasting at 93.9 FM in Windsor, Ontario
. The station broadcasts a adult album alternative
format using the brand name 93-9 The River. It is owned and operated by Bell Media. It is one of the few commercial adult album alternative stations in Canada
and is the only one in Ontario
, with the others located in British Columbia
. It was also Canada's first AAA-formatted station at launch.
programming of sister station CKLW. It dropped the CBC affiliation in 1950 with the sign-on of CBE-AM 1550, and became the Metro Detroit
outlet of the Mutual Broadcasting System
.
The stations were subsequently acquired in 1956 by a consortium including the American
company RKO
; RKO subsequently acquired full ownership of the stations in 1963. Also that year, CKLW-FM began airing distinct programming from its AM sister station. It originally broadcast two hours of separate programming each evening from 7 to 9 p.m., and in 1967, this was expanded to six hours per night (from 6 p.m. to midnight).
format with news and talk oriented toward the Windsor audience (as opposed to the AM, which chiefly targeted the American side). During the seventies, CKLW-FM was known as "FM Nine Four." In January 1982, the station changed its callsign to CKJY, airing a big band/adult standards/jazz format.
In 1984, with CKLW's top 40 format on its last legs due to the growing popularity of rock and pop music formats on the FM dial, management tried to move the AM's top 40 format to the FM dial with the new calls CFXX and the name "94 Fox FM". The station's staff spent months preparing for the change, commissioning new jingles, advertising extensively via billboards and television, and practicing the format until they were sure it was ready. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, however, refused to approve more than four hours of rock programming a day - two in the morning and two in afternoon drive - and insisted that the station remain big-band the rest of the time, holding that Top 40 music belonged on AM and that FM was for "fine music" such as classical, jazz, big band and beautiful music
. The experiment was, understandably, a failure. In 1985, Baton sold both CKLW and CFXX to CUC Broadcasting
, who moved the big-band "Music of Your Life
" format to CKLW and instituted an easy listening format on the FM as CKEZ.
CKLW-FM became CKMR, "More 94", in 1988, and eventually evolved the oldies format in a middle-of-the-road direction ("The Motor City's Adult Music Station").
CHUM Limited
acquired the station in early 1993. In February 1994, the format was switched to an "Arrow
"-style classic hits
format dubbed "Rock & Roll Oldies" featuring mainly 1970s classic rock title with a smattering of '60s and '80s material. In October of that same year, CKLW-FM flipped to adult album alternative
in 1994 as "93-9 The River - Quality Rock, Real Variety", with the new calls CIDR. "The River" was never a ratings powerhouse but, with Ann Delisi (formerly of Detroit public-radio station WDET
) at the helm, attracted a loyal listenership, which the station then proceeded to largely alienate by tweaking the format to "smooth rock" in 1999 and adding many classic rock titles to the playlist.
, the station flipped to an adult contemporary format as Lite Rock 93-9 FM in an attempt to take on AC market leader WNIC
. Ratings remained low, and eventually CIDR tweaked its format in a hot adult contemporary direction by 2001
, when WMGC entered the Detroit AC competition. By the mid-2000s, the station dropped the "Lite Rock" identity from its on-air imaging and became known as simply 93.9 FM, Today's Best Music. The station now competed chiefly with WDVD
96.3 (the former WHYT) for the hot AC audience, but in this, it was still unsuccessful.
At 3:00 PM on September 1, 2006, 93.9 once again became "939 - The River." About three quarters of the way through the All American Rejects' "Move Along", the song was interrupted by the sound of rushing water, and a promo for the River was broadcast. It was also announced that they would be playing clips of over 7,000 songs, all weekend long, commercial free until Monday morning when the songs would be "Super sized".
On September 4, 2006 at 8:00 am, The River was officially relaunched by playing "Take Me to the River" by Talking Heads. This returned the adult alternative format back to the Detroit radio dial after public radio station WDET
dumped it in 2005 in favor of mainly NPR news and talk.
The station's main competitors are Greater Media
classic rock
er WCSX
and Cumulus Media
's two FM stations—adult hits
WDRQ
and hot AC WDVD
. Another competitor in the Ann Arbor
market is Cumulus' WQKL
, which also airs a triple-A format. As a result, the station is co-owned with alternative rock
er CIMX-FM
, making it Detroit's second twin-stick operation for rock stations (the other twin-stick operations for rock stations would be Greater Media
active rock
er WRIF
& classic rocker WCSX).
In 2007, CIDR along with all other CHUM Radio stations across Canada, were sold to CTVglobemedia; that company became Bell Media in April 2011, following BCE
's purchase of CTVglobemedia.
In March 2011, Martz Communications Group
(through licensee Radio Power, Inc.) filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to relocate the frequency of its Detroit repeater, W284BQ, from 104.7 MHz to 93.9 MHz—if approved, the repeater will interfere with CIDR-FM in much of the Greater Detroit area, though the licensee contends that the transmitter will be directional, as to not interfere with CIDR-FM on the Canadian side of the border. However, Martz has since applied to move the translator to 93.5 FM, where it would not interfere with CIDR, and it is unlikely the translator will ever actually take to the air on 93.9. As of November 2011, the 104.7 FM signal is silent after having broadcast a smooth jazz
format (simulcasting WGPR
-HD2) for several months, having been ordered off the air by the FCC due to inteference with WIOT
in Toledo, Ohio.
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
. The station broadcasts a adult album alternative
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
format using the brand name 93-9 The River. It is owned and operated by Bell Media. It is one of the few commercial adult album alternative stations in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and is the only one in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, with the others located in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. It was also Canada's first AAA-formatted station at launch.
CKLW-FM
The station was originally launched by Western Ontario Broadcasting in 1949 as CKLW-FM, rebroadcasting the CBC Dominion NetworkCBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
programming of sister station CKLW. It dropped the CBC affiliation in 1950 with the sign-on of CBE-AM 1550, and became the Metro Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
outlet of the Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
.
The stations were subsequently acquired in 1956 by a consortium including the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company RKO
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
; RKO subsequently acquired full ownership of the stations in 1963. Also that year, CKLW-FM began airing distinct programming from its AM sister station. It originally broadcast two hours of separate programming each evening from 7 to 9 p.m., and in 1967, this was expanded to six hours per night (from 6 p.m. to midnight).
CKJY/94 Fox FM
In 1970, due to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's new rules on foreign ownership of Canadian media, RKO was forced to sell the stations to Baton Broadcasting. Under Baton's ownership, CKLW-FM had by 1973 completely separated programming from its successful Top 40 AM sister, airing a country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format with news and talk oriented toward the Windsor audience (as opposed to the AM, which chiefly targeted the American side). During the seventies, CKLW-FM was known as "FM Nine Four." In January 1982, the station changed its callsign to CKJY, airing a big band/adult standards/jazz format.
In 1984, with CKLW's top 40 format on its last legs due to the growing popularity of rock and pop music formats on the FM dial, management tried to move the AM's top 40 format to the FM dial with the new calls CFXX and the name "94 Fox FM". The station's staff spent months preparing for the change, commissioning new jingles, advertising extensively via billboards and television, and practicing the format until they were sure it was ready. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, however, refused to approve more than four hours of rock programming a day - two in the morning and two in afternoon drive - and insisted that the station remain big-band the rest of the time, holding that Top 40 music belonged on AM and that FM was for "fine music" such as classical, jazz, big band and beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
. The experiment was, understandably, a failure. In 1985, Baton sold both CKLW and CFXX to CUC Broadcasting
CUC Broadcasting
CUC Broadcasting was a Canadian media company. Primarily a cable television distributor which operated under the name Trillium Cable, CUC was also a minority investor in other smaller cable companies, including Northern Cable and UMG Cable....
, who moved the big-band "Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life is a satellite-delivered radio network featuring the Adult Standards music format. Created by record executive and jingle writer Al Ham, and now under the direction of Marc Angell, Music of Your Life has more than 50 AM, FM and HD-2 radio station affiliates, and has been in...
" format to CKLW and instituted an easy listening format on the FM as CKEZ.
Big 8 On FM/More 94
The calls changed back to CKLW-FM in May 1986, and the station instituted an oldies format meant to recapture the sound of the original CKLW-AM, with former "Big 8" jock Dave Shafer as program director and morning show host. The awakened CKLW-FM brought back the well-known Johnny Mann Singers-performed jingles for the "Big 8", along with many of the legendary personalities and "20/20 News" and a music rotation based on the "Big 8" playlists from the 1960s to the 1980s plus the older 1950s and early '60s hits that the AM had played as "golden" titles. "Ladies and gentlemen, the good times are back!" proclaimed former "Big 8" jock "Big" Jim Edwards during the station IDs. Although the overall sound was faithful to the "Big 8"'s glory days, the station's ratings remained low.CKLW-FM became CKMR, "More 94", in 1988, and eventually evolved the oldies format in a middle-of-the-road direction ("The Motor City's Adult Music Station").
I-94/The Legend/93-9 The River
Then in 1991, after a short attempt at a classic soul/urban gold format as "I-94" which lasted only a few months, the CKLW-FM calls and the "Big 8"-inspired oldies format were once again restored, with the station branded as "93.9 The Legend". Once again, the station sounded faithful to the original CKLW-AM, featuring stalwarts from the golden age of Detroit's Top 40 radio era such as Tom Shannon, Dave Prince, Dave Shafer and Lee Alan (host of the weekly feature Back in the '60s Again). Unfortunately, the change once again did nothing to raise the station's anemic ratings.CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited was a media company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 1945 to 2007. Immediately prior to its acquisition, it held full or joint control of two Canadian television systems — Citytv and A-Channel — comprising 11 local stations, and one CBC Television affiliate, one...
acquired the station in early 1993. In February 1994, the format was switched to an "Arrow
Arrow (radio format)
Arrow is a radio format that plays "classic hits" from the late 1970s through the early 1980s among other selections. The format was briefly popular in a number of markets.The word "Arrow" is an extended acronym for "All Rock-and-Roll Oldies"....
"-style classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
format dubbed "Rock & Roll Oldies" featuring mainly 1970s classic rock title with a smattering of '60s and '80s material. In October of that same year, CKLW-FM flipped to adult album alternative
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
in 1994 as "93-9 The River - Quality Rock, Real Variety", with the new calls CIDR. "The River" was never a ratings powerhouse but, with Ann Delisi (formerly of Detroit public-radio station WDET
WDET
WDET-FM is a public radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Licensed to Wayne State University in the city's Cass Corridor neighborhood, about a mile south of the New Center neighborhood, WDET broadcasts original programming as well as shows from National Public Radio, Public Radio International and...
) at the helm, attracted a loyal listenership, which the station then proceeded to largely alienate by tweaking the format to "smooth rock" in 1999 and adding many classic rock titles to the playlist.
"Lite Rock" and The "River's" Return
In 20002000 in radio
The year 2000 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*The Real Radio & Century Radio networks become active on - air, through the United Kingdom....
, the station flipped to an adult contemporary format as Lite Rock 93-9 FM in an attempt to take on AC market leader WNIC
WNIC
WNIC is an American radio station based in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting at 100.3 MHz FM. WNIC's studios and offices are located in Farmington Hills, MI. WNIC's transmitter is located near Schoolcraft and Livernois Avenue in the City of Detroit on the near west side. WNIC broadcasts with an...
. Ratings remained low, and eventually CIDR tweaked its format in a hot adult contemporary direction by 2001
2001 in radio
The year 2001 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*12 January: Jammin 103.5 becomes Kiss 103.5 in Chicago.*29 January: The 80s Channel WXXY and WWYX becomes Viva! 103.1...
, when WMGC entered the Detroit AC competition. By the mid-2000s, the station dropped the "Lite Rock" identity from its on-air imaging and became known as simply 93.9 FM, Today's Best Music. The station now competed chiefly with WDVD
WDVD
WDVD is a hot adult contemporary radio station in Detroit, Michigan, broadcasting at 96.3 MHz on the FM dial. WDVD's studios and offices are located in the Fisher Building near downtown Detroit. WDVD's transmitter is located in Oakland County in Royal Oak Township at 8 Mile Road and Wyoming Avenue...
96.3 (the former WHYT) for the hot AC audience, but in this, it was still unsuccessful.
At 3:00 PM on September 1, 2006, 93.9 once again became "939 - The River." About three quarters of the way through the All American Rejects' "Move Along", the song was interrupted by the sound of rushing water, and a promo for the River was broadcast. It was also announced that they would be playing clips of over 7,000 songs, all weekend long, commercial free until Monday morning when the songs would be "Super sized".
On September 4, 2006 at 8:00 am, The River was officially relaunched by playing "Take Me to the River" by Talking Heads. This returned the adult alternative format back to the Detroit radio dial after public radio station WDET
WDET
WDET-FM is a public radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Licensed to Wayne State University in the city's Cass Corridor neighborhood, about a mile south of the New Center neighborhood, WDET broadcasts original programming as well as shows from National Public Radio, Public Radio International and...
dumped it in 2005 in favor of mainly NPR news and talk.
The station's main competitors are Greater Media
Greater Media
Greater Media, Inc., known as Greater Media, is an American media company that specializes in radio stations. The markets where they own radio stations include Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and the state of New Jersey...
classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
er WCSX
WCSX
WCSX is a Detroit-based FM radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. WCSX's transmitter is located in suburban Oakland County in Royal Oak Township near the intersection of 8 Mile Rd. and Wyoming Avenue. WCSX transmits its signal from an antenna 951 feet in height with an effective radiated...
and Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
's two FM stations—adult hits
Adult hits
Adult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist...
WDRQ
WDRQ
WDRQ is an FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan. The station is branded as 93.1 Doug FM. Doug FM broadcasts from the Fisher Building just north of downtown Detroit and transmits its signal from an antenna 669 feet in length located at the intersection of Ten Mile and Greenfield Roads in suburban...
and hot AC WDVD
WDVD
WDVD is a hot adult contemporary radio station in Detroit, Michigan, broadcasting at 96.3 MHz on the FM dial. WDVD's studios and offices are located in the Fisher Building near downtown Detroit. WDVD's transmitter is located in Oakland County in Royal Oak Township at 8 Mile Road and Wyoming Avenue...
. Another competitor in the Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
market is Cumulus' WQKL
WQKL
WQKL, known on the air as ann arbor's 107one, is a radio station broadcasting from Ann Arbor, Michigan. WQKL is a Cumulus radio station, co-owned with country WWWW-FM 102.9, Sports Talk WTKA-AM 1050, and WLBY-AM 1290. Although the station broadcasts with only 3,000 watts of power, it can be heard...
, which also airs a triple-A format. As a result, the station is co-owned with alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
er CIMX-FM
CIMX-FM
CIMX-FM — branded 89X — is a commercial active-leaning alternative rock radio station based in Windsor, Ontario. 89X serves both Essex County, Ontario and Metro Detroit; its 100,000-watt signal reaches most of southwestern Ontario, southeastern Michigan, the Toledo metro area and the western Lake...
, making it Detroit's second twin-stick operation for rock stations (the other twin-stick operations for rock stations would be Greater Media
Greater Media
Greater Media, Inc., known as Greater Media, is an American media company that specializes in radio stations. The markets where they own radio stations include Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and the state of New Jersey...
active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
er WRIF
WRIF
WRIF — branded 101 WRIF: The RIFF — is a commercial active rock radio station licensed by the FCC to operate in Detroit, Michigan serving surrounding Metro Detroit. The station is currently owned by Greater Boston Radio, Inc. WRIF is a grandfathered Class B station with a signal equivalent to...
& classic rocker WCSX).
In 2007, CIDR along with all other CHUM Radio stations across Canada, were sold to CTVglobemedia; that company became Bell Media in April 2011, following BCE
Bell Canada
Bell Canada is a major Canadian telecommunications company. Including its subsidiaries such as Bell Aliant, Northwestel, Télébec, and NorthernTel, it is the incumbent local exchange carrier for telephone and DSL Internet services in most of Canada east of Manitoba and in the northern territories,...
's purchase of CTVglobemedia.
In March 2011, Martz Communications Group
Martz Communications Group
Martz Communications Group is an American radio broadcasting company, which operates three radio stations in the St. Lawrence River area of New York; one in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and two in Detroit, Michigan...
(through licensee Radio Power, Inc.) filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) to relocate the frequency of its Detroit repeater, W284BQ, from 104.7 MHz to 93.9 MHz—if approved, the repeater will interfere with CIDR-FM in much of the Greater Detroit area, though the licensee contends that the transmitter will be directional, as to not interfere with CIDR-FM on the Canadian side of the border. However, Martz has since applied to move the translator to 93.5 FM, where it would not interfere with CIDR, and it is unlikely the translator will ever actually take to the air on 93.9. As of November 2011, the 104.7 FM signal is silent after having broadcast a smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
format (simulcasting WGPR
WGPR
WGPR is an FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan brodacasting a Mainstream Urban format. Owned by the International Free and Accepted Modern Masons and operated under local marketing agreement by Radio One, the station operates on 107.5 MHz....
-HD2) for several months, having been ordered off the air by the FCC due to inteference with WIOT
WIOT
WIOT is a FM radio station in Toledo, Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts at 104.7 MHz.WIOT was Toledo's first FM rock station when it went on the air December 25, 1972, replacing a beautiful music/classical format. The call letters stood for "In Our Time"...
in Toledo, Ohio.
External links
- Michiguide.com - CIDR History
- CIDR-FM history at Canadian Communications FoundationCanadian Communications FoundationThe Canadian Communications Foundation is a history of Canadian broadcasting for radio and television chronicles and documents. It also provides a history of radio and television stations, including networks, programs, broadcasters and many others....