CBK (AM)

CBK

City of license	Watrous, Saskatchewan
Broadcast area	Southern and Central Saskatchewan (Regina and Saskatoon)
Branding	CBC Radio One
Frequency	540 kHz (AM)
First air date	July 29, 1939
Format	public broadcasting
ERP	50,000 watts
Class	A
Transmitter coordinates	51°40′48″N 105°26′48″W / 51.68000°N 105.44667°W / 51.68000; -105.44667
Callsign meaning	Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Henry Kelsey (the first explorer to reach the Canadian Prairies)
Owner	Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Website	CBC Saskatchewan

CBK is a Canadian clear-channel station, broadcasting the CBC Radio One network at 540 AM to most of southern Saskatchewan. The AM transmitter is located in Watrous, the city of license, but its studios are located at the CBC's broadcast centre in Regina. This facility also houses CBK-FM and CBKT.

The station operates as a 50,000-watt clear-channel station. Due to its location near the bottom of the AM dial, transmitter power and Saskatchewan's flat land (with superb soil conductivity), CBK's daytime signal reaches most of the southern two-thirds of the province, including Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Swift Current, Lloydminster, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert. It also provides grade B coverage as far west as Calgary and as far east as Winnipeg, and reaches across the border into North Dakota. At night, it can be heard across much of the western half of North America. However, it is strongest in Western Canada, North Dakota, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Minnesota.

History[edit]

The station was launched by the CBC in 1939, serving most of Saskatchewan from the single transmitter site. It was originally intended as the CBC's clear-channel operation for the Prairies (CKY in Winnipeg, now CBW, was also a clear-channel, but was a private CBC affiliate at the time). However, it initially aired no local programs. All programming was initially fed from Toronto, then after 1948 from Winnipeg. A local studio didn't open until 1954, on Broad Street in Regina.

For most of World War II, it aired programming in both English and French.

CBK was almost forced to move dial locations in 1947, when the International Telecommunications Conference considered designating 540 for a group of low-powered stations. Eventually, the ITC agreed to allow CBK to use 540 until an alternate location could be found.

In 2000, the CBC opened a "nested" repeater of CBK in Regina, CBKR-FM 102.5, due to problems with urban AM reception during the day. A second "nested" repeater was added in Saskatoon in 2006 CBK-1-FM 94.1. The remainder of the station's broadcast area continues to be served by the main 540 AM signal. The station also has an FM rebroadcaster (CBKM-FM 98.5) in Meadow Lake, a city on the fringe of the AM station's reception area.

There has recently been an effort by the town of Watrous to designate the transmitter a historic site.

Local programming[edit]

The station's local programs are The Morning Edition in the mornings from 6 a.m.-8:30 a.m. CST, Blue Sky from 12 noon-2 p.m. CST and The Afternoon Edition in the afternoons from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. CST.

Rebroadcasters[edit]

CBK has the following rebroadcasters:

Though separately licenced, CBKA-FM in La Ronge is a full-time satellite of CBK. Until 2009, that station produced its own noon-hour show and regional news updates, although it aired both The Morning Edition and The Afternoon Edition.^[4]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Radio locator info on CBK-AM
• CBC Saskatchewan
• CBK (AM) history at Canadian Communications Foundation
• Query the REC's Canadian station database for CBK