CKLM (defunct)
Encyclopedia
CKLM was a French-language
Canadian
radio station
located in Laval
, Quebec
(near Montreal
). It operated from 1962 to 1994.
The station broadcast on 1570 kHz with a power of 50,000 watt
s fulltime as a class B station, using a directional antenna
with different patterns day and night (the nighttime pattern being significantly tighter). While the station's signal was not particularly impressive from a strictly local point of view, the station was received by many DXers
in Europe and was considered there as one of the "easy" targets for Transatlantic DX.
CKLM originally began with a variety format
and identified itself as "the only unilingual French station in the world", referring to the fact that it only played French-language music (unlike most other French-language stations which played a significant amount of English-language
music). It quickly became identified as a strongly nationalist
station.
Late in 1967, the station feared that it would lose its licence, after it had broadcast special programming describing the July 1967 visit of French president Charles De Gaulle
in Quebec, in which he made his extremely controversial "Vive le Québec libre !" statement. Because of these fears (radio broadcasting is a federal jurisdiction in Canada), the station changed its format to Top 40 (including English-language hits).
CKLM moved from Montreal to Laval in 1976 over the objections of CFGL-FM
, which was already operating in that city. That station actually bought CKLM a few years later, but sold it in 1983 to new investors. The station then suffered from heavy financial difficulties, as listeners deserted the station in droves.
In April 1994, the company which held CKLM's licence (CKLM Radio Laval-Montréal Inc., controlled by Gérard Brunet), went bankrupt and all assets were transferred to a guaranteed creditor (2754363 Canada Inc.). That company rented the station to Réseau RadioCom Inc., a company operated by René Bourdelais which was already operating the station since January 1, 1994. All of this posed a problem as such changes legally have to be approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and no approval was sought by any of these companies. On July 15, 1994, the CRTC determined that there were too many irregularities going on, and it ordered CKLM to go off the air by July 17. CKLM initially ignored that order, but early on July 20, 1994, the station's transmitter
was apparently hit by lightning
and CKLM went off the air. The CRTC was willing to authorize CKLM to go back on the air if a proper application would have been made; there is however no record of any such application ever being made, and in any case the station never returned to the air.
Radio stations CJER, CJSA and CKSJ also left the air in 1994.
The 1570 kHz frequency was reactivated on March 9, 2004, when CFAV (now CJLV) went on the air.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Canadian
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...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
located in Laval
Laval, Quebec
Laval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
(near Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
). It operated from 1962 to 1994.
The station broadcast on 1570 kHz with a power of 50,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s fulltime as a class B station, using a directional antenna
Directional antenna
A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna which radiates greater power in one or more directions allowing for increased performance on transmit and receive and reduced interference from unwanted sources....
with different patterns day and night (the nighttime pattern being significantly tighter). While the station's signal was not particularly impressive from a strictly local point of view, the station was received by many DXers
MW DX
MW DX, short for mediumwave DXing, is the hobby of receiving the reception of distant mediumwave radio stations. MW DX is similar to TV and FM DX in that broadcast band stations are the reception targets...
in Europe and was considered there as one of the "easy" targets for Transatlantic DX.
CKLM originally began with a variety format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
and identified itself as "the only unilingual French station in the world", referring to the fact that it only played French-language music (unlike most other French-language stations which played a significant amount of English-language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
music). It quickly became identified as a strongly nationalist
Quebec sovereignty movement
The Quebec sovereignty movement refers to both the political movement and the ideology of values, concepts and ideas that promote the secession of the province of Quebec from the rest of Canada...
station.
Late in 1967, the station feared that it would lose its licence, after it had broadcast special programming describing the July 1967 visit of French president Charles De Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
in Quebec, in which he made his extremely controversial "Vive le Québec libre !" statement. Because of these fears (radio broadcasting is a federal jurisdiction in Canada), the station changed its format to Top 40 (including English-language hits).
CKLM moved from Montreal to Laval in 1976 over the objections of CFGL-FM
CFGL-FM
CFGL-FM is a French language Canadian radio station located in Laval, Quebec, near Montreal. While the station's city of licence is Laval and its studios are actually in that city, it operates as a de facto Montreal station...
, which was already operating in that city. That station actually bought CKLM a few years later, but sold it in 1983 to new investors. The station then suffered from heavy financial difficulties, as listeners deserted the station in droves.
In April 1994, the company which held CKLM's licence (CKLM Radio Laval-Montréal Inc., controlled by Gérard Brunet), went bankrupt and all assets were transferred to a guaranteed creditor (2754363 Canada Inc.). That company rented the station to Réseau RadioCom Inc., a company operated by René Bourdelais which was already operating the station since January 1, 1994. All of this posed a problem as such changes legally have to be approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and no approval was sought by any of these companies. On July 15, 1994, the CRTC determined that there were too many irregularities going on, and it ordered CKLM to go off the air by July 17. CKLM initially ignored that order, but early on July 20, 1994, the station's transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
was apparently hit by lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
and CKLM went off the air. The CRTC was willing to authorize CKLM to go back on the air if a proper application would have been made; there is however no record of any such application ever being made, and in any case the station never returned to the air.
Radio stations CJER, CJSA and CKSJ also left the air in 1994.
The 1570 kHz frequency was reactivated on March 9, 2004, when CFAV (now CJLV) went on the air.