CKSR-FM
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| Broadcast area | Chilliwack, BC |
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| Branding | 98.3 Star FM |
| Slogan | The Valley's Lite Rock |
| First air date | June 27, 1927 |
| Frequency | 98.3 MHz (FM) |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| ERP | 5 kW |
| Callsign meaning | C K StaR |
| Former callsigns | CHWK (1927-2000) |
| Owner | Rogers Communications |
| Website | 98.3 Star FM |
CKSR (known on-air as Star FM) is a Canadian radio station located in Chilliwack, British Columbia. The station, operating at 98.3 FM with 5000 watts of power, is owned by Rogers Communications. CKSR also runs a repeater station in Hope, British Columbia called CFSR-FM on 100.5 FM with 157 watts.
[edit] History
CKSR began broadcasting on June 27, 1927 as CHWK (which stood for CHilliWacK), airing for two hours a day (noon-1 PM and 6-7 PM) at its original frequency of 1210 AM with transmission power of 5 watts. The station had been started up by original owners, radio set salesmen Casey Wells and Jack Menzies, as a response to the problems Chilliwack residents had with picking up radio signals from Vancouver due to the area's mountainous terrain and the less-sophisticated radio receivers of the time. During CHWK's early years, there were some days when the station would not go on the air if Wells and Menzies were busy selling radios; this was eventually remedied in 1929 when Jack Pilling was hired on to help run station operations.
CHWK moved to 665 AM and increased power to 100 watts in 1930, and Wells bought Menzies' ownership stake in the station in 1933, with programming geared toward the Chilliwack area's farmers. CHWK switched frequencies again to 780 AM in 1937 and increased power to 250 watts the following year. In 1940, Pilling acquired half-ownership of the station, which changed over to 1340 AM in 1941 and became an affiliate of CBC Radio's new Dominion Network on January 2, 1944.
CHWK would make further frequency switches over time, to 1230 AM on April 14, 1951, then to 1270 AM (with a power increase to 1000 watts) in 1952. In 1957, Fraser Valley Broadcasters Ltd. was established as the owner of CHWK, with Jack Pilling as the new company's largest shareholder. The station's power was increased to 10,000 watts in 1960.
On August 20, 1962, Fraser Valley Broadcasters established CFVR in Abbotsford as a semi-satellite of CHWK, operating on 1240 AM with 250 watts of power; CFVR had its own morning show, while the balance of its programming came from Chilliwack. In 1965, CHWK and CFVR parent Fraser Valley Broadcasters was purchased by Dennis Barkman, and on May 8, 1972, CHWK got a second rebroadcaster when CKGO went on the air in Hope at 1490 AM with 250 watts, airing two hours of local programming a day with the rest from CHWK.
Jack Pilling, who had retired as the majority owner and president of Fraser Valley Broadcasters in 1963, died in 1977; in February that year, CFVR moved to 850 AM and increased its power to 10,000 watts, while CKGO later took over CFVR's old 1240 frequency and made a power increase to 1000 watts in the daytime, remaining at 250 at night. On October 1, 1986, Fraser Valley Broadcasters put the original CKSR-FM on the air at 107.5 FM in Chilliwack, with a repeater station (originally called CFSR-FM) in Abbotsford at 104.9 FM, broadcasting a mixed adult contemporary/easy listening format, and in the late 1980s, CHWK, CFVR and CKGO would drop their CBC affiliations when CBC set up an FM repeater station of CBU in Chilliwack.
On June 25, 1994, CFVR discontinued its adult contemporary format for oldies music and changed its call sign to CKMA (adopting the on-air brand 85 Radio MAX), with CHWK and CKGO following suit as they began simulcasting CKMA on September 8, 1997. In August 1999, Rogers Communications bought Fraser Valley Broadcasting and its stations. On December 31, 1999 at 5 PM, CKSR/CFSR changed its call letters to CKVX-FM (eventually to become CKCL-FM on April 8, 2004).
On June 9, 2000, the CRTC gave approval to CHWK to switch to FM, to operate at 98.3 MHz. In preparation for the switch, in September that year, CHWK, CKMA and CKGO changed call signs as well as CHWK adopted the old CKSR name, while CKMA became CFSR and CKGO changed to CKIS. On December 15, CKIS was approved to move to FM at 100.5, and CFSR got the green light on June 5, 2001, to move to 107.1 FM. On August 31, 2001, the switch took place as the stations (with CKSR as the originating broadcaster) adopted the on-air brand Star FM and dropped their oldies format for adult contemporary; their old AM frequencies would continue simulcasting CKSR until December. CFSR would cease rebroadcasting CKSR on March 24, 2005 at noon as it became CKQC-FM, airing a separate schedule of contemporary country music, while the CFSR calls were transferred to CKIS.
[edit] Past station logos
 An early logo for CHWK, from 1927. |
 CHWK/CFVR logo, used until CFVR switched frequencies in 1977. |
[edit] External links
- 98.3 Star FM website
- CHWK/CKSR history at CCF website
- Fraser Valley Radio history at Vancouver Radio Museum (includes CKSR-FM)
