View source for CKPK-FM

{{Short description|Radio station in Vancouver, Canada}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name               = CKPK-FM
| logo               = CKPK 102.7 The Peak Logo 2016.png
| logo_size          = 200px
| city               = [[Vancouver|Vancouver, British Columbia]]
| area               = [[Greater Vancouver]]
| branding           = 102.7 The Peak
| frequency          = 102.7 [[Hertz|MHz]] {{HD Radio}}
| airdate            = {{Start date and age|1923}} (as CFXC AM)<BR> {{Start date and age|2008|11}} (as CKPK-FM)
| format             = [[Modern rock]]
| subchannels        =
| erp                = 70,000 [[watt]]s
| haat               = 682.4 metres (2,239 ft)
| class              = C
| callsign_meaning   = CK '''P'''ea'''K'''
| former_callsigns   = CFXC (1923–1926)<br>CJOR (1926–1988)<br>CHRX (1988–1994)<br>CKBD (1994–2008)
| sister_stations    = [[CJJR-FM]]
| owner              = [[Jim Pattison Group]]
| licensee           = Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Limited
| former_frequencies = 440 metres (1923–1925)<br>1030 [[Hertz|kHz]] (1925–1930)<br>1210 kHz (1930–1933)<br>600 kHz (1933–2008)<br>100.5 [[Hertz|MHz]] (2008–2012)
| coordinates        = {{coord|49.3543|N|122.9583|W|region:CA-BC_type:landmark|display=inline,title|name=CKPK-FM Tower}}
| webcast            = [https://www.thepeak.fm/player/?playerID=757 Listen Live]
| website            = [https://www.thepeak.fm thepeak.fm]<br>
}}
'''CKPK-FM''' (102.7 [[Hertz|MHz]]) is a [[Commercial radio|commercial]] [[radio station]] in [[Vancouver|Vancouver, British Columbia]]. Owned by [[Pattison Media]], it broadcasts a [[modern rock]] format.  Its [[radio studio|studio]]s are on West 8th Avenue in the [[Fairview, Vancouver|Fairview]] neighbourhood of Vancouver, while its [[transmitter]] is located atop [[Mount Seymour]].
The station first signed on with an experimental license in 1923 as '''CFXC''', and was renamed '''CJOR''' in 1926. It moved to its long-time home of [[600 AM]] in 1930. CJOR operated as the Vancouver affiliate of the [[CBC Radio|CBC]]'s [[Dominion Network]] from 1944 through the network's closure in 1962. It was later acquired by [[Jim Pattison]] after the death of its previous owner [[George Clarke Chandler]]. In November 2008, after over 80 years as an AM station, the station, [[adult standards]] CKBD, moved to FM as [[adult album alternative]] (AAA) ''100.5 The Peak''. In 2012, the station moved once again to 102.7 FM.
==History==
===Early years===
In 1923, the station was originally launched by the electrical store Hume and Rumble as experimental station '''CFXC'''. It broadcast on 440 [[metre]]s with a power of 10 [[watt]]s. It switched to the frequency of 1030 [[kilocycle]]s in 1925. The following year, the station was acquired by [[George Clarke Chandler|George Chandler]]. Under Canadian broadcast policy at the time, CFXC was shut down.<ref>[http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/index3.html?url=http%3A//www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/radio/histories.php%3Fid%3D1028%26historyID%3D894 Historical information on CFXC] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220063956/http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/index3.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.broadcasting-history.ca%2Flistings_and_histories%2Fradio%2Fhistories.php%3Fid%3D1028%26historyID%3D894 |date=2016-12-20 }} at Canadian Communications Foundation</ref>  A new license was issued to Chandler for '''CJOR'''. The station subsequently increased power to 50 watts in 1928 and shared time with [[CBU (AM)|CNRV]], then moved its frequency to 1210 AM and the studios relocated to 840 Howe Street (with another boost in power to 500 watts) in 1930, and then to 600 in 1933.
CJOR increased its transmission power to 1,000 watts in 1941, moving its transmitter site to [[Lulu Island]]. (After the station switched to FM in 2008, [[CISL (AM)|CISL]] moved to the Lulu Island location, making it the oldest broadcasting site in the Vancouver [[media market|radio market]] in continuous operation.)
===CBC Dominion Network===
In 1944, CJOR became the Vancouver [[network affiliate]] of the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]'s (CBC) [[Dominion Network]]. It increased power again in 1947, this time to 5,000 watts, using two 280-foot towers at a site in [[Richmond, British Columbia|Richmond]]. That same year, Chandler established "CJOR Ltd." to run the station.
In 1961, CJOR further increased power to 10,000 watts, using a three [[tower array]]. It became an independent station the following year after CBC ceased the Dominion Network's operations.
===New ownership===
Following George Chandler's death in 1964, the [[Jim Pattison Group]] acquired the station the following year. The [[Board of Broadcast Governors]] (predecessor of the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]], or CRTC) had decided not to allow the station parent CJOR Ltd. to renew the license. CJOR Ltd. was then owned by Chandler's widow Marie. The Board of Governors requested that a new buyer for CJOR be found. By the 1970s, the station shifted its focus away from music to [[talk radio]], with such colourful and opinionated personalities as [[Jack Webster (journalist)|Jack Webster]], [[Pat Burns (broadcaster)|Pat Burns]], and eventually, former British Columbia premier [[Dave Barrett]].
On October 31, 1983, with the pending demolition of the Grosvenor Hotel on Howe Street, CJOR relocated from the hotel's basement to its present studios at 1401 West 8th Avenue. On September 2, 1988, at noon, CJOR dropped its [[talk radio]] format, flipping to [[classic rock]] under new call letters '''CHRX'''. The first song was [[Bob Seger]]'s "[[Old Time Rock & Roll]]".<ref>Denny Boyd, "Rumored format change sending sign-off signal to CJOR hosts," ''The Vancouver Sun'', August 27, 1988.</ref><ref>Denny Boyd, "Just what does it say about us if we'd rather rock than talk?," ''The Vancouver Sun'', August 31, 1988.</ref><ref>Denny Boyd, "Radio station CJOR is no more, as CHRX rock'n'rolls," ''The Vancouver Sun'', September 3, 1988.</ref> (The former [[CJOR (AM)|CJOR]] call sign currently belongs to a radio station in [[Osoyoos, British Columbia|Osoyoos]].) The station was very popular during the late 1980s, but started experiencing declining ratings by the early 1990s.
===Sports and Christian programming===
To remedy the ratings loss, in 1993, the station added [[sports talk]] shows to its programming. However, this did not boost the ratings. On January 7, 1994, at 6 p.m., after signing off with [[Led Zeppelin]]'s "[[Stairway to Heaven]]", the station began [[stunting (broadcasting)|stunting]] with the sound of ocean waves.
On January 9, at noon, it switched formats and call signs again, becoming '''CKBD''' with the on-air brand ''The Bridge'' as Canada's first [[Contemporary Christian music]] station. The first song on "The Bridge" was "[[Awesome God]]" by [[Rich Mullins]].<ref>Nicholas Read, "Rock station converts to Christianity," ''The Vancouver Sun'', January 8, 1994.</ref><ref>David Hogben, "It's Rock of Ages instead of rock and roll," ''The Vancouver Sun'', January 10, 1994.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/2014/06/26/birth-bridge-remembering-format-flip-yesteryear/|title=Birth of the Bridge: Remembering a Format Flip from Yesteryear|date=26 June 2014}}</ref> On July 31, 1998, the station changed to an [[adult standards]] format as ''600 AM'' with the slogan "Unforgettable Adult Favourites".<ref>Douglas Todd, "Christian station's end raises doubts," ''The Vancouver Sun'', August 21, 1998.</ref>
===Switch to FM, ''The Peak''===
On May 30, 2008, CKBD was given approval by the CRTC to move to 100.5 [[Hertz|MHz]] on the FM dial.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2008/db2008-117.htm|title = ARCHIVED - Licensing of new radio stations to serve the Vancouver radio market|date = 30 May 2008}}</ref><ref>Bruce Constantineau, "CRTC okays three new metro FM stations," ''The Vancouver Sun'', June 3, 2008.</ref> As part of its move to FM, CKBD planned to switch from adult standards to [[adult album alternative]] (AAA) with a new call sign, '''CKPK-FM'''. On October 23, 2008, the FM station [[sign-on|signed on]] for testing. The transmitter on 600 AM was shut down on November 13, 2008. The last program was a 25-minute summary of the station's 84-year history on the AM band, followed by "[[Thanks for the Memory]]" by [[Bob Hope]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://formatchange.com/600-ckbd-signs-off/|title = 600 CKBD Signs-Off|date = 13 November 2012}}</ref> [[Astral Media]]'s [[CISL (AM)|CISL]] had flipped from [[oldies]] to adult standards just days before to take advantage of the move. At 7:20 that same evening, at a live party at the Seasons in the Park restaurant, "100.5 The Peak" launched with [[U2]]'s "[[Elevation (song)|Elevation]]."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://formatchange.com/100-5-the-peak-debuts/|title = 100.5 the Peak Debuts|date = 15 November 2008}}</ref>
CKPK-FM received a new competitor on [[Canada Day]], [[2009 in radio|2009]], when CHHR-FM began airing a [[adult album alternative|AAA]] format. CHHR (now [[CHLG-FM]]) would change formats to [[classic hits]] on June 20, 2014.
==== Move to 102.7 ====
On December 9, 2010, the Jim Pattison Group applied to exchange frequencies with [[nonprofit organization|non-commercial]] [[community radio]] station [[CFRO-FM]], which then operated at 102.7&nbsp;MHz.<ref>[http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-928.htm Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2010-928]</ref> The application was approved on September 9, 2011.<ref>[http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-580.htm Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-580]</ref> The swap took place almost a year later on September 10, 2012.<ref>[http://www.thepeak.fm/contests?postid=790 The PEAK (is moving to a stronger frequency) TV Commercial Contest]{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
During the summer of 2015, CKPK began evolving towards a more [[modern rock]] format. Eventually, CKPK began reporting on the [[Mediabase]] Canadian [[alternative rock]] panel.
===''Now! Radio''===
On July 22, 2022, it was announced that CKPK would drop its rock format on July 25, with its existing ''Peak'' format and programming moving to an [[HD Radio]] sub-channel and [[internet radio]].<ref>Connie Thiessen, [https://broadcastdialogue.com/pattison-to-relaunch-vancouvers-102-7-the-peak-on-hd-radio/ "Pattison to relaunch Vancouver’s 102.7 The PEAK on HD Radio"]. ''Broadcast Dialogue'', July 22, 2022.</ref> ''Radio Insight'' reported that Pattison had bought several [[domain names]] branded as ''Now! Radio'' for the station—implicating a [[hot adult contemporary]] "social radio" format modelled after sister stations [[CKNO-FM]] in Edmonton, [[CHNW-FM]] in Winnipeg, and [[CKCE-FM]] in Calgary (which uses a similar positioning as ''Today Radio'') with a focus on topical discussions and listener interactions.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=102.7 Now Radio Debuts in Vancouver |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/234289/102-7-now-radio-debuts-in-vancouver/ |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=RadioInsight |language=en-US}}</ref>
The launch of "Now! Radio" officially occurred at 1:02 p.m. on July 25.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Vancouver radio station 102.7 FM is mixing things up as NOW!radio |url=https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/local-arts/vancouver-peak-fm-radio-changing-format |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=vancouversun |language=en-CA}}</ref> The flip came nearly a month after Rogers' [[CKKS-FM]] had flipped from hot AC to modern rock on June 30.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |last=Venta |first=Lance |date=June 30, 2022 |title=Rogers Launches Sonic Radio Vancouver |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/230629/kiss-radio-vancouver-stunting-ahead-of-format-change/ |access-date=June 30, 2022 |work=RadioInsight}}</ref> In January 2023, CKPK laid off ''The Peak''<nowiki/>'s on-air personalities; the company cited low adoption of HD Radio by local listeners as its reasoning for the cutbacks.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thiessen |first=Connie |date=2023-01-12 |title=Vancouver's The Peak lays off talent as HD Radio experiment slow to gain traction |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/vancouvers-the-peak-lays-off-talent-as-hd-radio-experiment-slow-to-gain-traction/ |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=Broadcast Dialogue |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Return to ''The Peak'' ===
On June 7, 2024, at midnight, almost two years after the flip to ''Now! Radio'', Pattison dropped the format and returned to CKPK's previous ''Peak'' branding and modern rock format. The station's two remaining live personalities under ''Now!''—Jaclyn Tatay and Brayden Mack—retained their morning and afternoon shows respectively. Program director Russell James credited the "impressively dedicated" audience that CKPK's ''Peak'' digital stream retained as an impetus for the decision.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thiessen |first=Connie |date=2024-06-07 |title=Pattison revives 102.7 The Peak in Vancouver |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/pattison-revives-102-7-the-peak-in-vancouver/ |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=Broadcast Dialogue |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Past station logos==
<gallery>
Image:CJOR 1972.png|1972 CJOR logo.
Image:Ckbd-600am.png|The New 600 AM logo in 1998.
Image:Ckbd600.PNG|600 AM logo from 2008.
Image:1005thepeak.png|100.5 The Peak Logo 2008–2012.
Image:102 7 Now Radio logo.png|102.7 Now! Radio logo 2022-2024
</gallery>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://www.thepeak.fm/ 102.7 The Peak website]
* [https://broadcasting-history.ca/radio/radio-stations/british-columbia/british-columbia-vancouver/CKPK-FM CKPK-FM] at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the [[Canadian Communications Foundation]]
*[http://www3.telus.net/vanradiomuseum/CJORGallery.html CJOR/CKBD history at Vancouver Radio Museum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060911182616/http://www3.telus.net/vanradiomuseum/CJORGallery.html |date=2006-09-11 }}
*{{RecnetCanada|CKPK-FM}}
{{Vancouver Radio}}
{{Jim Pattison Group}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ckpk-Fm}}
[[Category:Radio stations in Vancouver|Kpk]]
[[Category:Modern rock radio stations in Canada|Kpk]]
[[Category:Jim Pattison Group radio stations|Kpk]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1923]]
[[Category:1923 establishments in British Columbia]]
[[Category:Dominion Network|KPK]]