CFRN
Broadcast areaEdmonton Metropolitan Region
Frequency1260 kHz
Programming
FormatSilent
Ownership
Owner
CFBR-FM, CFMG-FM, CFRN-DT
History
First air date
April 17, 1927 (1927-04-17)
Last air date
June 14, 2023 (2023-06-14)
(96 years, 58 days)
Former call signs
  • CHMA (1927–1934)
  • CFTP (March–November 1934)
Former frequencies
  • 580 kHz (1927–1934)
  • 1260 kHz (1934-1936)
  • 960 kHz (1936–1941)
Call sign meaning
G.R.A. Rice and H.F. Nielson, partners who bought the station in 1934
Technical information
ClassA (Regional)
Power50,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
53°27′8.3″N 113°40′52.6″W / 53.452306°N 113.681278°W / 53.452306; -113.681278

CFRN was a Class A, 50,000-watt (directional at night) radio station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. CFRN was unusual in that it was a Class A (protected nighttime skywave) AM station on a regional frequency.[1] Owned by Bell Media and broadcasting on 1260 AM, the station last aired a sports format, branded as TSN 1260 Edmonton. The station's studios were located at 18520 Stony Plain Road in Edmonton, where it shared studio space with its sister station, CFRN-DT.

As of February 28, 2021, CFRN was the 17th-most-listened-to radio station in the Edmonton market according to a PPM data report released by Numeris.[2]

History

Early history

In 1927, the Christian and Missionary Alliance launched the original station as CHMA at 580 kHz. The station operated experimentally for two months before using its full power of 250 watts beginning in June.[3] In March 1934, CHMA became CFTP after Taylor & Pearson Ltd. took over the station, which moved to 1260 kHz; its debut broadcasts featured the Edmonton Athletic Club in the Abbott Cup and Memorial Cup.[4] Studios were located in the Birks Building in Edmonton.[5]

At the end of October 1934, Taylor & Pearson announced it would lease CJCA from the Edmonton Journal. Simultaneously, the manager of CJCA, G. R. A. "Dick" Rice, acquired CFTP from Taylor & Pearson.[6] On November 3, Rice immediately changed the call letters to CFRN,[7] representing Rice and his business partner, H. F. Nielson of Coalspur.[8] The two formed the Sunwapta Broadcasting Company, named for Sunwapta Falls in Jasper National Park.[9]

On September 13, 1936, the station moved to 960 kHz,[10] where it remained until March 29, 1941, when it returned to 1260 (as part of NARBA) and boosted power from 100 to 1,000 watts.[11] It was one of the charter stations of the CBC Radio-owned Dominion Network from its launch in January 1944;[12] the CBC would not have its own station on its main network in Edmonton until 1964, when CBR launched.[13]

FM simulcast began in 1951 on CFRN-FM 100.3, which lasted until 1964, when the FM station began offering separate stereo programming.[14][15] CFRN-FM became fully separate from CFRN in 1979 and changed its call sign to CKXM-FM.[16][17] Sunwapta brought television to Edmonton in 1954 when CFRN-TV signed on.[18]

According to the 1976 B.B.M. Weekly Reach survey, CFRN was the 4th-most-listened-to radio station in Edmonton.[19]

The CFRN stations were sold in 1988 to Kitchener, Ontario-based Electrohome Limited for $51.2 million;[20] a 91-year-old Rice rejected offers from several western groups and selected Electrohome as the purchaser.[21] Electrohome sold off the radio properties to Standard Broadcasting in 1991 to concentrate on the television station.[22]

On July 1, 1998, CFRN flipped from adult standards to oldies, debuting Standard Radio's new oldies network, with CISL in Vancouver, delivered via Anik satellite. The new oldies network replaced the former Satellite Radio Network service.

Switch to sports radio

The Team 1260 logo
Logo as TSN 1260, 2013-2023

In June 2002, CFRN flipped to sports radio as The Team 1260, as an affiliate of CHUM Radio's The Team network. However, the network folded shortly afterwards. CFRN would maintain its branding as The Team as a locally programmed format, while adding syndicated programs such as Prime Time Sports and The Jim Rome Show. In 2007, Standard Radio was acquired by Astral Media. In turn, Astral Media was acquired by Bell Media on July 5, 2013; the acquisition reunited CFRN with its television sister, and with The Team's former owned-and-operated stations.[23][24]

On September 30, 2013, CFRN was re-branded as a part of Bell's TSN Radio network, as TSN Radio 1260, introducing a new lineup of local afternoon programming.[25]

On June 14, 2023, as part of a mass corporate restructuring at Bell Media, the company shut down six of their AM radio stations nationwide, including CFRN. The station ended regular programming at 9 a.m. that day, airing a looped message about the impending shutdown, which lasted until the completion of the signoff. The shutdown came with such little warning that shortly before 9 a.m., the station went to a commercial break from which it never returned.[26][27]

Former shows and games

Sports Talk host John Short in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics
  • The Mark Spector Show – hosted by Mark Spector
  • Cracker-Cats Show – hosted by Al Coates
  • Sports-Xtra – hosted by Tony Fiorello and Ron Rimer
  • Edmonton Cracker-Cats live play-by-play – Games were carried on the Team 1260 during the first two years of the franchise. Al Coates handled the play-by-play
  • Total Sports – hosted by Bob Stauffer; featuring the 'Total Sports Dream Team' of co-hosts
  • What's Going On – hosted by Jason Jones, Corey Graham and Nadine Woudstra
  • Sports Talk – hosted by John Short
  • More on Sports – featuring play-by-play veteran Bryn Griffiths and Jake Daniels (the "voice of the fan").
  • Way Offside – hosted by Jake Daniels
  • The Pipeline Show – hockey program hosted by Global Edmonton's Dean Millard and columnist Guy Flaming
  • The Ultimate Soccer Show – 3-hour Soccer program hosted by "Soccersteve" Steve O'Boyle

Live sports

CFRN was the flagship station for the following teams' radio broadcasts:

References

  1. ↑ "AM Broadcast Station Classes; Clear, Regional, and Local Channels | FCC.gov". Archived from the original on April 30, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Winter 2021 PPM Data". Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Radio Station CHMA Gives Test Program". The Edmonton Bulletin. July 12, 1927. p. 3. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Broadcast of Hockey Games Makes Big Hit: New CFTP Station Had Large Following In Final Series". The Edmonton Bulletin. April 7, 1934. p. 17. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "New Broadcasting Station of Taylor & Pearson Makes Official Debut". Edmonton Journal. April 30, 1934. p. 6. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "2 City Radio Stations Now Change Hands: Taylor and Pearson Lease CJCA—Rice Purchases Station CFTP". The Edmonton Bulletin. October 31, 1934. p. 13. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Veteran Radioman Operates CFRN: Call Letters of Station Are Changed By Commission". Edmonton Journal. November 3, 1934. p. 17. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "To Hold Official Opening Of CFRN Radio Station In New Quarters Monday". Edmonton Journal. February 23, 1935. p. 2. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "History, Romance Combined In Name City Radio Station". Edmonton Journal. February 23, 1935. p. 2. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Radio Station CFRN Changes Frequency To 960 k.c." Edmonton Journal. September 12, 1936. p. 9. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Radio Station CFRN Grows To Powerful Unit: Broadcast Depot Gets Boost to 1,000 Watts: Moves to 1260". The Edmonton Bulletin. March 29, 1941. pp. 17, 20. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "CKWX on New CBC Network". The Vancouver Sun. December 23, 1943. p. 13. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "CBC Chief Inaugurates New Radio Facilities". Edmonton Journal. November 7, 1964. p. 24. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "On the Air". Edmonton Journal. June 12, 1951. p. 9. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "High Quality Keynote Of Music Planned For Stereo Programs". Edmonton Journal. July 11, 1964. p. 25. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "James Adams on television and radio". Edmonton Journal. November 29, 1978. p. E7. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "CFRN-AM | History of Canadian Broadcasting". www.broadcasting-history.ca. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Thousands View Initial Telecasts". The Edmonton Journal. October 18, 1954. p. 21. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Kens Radio Scrapbook - BBM Survey of Radio Stations in Edmonton Alberta 1975 - 630 CHED 1976-1978". www.discoverthepeacecountry.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  20. ↑ Pedersen, Rick (June 2, 1990). "Electrohome looks for payoff at Sunwapta as CFRN hits No. 1". The Edmonton Journal. p. D1. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  21. ↑ "CFRN empire sold to Ontario firm". The Edmonton Journal. October 24, 1987. p. A1. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Toronto-based firm to buy two city radio stations". The Edmonton Journal. October 31, 1991. p. B2. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  23. ↑ "CRTC approves Bell/Astral deal with conditions". Toronto Star. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  24. ↑ "CRTC approves Bell-Astral merger". CBC. Archived from the original on August 27, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  25. ↑ "TSN Radio hits the air in Ottawa and Edmonton". TSN.ca. Bell Media. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  26. ↑ Venta, Lance (June 14, 2023). "Bell Media Shuts 6 AMs, to Sell 3 Others, as Part of Companywide Cuts". RadioInsight. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  27. ↑ Hudes, Sammy (June 14, 2023). "Bell cutting 1,300 positions, closing or selling 9 radio stations". Financial Post. Canadian Press.
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