A radio broadcasting company operating in small to medium-sized markets across Ontario has reached an agreement with one of North America’s largest multimedia conglomerates that will see it acquire a trio of FM stations — two of which have served listeners in the London area. The third property serves rural communities to the southeast of Canada’s national capital.
Rogers Sports & Media is selling to My Broadcasting Corp. its 26kw Class B Adult Contemporary CKOT-FM “Easy 101.3” — today modeled largely after Rogers flagship CHFI-FM in Toronto — and 7.8kw Class B CJDL-FM “Country 107.3” in Tillsonburg, Ont.
While these stations are licensed by the CRTC to serve tiny Tillsonburg, each benefit from signal contours that allow both FMs to cover London, Ont., a city that is home to a large university and former GTA residents that relocated during the pandemic. London is largely considered a halfway point between Toronto and the Windsor/Detroit area.
Under Rogers’ ownership, CKOT and CJDL were de facto siblings to CHST “JACK 102.3,” the Adult Hits station serving London. Once the My deal is done, it is presumed that CHST will remain Rogers’ lone property in London — unless another buyer is in the works.
The other property that Rogers is selling is Smiths Falls-licensed CJET-FM 92.3, airing a “JACK” presented since the end of 2023. Prior to that, it was the FM simulcast component of the former CityNews Ottawa audio service.
In a press release, My Broadcasting, headed by President Jon Pole, commented, “The addition of these stations strengthens our regional coverage in both Southwestern Ontario and The Ottawa Valley.” The company believes the deal strengthens its position “as a leading media provider in each region.”
In Southwestern Ontario, CKOT and CJDL will “fill a void” between stations under the “myFM” brands serving St. Thomas and Simcoe, Ont.
Pole continued, “We’re excited to continue to expand our local news coverage and community involvement in Smiths Falls and Tillsonburg. We appreciate that Rogers Sports & Media shared our vision for these markets, and made this deal possible.”
Details regarding the transaction valuation were not disclosed.
While CJET was largely considered a “rim-shot” signal to Ottawa, Ont.-Gatineau, Que., both CKOT and CJDL are very much London-market stations — or, at least they were in Fall 2021. In that ratings period, Numeris data show CKOT earning a 5.2 share of the audience as a “spill station.” CJDL was unrated in that survey period.
Rogers acquired CJDL and CKOT in 2017; they were previously associated with John Lamers.
Nearly one dozen radio stations compete for audience and scarce ad dollars in London, which has seen its central business district crumble since the COVID-19 pandemic. The local media marketplace has been anemic, with dollars funneled to Toronto. Competing operators include Blackburn Media (which owns Classic Rock CKLO-FM); Bell Media’s CJBX “Pure Country 93” and CIQM “Virgin Radio 97.5”, operated by iHeartMedia Canada; and Corus’ heritage Active Rock CFPL “FM96,” Talk CFPL-AM 980, Woodstock-licensed CKDK “Country 104,” and St. Thomas-licensed Hot Adult Contemporary CFHK “Fresh 103.1.”
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