The CBR 1010 AM daytime signal covers most of the southern two-thirds of Alberta. It can be heard at city-grade strength from Red DeertoLethbridge, and provides secondary coverage as far as Edmonton to the north and several counties on the Montana-Alberta border to the south. At night, it covers most of western North America. CBR-FM-1 has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,870 watts (7,000 watts maximum). It covers Calgary and its adjacent suburbs.
CBC Radio launched its first government-owned station in Alberta, signing on the air on September 8, 1948; 75 years ago (September 8, 1948). It broadcast on 1010 kilocycles with the call signCBX. Its studios were in Edmonton and its transmitter site was near Lacombe, roughly halfway between Calgary and Edmonton, in an attempt to serve both cities from a single 50,000-watt transmitter.[3]
Prior to CBX's debut, private station CFAC had aired CBC Radio programming. While listeners in Edmonton received a good signal from 1010 AM, reception of CBX in Calgary was poor.[4][5]
To rectify CBX's weak signal in Calgary, on October 1, 1964, the original CBX transmitter was decommissioned. The single station was split into two distinct 50,000-watt stations with their own studios: one transmitting near Edmonton and one transmitting near Calgary.[6][7]
The Edmonton station kept the CBX call sign but moved to a frequency of 740 kHz, while the Calgary station obtained the CBR call sign but kept CBX's former frequency of 1010 kHz and clear-channel designation.[8]
This new FM signal, CBR-1-FM 99.1 was launched on November 28, 2006.[10] In recent years, the CBC has branded 99.1 as the main transmitter, even though 1010 AM is technically the main station.
Various other AM and FM rebroadcasters have been installed throughout southern Alberta to carry CBR's programming.
On July 7, 2011, the CRTC approved an application by the CBC to relocate CBR's transmitter and antenna array from their original site in southeast Calgary. They would be moved to a site 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the northeast in Rocky View County.
Despite changing the transmitter's location, all other technical parameters would remain unchanged.[12][13] The move was completed in 2013.[14]
On January 18, 1993, the CRTC approved the CBC's application to operate new FM transmitters at Medicine Hat 98.3 MHz and Etzikom 92.1 MHz. The new FM transmitter at Medicine Hat would replace CJMH the existing AM transmitter 1460 kHz owned by Monarch Broadcasting Ltd. Monarch would surrender the license of CJMH once the new transmitters were in operation. [15][16]
On August 15, 2013, the CRTC approved the deletion of AM transmitters CBXC 1450 kHz Coleman and CBXL 860 kHz Blairmore. [17]
On April 30, 2015, the CBC submitted an application to add a new FM transmitter at 103.9 MHz in Lake Louise with the call sign CBRQ-FM. The CRTC approved the CBC's application to operate a CBC Radio One transmitter at Lake Louise on July 14, 2015.[18] The 103.9 MHz frequency was previously used by a radio station VF2105 in Lake Louise which was owned by the Lake Louise Community Association. [19][20]
