Broadcast area South Coast First air date 1925 | Branding CBC Radio One Format public broadcasting | |
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City Vancouver, British Columbia Frequency 690 kHz (AM)
88.1 MHz (FM) | ||
CBU is a Canadian radio station, which airs the programming of the CBC Radio One network, in Vancouver, British Columbia. The station broadcasts on 690 AM (a clear channel frequency) and on 88.1 FM. CBU's newscasts and local shows are also heard on a chain of CBC stations around the Lower Mainland.
Contents
CBU's studios and offices are in the CBC Regional Broadcast Centre on Hamilton Street in Downtown Vancouver. The AM transmitter is in the Steveston section of Richmond, British Columbia and the FM transmitter is on Mount Seymour. CBU (AM) transmits at 50,000 watts, the highest power authorized by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), allowing it to be heard throughout Metro Vancouver and around the British Columbia Coast. But because CKGM Montreal is the dominant class A station on 690, CBU must use a directional signal to avoid causing interference.
History
The station was launched in 1925 as CNRV "The Voice of the Pacific" on AM 1100, owned by the Canadian National Railway radio network. CNRV was acquired by the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission in 1933, becoming CRCV. In 1936, the CBC was created, taking over the CRBC's operations, and CRCV became CBR. The station moved to AM 1130 in 1941 (see Canadian allocations changes under NARBA), and to 690 in 1952 when the call sign was changed to its current CBU. Power was increased from 10,000 watts to its present 50,000 watts in 1967 with a transmitter site move to the Steveston shoreline.
In 1947, an FM simulcast was launched on CBU-FM. Distinct programming on the FM station was aired for the first time in 1964.
In early 2008, the CRTC approved CBU's application for a simulcast of its programming on the FM band. On October 10, 2008, CBU began testing its FM simulcast on 88.1 FM as CBU-2-FM with an effective radiated power of 19,500 watts, and it officially signed on soon after. Around the same time, the CBC also applied to broadcast on separate transmitters into Nanaimo, as well as the Sunshine Coast, with the intent to shut down the AM transmitter on 690 kHz if approved. The CRTC denied these other two transmitters due to the lack of available frequencies in the region.
Among CBC Radio One stations on the AM dial around Canada, CBU (AM) serves the largest area of population, since 940 CBM (AM) in Montreal became CBME-FM 88.5 in 1998, followed by 740 CBL (AM) Toronto's move to the FM dial in 1999 as CBLA-FM on 99.1 FM.
In 2011, CBC applied to the CRTC to increase the coverage area of CBU's 88.1 FM transmitter. CBC has proposed to increase the height of the antenna and to increase the ERP to 97,600 watts. The ability of increasing the signal coverage area is made possible by the fact that CHEK-DT in Victoria, British Columbia moved from channel 6 to channel 49, as part of the over-the-air digital television transition. This CBC transmitter application was approved September 13, 2012. It is not known when these changes will be implemented.
Shortwave relay
By 1946, CBR operated a shortwave relay for remote areas of British Columbia using the call sign CBRX and operating on a frequency of 6160 kHz (in the 49m band). The call sign changed to CBUX in 1952 when the AM station became CBU. In 1965, the call sign changed to CKZU, recognizing that the ITU prefix CB was not assigned to Canada, but to Chile. The transmitter operates at 1000 watts and is located adjacent to CBU's AM transmitter.
In February 2017, it was announced that CKZU will unlikely to return to shortwave. The CBC stated that the transmitter was in state of disrepair with no replacement parts available due to aging equipment. Purchasing a new transmitter would be too costly due to the miminal amount of listeners who tune into the facility.
Local programming
CBU's local programs are Early Edition in the mornings and On the Coast in the afternoons. CBU also originates the lunch-hour show BC Almanac as well as the weekend programs North By Northwest in the morning and Hot Air on Saturday afternoon. These shows are broadcast province-wide to Radio One's stations in Victoria (CBCV-FM), Kelowna (CBTK-FM), Kamloops (CBYK-FM), Prince Rupert (CFPR) and Prince George (CBYG-FM), as well as their respective rebroadcasters.
Transmitters
CBU's signal on 690 AM also directly broadcasts to Nanaimo and Gibsons.