Summary
CHSU-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 99.9 FM in Kelowna, British Columbia. The station currently broadcasts a CHR/Top 40 format branded as 99.9 Virgin Radio.
 | |
| Broadcast area | Okanagan Valley |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 99.9 MHz (FM) |
| Branding | 99.9 Virgin Radio |
| Programming | |
| Format | CHR/Top 40 |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Bell Media (sale to Vista Radio pending approval) |
| CKFR, CILK-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | October 1995 |
Call sign meaning | CH SUn (former branding) |
| Technical information | |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 11,000 watts average 35,000 watts peak horizontal polarization only |
| HAAT | 114.5 meters (376 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 49°46′5.16″N 119°30′3.60″W / 49.7681000°N 119.5010000°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | iheartradio.ca/virginradio/kelowna |
History edit
CHSU traces its origins to 1995 when the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) granted Four Seasons Radio Ltd. a new FM licence for the Kelowna market offering country music.[1] The stations initial call letters were CKBL and its branding was 99.9 The Bullet. It signed on in October 1995, and was the sister station of CKIQ, a news/talk station on the AM band that was owned by Four Seasons Radio Ltd. as well. In 1996, Okanagan Skeena Radio Group Ltd. acquired a number of stations in the Okanagan market when it bought out Four Seasons' parent company.
One year later, in 1997, 99.9 Sun FM replaced "The Bullet" by offering a hot adult contemporary format. Its call letters were changed to CHSU-FM as well. Simultaneously, CKIQ changed its call letters to CKBL, which meant the Kelowna market lost a news/talk station leaving cross-town competitor CKOV (since early 2010, an FM station with the call letters CKQQ) as the sole station offering that format. CKBL continued to offer country music on the rebranded 1150 AM The Bullet.
In 1999, Telemedia acquired Okanagan Skeena Radio Group Ltd. along with other radio assets across the country. In 2002, Standard Broadcasting acquired Telemedia's radio assets. Standard later sold some stations in other provinces to various companies but it has retained its British Columbia stations and CHSU continues to operate with the same format and branding.
In October 2007, Astral Media acquired Standard Broadcasting's terrestrial radio and television assets, including CHSU. Astral was in turn acquired by Bell Media.
On October 3, 2019, CHSU dropped its long-time "Sun" branding and relaunched as 99.9 Virgin Radio.[2]
On February 8, 2024, Bell announced a restructuring that included the sale of 45 of its 103 radio stations to seven buyers, subject to approval by the CRTC, including CHSU, which is to be sold to Vista Radio.[3]
Former Logo edit
Rebroadcasters edit
| City of license | Identifier | Frequency | Power | Class | RECNet | CRTC Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big White Ski Resort | CHSU-FM-1 | 98.1 FM | 18 (Horizontal polarization only) watts |
LP | Query | 99-35 |
References edit
- ^ Decision CRTC 95-131
- ^ "Sun FM no more: Kelowna's 99.9 FM pulls off surprise rebrand". Kelowna Now. October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
- ^ Hudes, Sammy (8 February 2024). "'Not a viable business anymore': Bell Media selling 45 radio stations amid layoffs". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
External links edit
- 99.9 Virgin Radio
- CHSU-FM at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the Canadian Communications Foundation
- CHSU-FM in the REC Canadian station database
49°46′05″N 119°30′03″W / 49.76806°N 119.50083°W