940 goes poof...

[fybush@world.std.com (Scott D Fybush)]

It took some driving, seeing as how I live about 3/4 mile north
of our local 950 in Rochester (whose night pattern, naturally,
is one lobe pointed north :-) -- but once I got outside the splatter
zone Thursday and Friday nights, here's how the end of CBM sounded:

THURSDAY - CBM running a taped announcement interrupting Radio One
programming every ten minutes saying CBC programming on 940 would
end at midnight.  At midnight, that same taped announcement interrupted
a promo just before the news, then a different (but similar) loop
began running, pointing listeners to 88.5.

FRIDAY - Same loop still running once it got dark and I could hear
CBM again.  Loop ran until precisely midnight, then dead air, 
"thunk," and 75 years of CBC (and its predecessors) on AM in Montreal
came to a close.  

I note on the CRTC site (www.crtc.gc.ca) that CBC has applied for
a power increase for CBME on 88.5, from 4kw to 16.9kw.  Gee, think
they've figured out what we already knew: the new FM is no replacement
for 50kw on 940?

I live in a state of constant dread of the moment CBL likewise ceases
to exist.  No more interesting radio here in the land of voicetracking
and the Jacor Format-of-the-Week (TM) club.

- -s

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