CFYK Radio
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The CBC had 40 watt AM repeater stations in smaller communities throughout the NWT. CFYK had 12, including one each in Alberta and Saskatchewan. As I had done in 1972 at CFPR in Prince Rupert, B.C., I created a set of 25 second promos that highlighted each of the LPRTs (Low Power Relay Transmitters), as the CBC called them. I stole the 25 second music-backed promo idea from my first employer, CHQM AM & FM in Vancouver.
And I have them here for you to hear:
Each is about 25 seconds and 200 KB in size. I finished recording them on November 1, 1974.
Since 1974, more communities have been served by low-powered repeater stations, but nearly half of the original stations have now been moved to FM. Thanks to improvements in technology, the Saskatchewan and Alberta repeaters are now fed from CBC stations in their own province, rather than CFYK.
CFYK was, and still is, on 1340 KHz on the standard AM broadcast band (BCB), also known as Medium Wave. 1340 is one of six frequencies assigned by Canada, Mexico and the U.S. as Local, because a large number of stations across North America are assigned to each frequency:
In 1974, stations on these frequencies were allowed a maximum of 1000 watts in the daytime and 250 watts at night. With one exception: CFYK, which was licensed with 1000 watts both day and night.
DX'ers refer to these frequencies as Graveyard channels because of the somewhat eerie sound of so many stations interfering with each other at night. Today, stations on these frequencies can now run 1000 watts at night, further simplifying their operation, eliminating the need to change power at sunrise and sunset. They have always had the simplicity of one tower, non-directional signal patterns.
Jon Pearkins
February 05, 2007