CHQT

CHQT
Defunct
Edmonton, Alberta;
Broadcast area	Edmonton Metropolitan Region
Frequency	880 kHz
Programming
Format	All-news radio
Affiliations	Global News
Ownership
Owner	Corus Entertainment; (Corus Radio Company);
Sister stations	CHED, CISN-FM, CKNG-FM, CITV-DT
History
First air date	August 19, 1965
Last air date	October 9, 2024
Former frequencies	1110 kHz (1965–1986)
Call sign meaning	"Canada's Highest Quality Talk"
Technical information
Class	B
Power	50,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates	53°22′7″N 113°19′5″W / 53.36861°N 113.31806°W

CHQT was an AM commercial radio station licensed to Edmonton, Alberta. Owned by Corus Entertainment, the station operated as an all-news radio station at 880 kHz from 2008 to mid-2024, when it converted to a rebroadcaster of sister station CHED. CHED and CHQT traded frequencies on October 9, 2024 with CHED's programming relocating permanently to the 880 AM while CHQT moved to CHED's former frequency of 630 kHz and broadcast looped announcements advising listeners to "reset your preset" to 880. The looped announcements continued until November 1, at which point CHQT went silent.

When it was at 880 kHz, CHQT broadcast with a power of 50,000 watts, using a non-directional antenna in the daytime. But because AM 880 is a clear channel frequency, CHQT was required to use a directional antenna at night. The station could be heard in AM stereo using the C-QUAM system.

According to the Numeris Winter 2018-2019 Meter Ratings Report, the station ranked 18th (out of 19 stations measured)^[1]

As of February 28, 2021, CHQT was the 16th-most-listened-to radio station in the Edmonton market according to a PPM data report released by Numeris.^[2]

History

The station signed on August 19, 1965 on 1110 kHz, with 10,000 watts power. It originally broadcast a Middle of the road format. In 1979, CHQT started using 50,000 watts power. In 1986, the station changed frequency to 880 kHz as it was sold to Monarch Broadcasting, Ltd.^[3]

In July 2000, Shaw Broadcasting sold the station to Corus Entertainment.^[4] In June 2001, CHQT flipped to oldies as Cool 880. In October 2003, the station briefly flipped to a variety hits format as 880 Joe AM. The format moved to sister station CKNG-FM as 92.5 Joe FM on January 13, 2004, after which CHQT reverted to oldies; it is likely CHQT flipped to the format merely as a placeholder while CKNG prepared for their flip to avoid a rival company preemptively making any similar move.

Previous logo

On May 20, 2008, CHQT re-launched as an all-news station, branded as iNews 880, complementing sister talk radio station CHED. On May 29, 2018, the station re-branded as Global News Radio 880 Edmonton, as part of an ongoing rebranding of Corus's news/talk radio stations to create synergies with Global News television programming. As part of the rebranding, the station added an audio simulcast of Global Edmonton's Global News Hour at 6.^[5]^[6] An audio simulcast of Global News at Noon was added as of March 2019. As of July 2020, an audio-only rebroadcast of Global National aired on CHQT at 7 p.m., following the News Hour simulcast.

On June 26, 2024, as part of cuts by Corus, CHQT discontinued its all-news format and began simulcasting CHED.^[7] At the time, Corus stated that the simulcast was an interim measure and that it would ultimately only operate one news-talk AM station in Edmonton, but did not immediately announce its plans for the future of the station.^[8] On August 28, Corus announced that CHED's branding and programming would move permanently to 880 beginning October 9, 2024. Corus stated that CHQT's signal had better coverage than that of CHED; while both stations operated at a power of 50 kilowatts, the 880 AM transmitter is non-directional during the day whereas 630 was directional at all times. Corus also announced the 630 AM license would be returned to the CRTC and its transmitter site sold.^[9]^[10]

The move was completed as scheduled on October 9, 2024. 630 AM continued to operate for a short time thereafter, with legal IDs using the CHQT call sign, with a series of promotions advising listeners of CHED's move,^[11]^{[better source needed]} until it officially signed off at midnight on November 1.^[12]

Notes

^ ^a ^b The 880 AM frequency and transmitter facility were taken over permanently by CHED on October 9, 2024. 630 AM operated from October 9 to November 1 under the CHQT calls, airing a promotion loop for the relocated CHED.