CINW (AM)
Encyclopedia : C : CI : CIN : CINW (AM)
- XWA redirects here. For the computer game, see X-Wing Alliance.
Owned and operated by Corus Entertainment, it broadcasts on 940 kHz with a power of 50,000 watts as a clear channel (class A) station, using a slightly directional antenna solely for the purpose of improving reception in downtown Montreal.
The station currently has a news/talk format and identifies itself as "940 Montreal".
CINW started as XWA on December 1, 1919. Experimental broadcasts continued from that date until the station began regular programming on May 20, 1920. As such, it has a claim to being the first commercial broadcaster in the world, although other stations, most notably KDKA and WWJ, have made similar claims. Its Call letters were changed to CFCF on November 4, 1920. While the meaning of that call sign has never been officially confirmed, it is generally believed to be "Canada's First, Canada's Finest".
After numerous changes of frequency, and a three-year period in which it shared time with CKAC on 730 kHz from 1925 to 1928, CFCF landed on 600 kHz in 1933 and stayed on that frequency until 1999.
The station was an affiliate of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Dominion Network from 1944 to 1962.
CFCF changed its format from full service to Adult Standards in 1986. Call letters changed to CIQC in September 1991 as the station, and its FM sister CFQR-FM, were sold to Mount Royal Broadcasting (later Métromédia), with the TV station keeping the CFCF-TV callsign, and at the same time the station started an ill-fated country music format, which lasted only until March 1993, at which point the station switched to news/talk programming.
CIQC received permission from the CRTC to switch to 940 kHz and increase power from 10,000 watts (daytime) and 5,000 watts (nighttime) to 50,000 watts fulltime in June 1999; these technical changes were implemented on December 14, 1999, and call letters were changed at the same time to the current CINW, to match the new all-news format introduced that same day. Interestingly, the station initially wanted to use calls CKNN for its new format and frequency, but was denied permission after they used illegally these call letters during testing on 940 kHz in the weeks preceding the frequency change. The 600 kHz transmitter was shut down on Easter Sunday 2000 (April 23), after four months of simulcast.
CINW dumped its all-news format in September 2005 to pave the way for its current news/talk programming.
External links
| AM radio stations in the Montreal market | |
|---|---|
| By frequency | 690 | 730 | 800 | 940 | 990 | 1040 | 1280 | 1570 | 1610 |
| By callsign | CFAV | CFMB | CINF | CINW | CJAD | CJMS | CJWI | CKAC | CKGM |
| Past Stations | CBM |
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