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CBEF (1550 AM) is a non-
commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
in
Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...
. It airs the programming of
Radio-Canada The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
's
Première A première, also spelled premiere, is the wikt:debut, debut (first public presentation) of a Play (theatre), play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywh ...
network. CBEF is a Class A station broadcasting on the
clear-channel A clear-channel station is an AM broadcasting, AM radio station in North America that has the highest protection from Interference (communication), interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. The syste ...
frequency of 1550 AM, and is the only full power station on this frequency in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Most clear channel stations broadcast at 50,000
watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...
s, the maximum permitted for Canadian AM stations, but CBEF is powered at 10,000 watts. It uses a
directional antenna A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna which radiates or receives greater power in specific directions allowing increased performance and reduced interference from unwanted sources. Directional antennas provide increased performance ...
, located off Talbot Road (Route 3) in
Tecumseh, Ontario Tecumseh is a town in Essex County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is on Lake St. Clair east of Windsor and had a population of 23,229 at the 2016 census. It is part of the Windsor census metropolitan area, and is a part of the Windsor-Es ...
. CBEF is also heard on three FM rebroadcasters in Southern Ontario. CBEF was launched in 1970. It originally broadcast at
AM 540 AM or Am may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * A minor, a minor scale in music * ''A.M.'' (Chris Young album) * ''A.M.'' (Wilco album) * ''AM'' (Abraham Mateo album) * ''AM'' (Arctic Monkeys album) * AM (musician), American musicia ...
, until taking over the 1550 frequency in 2013. The 1550 frequency was previously used by CBEF's English language
sister station In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio or television stations operated by the same company, either by direct ownership or through a management agreement. Radio sister stations will often have different formats, and somet ...
, but
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
converted to the FM band in 2013 (now
CBEW-FM CBEW-FM (97.5 MHz) is the call sign of the CBC Radio One station based in and serving Windsor, Ontario, Canada. CBEW broadcasts from transmission facilities at McGregor and also reaches the nearby Detroit area and parts of Southwestern Ontario thr ...
97.5
MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...
).


Programming

CBEF's local morning program is ''Matins sans frontières''. The station also airs the regional afternoon program ''L'heure de pointe Toronto'' from CJBC in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. On Saturday mornings, the station carries the province-wide morning program ''À échelle humaine''. The province-wide program airs on CBON and CJBC, as well as CBEF. On all public holidays, the morning show ''Matins sans frontières'' airs as usual and the afternoon show ''Pas comme d'habitude'' is heard province-wide (except Ottawa). In the CBC's programming cuts announced on March 26, 2009, almost all of CBEF's local programming was slated for cancellation, meaning that the station would become effectively a
rebroadcaster A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater (two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tran ...
of CJBC except for a skeleton staff of two anchors to present local news updates during the day and report on breaking news."CBEF backers fighting cutbacks"
. ''
Windsor Star The ''Windsor Star'' is a daily newspaper based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Postmedia Network, it is published Tuesdays through Saturdays. History The paper began as the weekly ''Windsor Record'' in 1888, changing its name to the ''Bo ...
'', June 20, 2009.
A local lobby group, "SOS-CBEF," organized to oppose the cutbacks. The group's request for an injunction against the change was denied in July, due to the presiding judge ruling that she did not have the appropriate legal jurisdiction to issue an injunction. ''Matins sans frontières'', a one-hour local morning program hosted by Charles Lévesque, was reinstated from September 7, 2010, and in May 2013 was expanded to two hours; as of summer 2015, it expanded to three hours. The station continues to rebroadcast CJBC in other local programming blocks. At the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; french: Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes, links=) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasti ...
(CRTC)'s license renewal for the CBC's services in 2013, the commission directed the network to maintain at least 15 hours per week of local programming on CBEF during the 2013-18 license term, due to the lack of other French-language radio services in Windsor.


Transmitters

The station has a rebroadcast transmitter (CBEF-1-FM) in Leamington, on 103.1 FM. Due to AM reception issues in downtown Windsor, CBEF was also approved by the CRTC to operate a 620-watt rebroadcaster in Windsor at 105.5 MHz, provided that does not interfere with stations at or near this frequency, such as
WQQO WQQO (105.5 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Sylvania, Ohio, carrying a contemporary hit format known as "Q105". Owned by Cumulus Media, the station serves the Toledo metropolitan area and much of surrounding Northwest Ohio. WQQO ...
in
Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...
or
WWCK-FM WWCK-FM (105.5 MHz, "CK105.5") is a radio station in Flint, Michigan, broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) format. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and has programmed its current format since 1989. Its studios are located south of the Flint city l ...
in
Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...
. The
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...
for the new rebroadcaster at 105.5 FM is CBEF-2-FM. As of April 1, 2012, CBEF-2-FM is on the air. In May 2012, the CBC filed paperwork with the CRTC, seeking permission to move CBEF to
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
's previous transmitter and frequency of 1550 AM at 10,000 watts, and to establish a low-powered FM rebroadcaster (CBEF-3-FM) at 98.3 MHz in Sarnia. The change was requested due to concerns that
rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH ...
may be affecting the now-obsolete 540 facility, and that nearby hydro electric lines were also affecting its signal. The move, as requested, was approved by the CRTC on October 16, 2012. The station was given until October 16, 2014, to either implement the move or request an extension beyond that date. CBEF began
simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultane ...
ing on 1550 AM in November 2012, with messages to listeners to switch over to the new frequency. The 540 transmitter was turned off a few weeks later. Although 1550 AM has been a Canadian clear-channel since its creation by the 1941
North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement The North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA, es, Convenio Regional Norteamericano de Radiodifusión) refers to a series of international treaties that defined technical standards for AM band (mediumwave) radio stations. These agreem ...
, both CBE and co-channel XERUV (
Xalapa Xalapa or Jalapa (, ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
) were limited to 10 kW instead of the normal 50 kW afforded to clear-channels. The 1550 AM facility operates with a directional pattern to the northeast, both to aim its signal toward Ontario and avoid interference with the now-defunct XERUV, which operated non-directional. On September 1, 2016, the CBC applied for permission to move the transmitter in Sarnia (CBEF-3-FM) from 98.3 to 101.5 MHz. The technical parameters for the move include a constant power of 1,886 watts and a height of 107.4 meters
EHAAT Height above average terrain (HAAT), or (less popularly) effective height above average terrain (EHAAT), is the vertical position of an antenna site is above the surrounding landscape. HAAT is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is ...
on the same tower as
CKCI-FM CKTI-FM is a First Nations community radio station in Canada, playing a mixture of country and classic rock broadcasting at 107.7 FM in Kettle Point, Ontario. The station has an alternative country style to its music. The station began broadc ...
. This would improve the station's coverage throughout Sarnia and the immediate Port Huron area, though it may be subject to
co-channel interference Co-channel interference or CCI is crosstalk from two different radio transmitters using the same channel. Co-channel interference can be caused by many factors from weather conditions to administrative and design issues. Co-channel interference ...
from
WWBN WWBN (101.5 FM, "Banana 101.5") is a radio station broadcasting mainstream rock to Flint and The Thumb areas of Michigan. Syndicated shows on Banana include the morning comedy program ''The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show'', and music programs '' L ...
from
Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start fir ...
,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, in the fringes of its listening area to the west of Port Huron. The station would also become short-spaced to
WRVF WRVF (101.5 MHz "The River") is a commercial FM radio station in Toledo, Ohio, owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. It broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format, switching to all-Christmas music for much of November and December. WRVF carries the s ...
in Toledo,
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, also on 101.5, as well as
CKNX-FM CKNX-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 101.7 FM in Wingham, Ontario. The station broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format as ''101.7 The One''. The station was formerly known as ''FM102'' before summer 2006. History The sta ...
in Wingham on 101.7 and
CKOT-FM CKOT-FM is a Canadian radio station licensed to Tillsonburg, Ontario, broadcasting at 101.3 FM and serving the London area. Owned by Rogers Sports & Media, the station broadcasts an adult contemporary format. Its transmitter is located near the ...
in
Tillsonburg Tillsonburg is a town in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada with a population of 18,615 located about 50 kilometres southeast of London, on Highway 3 at the junction of Highway 19. History Prior to European settlement, the present site of Tillso ...
on 101.3 MHz. The CBC's application to move CBEF-3-FM to 101.5 MHz (with a change in power from 2320 to 1,886 watts) was approved on February 3, 2017.Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2017-36
CBEF-FM Windsor – New FM transmitter in Sarnia, ''CRTC'', February 3, 2017
On May 28, 2018, CBEF-3-FM moved to 101.5 MHz.


Rebroadcasters


See also

* Media in Windsor, Ontario *
Media in Detroit As the world's traditional automotive center, Detroit, Michigan, is an important source for business news. The Detroit media are active in the community through such efforts as the ''Detroit Free Press'' high school journalism program and the Old ...


References


External links


Ici Radio-Canada Première
* * * ''(technical parameters still reflect CBEF's old frequency at 540 AM)'' * ''(features technical parameters for 1550 AM)'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cbef Bef Bef Bef Radio stations established in 1970 1970 establishments in Ontario Clear-channel radio stations