Some good news from the Badlands!
After years of hard work and community engagement, CKUA is beyond thrilled to be able to “Flip the Switch” to its new Drumheller transmitter on Friday, July 30!
CKUA Radio is pleased to announce that they’ve secured a new tower for listeners on the 91.3 FM dial in and around the Drumheller and Hand Hills region, and preparations to install a new transmitter are underway. Provided everything goes smoothly, CKUA plans to “flip the switch” on July 30, 2021, at which point they will be transmitting from the new location.
And we’ll be marking this happy occasion with a celebration on the airwaves! On Flip the Switch Day, we’ll put the spotlight squarely on the vibrant Drumheller community and CKUA’s essential role in it. On Friday, July 30, we’ll be highlighting and celebrating some of the people, places, natural wonders, and community spirit that make the land of 91.3 such a gem!
The move follows a March announcement by CKUA CEO, Marc Carnes, directed to impacted listeners about the impending decommissioning of the station’s Hand Hills transmission tower.
“The switchover itself shouldn’t result in a service disruption,” Carnes wrote in a fresh memo to the region’s CKUA listeners. “However, those on the outer reaches of the current transmitter range will, unfortunately, lose their FM signal due to the move. As I noted in my March letter, a lack of suitable transmitter tower infrastructure prevents us from maintaining a powerful enough signal and similar service.”
CKUA’s Engineering Technician, Rod Setter, concurs, but also suggests we have resolved this situation in the best manner possible. “After the loss of the old tower, it seemed that CKUA would go missing from the area. The new site allows listeners in central Alberta to continue to receive our diverse programming from a modern and reliable transmitter site.”
For more specific information about this transition, please view this article.
CKUA’s ability to maintain service in this region is possible thanks to the Government of Alberta, which provided a $250,000 grant for the project.
“Alberta has a thriving music, arts and culture scene, one that CKUA has nourished for more than 90 years across the province,” says Ron Orr, Minister of Culture. “Everyone, no matter where they live in the province, has a right to access arts and cultural programs. The Alberta government is proud to support the new transmitter.”
We also gratefully acknowledge Hybrid Wireless, a leading communications solutions provider, supporting telecommunications, energy, education and industrial projects in Western Canada, who supported CKUA with technical assistance and problem solving.
“Hybrid Wireless has a focus on providing broadband connectivity to remote and rural areas of Alberta by way of our 41 towers and fiber optic network, explains Ryan Onushko, President & CEO of Hybrid Wireless. “Similar to CKUA, we find ourselves engaged in many rural communities of Alberta and have a long-standing belief that these communities are the economic lifeblood of the province. Any time we have the ability to support organizations with similar viewpoints, we will do so. Hybrid Wireless is pleased to support CKUA’s radio platform on our tower infrastructure.”
“And lastly, we’d like to extend our appreciation to all of our listeners and friends in the 91.3 FM region,” Marc Carnes states. “Upon hearing about the plan to decommission our Hand Hills tower, many of you reached out with ideas, suggestions, and connections that enabled us to get to this point.”
“It takes a community to keep CKUA on the air,” he adds. “This transmitter relocation and replacement project is an example of just that.”
Listen to CKUA on July 30, as we celebrate Drumheller and the surrounding region!
