CHOK

CHOK is a Canadian radio station, licensed to Sarnia, Ontario at 1070 kHz and owned by Blackburn Radio. The station broadcasts a country music format with local news, talk and sports. CHOK also has an FM translator, CHOK-1-FM, broadcasting at 103.9 MHz. The station is the radio home of the Toronto Blue Jays, as well as the Sarnia Sting.
History.
The station was launched on July 26, 1946 by Sarnia Broadcasting. In 1947, Sarnia Broadcasting Co. was granted a licence to operate an FM station at 97.5 MHz (as CHOK-FM), which left the air sometime between 1948 and 1953 after being damaged from the Sarnia tornado. That station was never rebuilt. It was acquired by IWC Communications, a corporate precursor of Standard Broadcasting, in 1970, and went through a variety of sales to local owners until being acquired by its current owner, Blackburn Radio, in 1998. Blackburn also owns both of the city's other commercial radio stations, CFGX-FM and CHKS-FM.
CHOK-1-FM.
On April 2007, CHOK AM applied to add an FM transmitter (CHOK-1-FM) at Sarnia to broadcast at 103.3 MHz and simulcast the programming of CHOK 1070 AM, due to AM reception problems from metal and steel associated with the operations from petrochemical plants. Another company, Points Eagle Radio, had applied at the same time to use the 103.3 MHz frequency to broadcast Aboriginal programing. Points Eagle Radio was given approval by the CRTC to use the 103.3 FM frequency on August 7, 2007.
On July 20, 2007 CHOK was given approval in part to broadcast at 100.9 MHz. On October 10, 2007 Blackburn Radio applied to use the frequency 103.9 MHz instead. On January 18, 2008 CHOK was given approval to use the 103.9 frequency with 200 watts power.
CHOK began testing of its 103.9 FM transmitter atop the Kenwick Building in downtown Sarnia, on June 18, 2008. On the morning of July 23, 2008, CHOK signed on as "Country 103.9 FM" and would continue to simulcast its signal on 1070 AM.
The station also has a low-power license-exempt repeater on 101.5 FM at the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre. The 101.5 FM frequency is reserved for use by the CBC, should they choose to broadcast on that frequency in the future.