CKRK-FM
| City of license | Kahnawake, Quebec |
|---|---|
| Branding | K103 Kahnawake |
| Slogan | The Monster Your First Nations Radio Station |
| Frequency | 103.7 MHz (FM) |
| First air date | March 30, 1981 |
| Format | Adult Contemporary (Weekdays) Country (Weekends) |
| Power | 250 watts |
| Callsign meaning | Canada Kanien'kehaka Raotitiohkwa Kahnawake |
| Owner | Mohawk Radio Kahnawake Association |
| Website | www.k103radio.com |
CKRK-FM is an English-language Canadian radio station located in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, a First Nations reserve near Montreal, Quebec.
It broadcasts on 103.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 250 watts (class A1) using an omnidirectional antenna. The transmitter is aging and based on recent measurements the transmitter is putting out approximately 220 watts. The station is heard fairly well in Kahnawake and surrounding towns in the southwest sector of the Montérégie. Reception is also possible on the island of Montreal, particularly in the south and southwest sectors of the island.
CKRK-FM was originally on 103.5 MHz with only 50 watts; it moved to its current frequency and raised its power in 1996,[1] after another station, CJLM-FM, signed on the same channel in Joliette, causing interference.
The station went on the air on March 30, 1981, and identifies itself as "K103" (and also sometimes as "The Monster"). It originally had a country music format; starting in 1995, it moved to an adult contemporary format with significant time devoted to hip-hop programming during weeknights. K103 still aired country music on the weekend (until 2011, when CKKI-FM launched. The Kanien'kehaka Onkwawenna Raotitiohkwa Language and Cultural sponsors the station's 1-hour block of programming in Kanien'keha (i.e., "Mohawk language") on Wednesdays between Noon and 1 PM hosted by Joe McGregor and Leo Diabo.
The mainstay of K-103's broadcast week, and principal revenue generator, is the Friday night "Radio Bingo" broadcast, from 8 PM to approximately 10:30 PM. This on-air bingo game draws in hundreds of players weekly from Kahnawake and the surrounding communities.
K-103 Radio also carries live play-by-play broadcasts of Kahnawake hockey and lacross games throughout the season. Previously, CKRK-FM aired play-by-play broadcasts of Montreal Expos baseball games in 1991 and 1992 on a number of occasions, when CJAD was not able to do so because of schedule conflicts with Montreal Canadiens hockey games.[citation needed]
In the fall of 2008, K-103, in conjunction with and with the assistance of the Kahnawake Fire Brigade, held a 55-hour-long Radiothon to raise funds towards the purchase of a new ladder truck for the Brigade. K-103 was successful in raising over $450,000 Canadian towards the $1.1 million price tag for the vehicle.
On April 19, 2010, Montreal radio legend Ted Bird joined the morning show at K-103 after having left CHOM 97-7, his radio home of 25 years, after becoming increasingly disgruntled with the direction of the station. He would leave CKRK-FM on May 7, 2012, over mutual terms that was not revealed.[2] The following week, Bird would return to the air after signing a two-year contract with CKGM.[3]
The station airs country music on weekends, from 6 am Saturday to Noon Sunday
References
External links
- Official website
- CKRK-FM history - Canadian Communications Foundation
- Query the REC's Canadian station database for CKRK-FM
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