CKDX-FM

CKDX-FM

File:Jewel885.png
City of license	Newmarket, Ontario
Broadcast area	Greater Toronto Area
Branding	Jewel 88.5
Slogan	Lite & Refreshing
Frequency	88.5 MHz (FM)
First air date	1980 (AM) 1994 (FM)
Format	Soft Adult Contemporary
ERP	11.3 kWs average 30.0 kWs peak
HAAT	183.5 meters (602 ft)
Class	B
Former frequencies	1480 kHz
Owner	Evanov Communications
Webcast	CKDX-FM listen online
Website	www.jewelradio.com/new/885

CKDX-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 88.5 FM in the Greater Toronto Area. Although officially licensed to Newmarket, the station's studios are located on Dundas Street West in the Eatonville neighbourhood of Toronto, while its transmitter is located near Aurora. The station broadcasts a soft, gold-leaning adult contemporary format with the brand name Jewel 88.5.

History

The station was launched February 28, 1980 as AM 1480 CKAN, broadcasting from 6 am to midnight with an adult contemporary format. The music format changed to country music by 1984. In 1986, the station switched to a Top 40 format, and in 1988 the station began broadcasting 24 hours a day.

The station shut down on March 17, 1992 due to financial problems, and resumed broadcasting on May 17 when the problems were resolved. At the time of the shutdown, the station was known as "Energy 1480". In December of that year, the station adopted the CKDX callsign with a "Good Time Oldies" format. CKDX subsequently moved to the FM band in 1994, branding itself as "The Phoenix". Since the move to FM, the station has gone through several technical changes.

The station went through a number of format changes in the next several years, adopting a dance music format again as "Power 88.5" (after a brief period as "88.5 The X") on February 21, 1997 at 8 AM. On July 19, 1999, at 5pm, the station returned to country as "88.5 The Kat". On June 1, 2000, at Noon, the station flipped to a format that has never been tried in Canada before: "Rhythmic oldies" as "Dancing Oldies 88.5". In 2001, the "Dancing Oldies" format aired throughout the day, while modern dance music was broadcast at night. It was at this point in time that the station became known as "Foxy 88.5: The Dance Music Station". This lasted until January 2002, when it flipped to adult standards while retaining the "Foxy" branding. In April 2007, the station rebranded as "88.5 The Jewel". It adopted the "Jewel" branding shortly after the launch of sister station CJWL in Ottawa, which is also branded as "The Jewel".

The station is 70% owned by Evanov Communications, and 30 percent by the private numbered company 1093641 Ontario Ltd.

In 2009, after being an adult standards station for a few years, the station changed to more of an older-skewing adult contemporary format to replace CJEZ-FM (which became adult hits as CHBM-FM) as CHFI's competing adult contemporary station. It was at this point that CHFI began skewing at a younger audience for its AC format. "The Jewel" still features traditional adult standards on "The Lounge" program evenings from 7 to 10 pm.

In addition to competing with CHFI, the station also competes with Hamilton's CKLH-FM and St. Catherines's CHRE-FM.

External links

• Jewel 88.5
• CKDX History - Canadian Communications Foundation
• Query the REC's Canadian station database for CKDX-FM