CKCX
45°53′33″N 64°19′16″W / 45.8923679°N 64.321239°W
Defunct | |
---|---|
Frequency | 9.625 MHz (Northern service) Various (international) |
Programming | |
Format | Shortwave radio |
Ownership | |
Owner | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
History | |
First air date | 1968 |
Last air date | December 1, 2012 |
Former call signs | CBA |
CKCX was the
History
The site at Sackville was originally built in 1938 for CBC local broadcasting over radio station
In the mid-1980s, the RCA transmitters were replaced by the three, more modern, Harris transmitters.
Decommissioning and demolition
Radio Canada International's shortwave service was shut down in June 2012 due to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation budget cuts as a result of reduced federal subsidies. As a result the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation sought to sell the Sackville site to either another international broadcaster or a wind farm company. According to Martin Marcotte, director of CBC Transmission: "[The Sackville complex] will be fairly costly to dismantle and as a last resort we would dismantle the facility, return it to bare land as it was when we first acquired that site."[2] The transmission site was officially closed on October 31, 2012, at the conclusion of several contracts leasing transmitter time to international broadcasters.[3] The site, however, continued to be used until December 1, 2012, for transmission of CBC's Northern Quebec service until the installation of several low power transmitters in the target region could be completed. The CRTC granted a request by the CBC to revoke CKCX's license effective December 1, 2012.[4] The site was subsequently dismantled. After failing to receive any bids to purchase the complex, the antennas were dismantled and transmission towers demolished in 2014.[5]
RCI's parent, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, was the owner and operator of the Sackville transmission site, call sign CKCX. RCI's only
broadcasts to northern Quebec.Technology
The Sackville facility was an impressive mixture of diverse technologies. The whole facility was controlled by computer automation which was centralized in the main control room. Frequencies, antennas, and input feeds are switched all according to internationally agreed upon schedules which were renegotiated twice per year with other countries.
Sackville transmitter power level breakdown
- There were 9 transmitters in operation in 2012.
- (3 or 4) x 100 kW
- (3 or 4) x 250 kW
- 3 x 300 kW
- The site was capable of utilizing 500 kW transmitters, but the end of the shortwavefrequency coordination made upgrading to 500 kW unnecessary.
The newest
All modern Sackville SW transmitters incorporated
- DCC causes the carrier level to be automatically reduced when there are lower levels or no audio.
- During periods of silence (no audio), the carrier power was reduced by 50%, so the 250 kW transmitter put out a carrier of 125 kW during audio pauses. This saved otherwise wasted empty carrier power.
Site layout
Sackville had a site layout similar to the Wertachtal Shortwave Relay Station, with a few substantial differences.
- Wertachtal has 3 arms of HRS type antennasthat are spaced at ~120 degrees; Sackville Relay Station only approximates this configuration.
- The Wertachtal configuration allows for near 360 degree coverage of the world.
- Wertachtal exclusively contains HRS type transmission antennas, whereas Sackville does not.
- Sackville site configuration information supported this comparison, with respect to HRS type antenna azimuths.
Site configuration
This site configuration data is known to be accurate for 2004-2005.[citation needed]
Transmitters (configuration not fully verified)
- 3 × 250 kW SW (1993–1995, ABB: SK 53 C3-2)
- 3 × 100 kW SW (1983, Harris: SW-100A) this transmitter is under démolition (3 Harris) July 2012
- 3 × (Unknown power) (Unknown models)
- A new SW transmitter has been acquired that is DRM capable.
It known that at least one SW transmitter had been outfitted to transmit DRM at this time.
Antennas (Type, Bearing) (configuration not fully verified)
- HR 4/4/1.0 (60 degrees)
- HR 4/2/1.0 (105 degrees)
- HR 4/4/1.0 (163 degrees)
- HR 4/4/1.0 (176 degrees)
- HR 4/4/1.0 (189 degrees)
- HR 2/4/1.0 (227 degrees)
- HR 2/4/1.0 (240 degrees)
- HR 4/4/1.0 (240 degrees)
- HR 4/4/1.0 (272 degrees)
- HR 2/1/0.5 (277 degrees)
To better understand the ITU HR antenna notation, see the
See also
- CXCK/RCI - History of Canadian Broadcasting Archived 2021-04-29 at the Wayback Machine
References
- ^ Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) (20 September 2007). "ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 2001-518, Licence renewal for CKCX". crtc.gc.ca.
- ^ "RCI ends shortwave broadcast - Sackville, N.B. transmitters will be sold", CBC News, June 26, 2012
- ^ "Sackville shortwave transmission site closes". CBC/Radio Canada. October 31, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
- ^ Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) (5 November 2012). "ARCHIVED - CFFB Iqaluit – New transmitters in Puvirnituq, Kuujjuarapik, Inukjuak, Salluit and Kuujjuaq (Fort Chimo) – Correction". crtc.gc.ca.
- ^ "Sackville, N.B. residents to lose landmark radio transmission towers". CTV News. February 27, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2014.