Mississauga multicultural radio station CJMR 1320 is set to officially resume its spot on the traditional dial, kicking off signal testing after months operating as a digital-only broadcaster.<\/p>\n
The station temporarily pulled its AM broadcast signal in January due to the redevelopment of its former transmitter site. Following the acquisition of a new antenna site, CJMR began testing its technical transmission on the 1320 frequency in August under the oversight of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). That initial mandatory testing period concludes this month<\/p>\n
The return to the airwaves coincides with a major ownership transition. Trafalgar Broadcasting Limited\u2014a division of Whiteoaks Communications Group\u2014has agreed to sell the assets of CJMR to Chawla News Network Toronto Inc. for $400,000, pending CRTC approval<\/a>.<\/p>\n Chawla News Network is owned by Dilbag Chawla, a pioneer in Canadian ethnic broadcasting. The longtime host of \u201cRangla Punjab\u201d has been a well-known media figure in the region, since CJMR introduced Punjabi and Hindi programming to its lineup in the early 1980s.<\/p>\n Whiteoaks President Matt Caine told Broadcast Dialogue that the Chawlas previously represented the most hours of brokered programming on the station per week.<\/p>\n \u201cWe recognize the extraordinary value the Chawla family\u2019s commitment to journalism brings to Mississauga and Canada\u2019s South Asian community,\u201d said Caine. \u201cThrough interactive talk radio and community fundraising, they have helped make CJMR \u2018The Voice of the City\u2019 for more than 50 years.\u201d<\/p>\n Interim operations and future plans<\/p>\n Trafalgar will continue to manage station operations in the interim, facilitating the return of the Chawla family and original programming that shifted online earlier this year.<\/p>\n Upon regulatory clearance, CJMR will operate as a multicultural station out of a new permanent studio facility in Mississauga, maintaining all conditions of the current broadcast licence.<\/p>\n