CKWR-FM

Community radio station in Kitchener, Ontario

For the radio station originally called CKWR-FM, see CFMK-FM.

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CKWR-FM
Kitchener, Ontario
Broadcast area	Waterloo Region
Frequency	98.5 MHz (FM)
Branding	Mix 98.5
Programming
Format	Adult album alternative/Multicultural
Ownership
Owner	Wired World Inc.
History
First air date	1973
Former frequencies	98.7 MHz (1973 -1997)
Call sign meaning	C Kitchener-Waterloo Radio
Technical information
Licensing authority	CRTC
Class	B
ERP	2,500 watts
HAAT	180 meters (590 ft)
Links
Website	mix985.ca

CKWR-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting a community radio format at 98.5 FM in Kitchener, Ontario. The station has broadcast since 1973.^{[citation needed ]}

Their studios are located on 1446 King Street East in Kitchener while their transmitter is located on top of Kitchener City Hall.

History

[edit ]

CKWR is a not-for-profit radio station that serves the communities of Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph.^[1] It was the first licensed community radio station in Canada, receiving a license in 1973.

On July 21, 1997, the station received approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to change CKWR-FM's frequency from 98.7 MHz to 98.5 MHz and increase the effective radiated power from 1,430 watts to 2,400 watts. ^[2] The change was to eliminate interference received from co-channel station CBCB-FM 98.7 MHz in Owen Sound.

Programming weekdays is adult album alternative with local news and community events announcements. Evenings are specialty programs, and weekends are multicultural.

In the early morning hours of November 20, 2024, 98.5 CKWR abruptly rebranded itself MIX 98.5 without informing both its sponsors and loyal listeners. The station has since added over 700 tracks to its library in an effort to attract new listeners and build upon its existing fanbase, leaving loyal listeners in a frenzy and uproar. A spokeswoman for MIX 98.5 points to a lack of funding for the change but many of its loyal listeners remain skeptical of this claim, instead believing the station is taking a more mainstream approach to the new format.