Big Earl

Big Earl
Broadcast area	Edmonton, Alberta
Slogan	"Edmonton's BIG Country Station"
Frequency	96.3 MHz (FM)
Format	Country
Owner	Newcap Broadcasting
Website	Official homepage of Big Earl 963

CKRA is a Canadian radio station owned by Newcap Broadcasting. It broadcasts at 96.3 FM in Edmonton, Alberta. It currently plays a country format as "Big Earl 963". In the past, it has been known as 96X, 963 the Mix, Mix 96 and 96 K-Lite FM.

History

Prior to 1996, CKRA was known as "96 K-Lite FM". In 1996, the station adopted the name "Mix 96", playing a hot adult contemporary format. Several name and content changes occurred in 2002 and 2003. In the summer of 2002, CKRA adjusted its name to "963 the Mix" and incorporated more contemporary music into its playlist. During this time, the station opened a satellite "weekend" location on Edmonton's trendy Whyte Avenue. Local (former) A-Channel entertainment host, Shannon Tyler, was hired to co-host the morning radio show with BJ Wilson.

In February 2003, CKRA once again re-branded as "96X", "the hit music alternative" to CKNG "Power 92", the declining contemporary hit radio station in Edmonton. The station retained its hot AC format, leaving R&B and hip-hop out of its playlist. Following the transition of Power 92 to the hot AC formatted "Power 92.5" in June 2003, the station shifted to CHR and adopted the slogan "Edmonton's Only Hit Music Station", which soon changed to "Edmonton's #1 Hit Music Station", as strange decision considering it was the only station in Edmonton playing the "hit music" format. During this time, 96X moved its Whyte Avenue studio to a booth in Hudson's Canadian Tap House from where it began broadcasting during the evenings and on weekends. The station also began weekly broadcasts on Saturday nights from The Standard nightclub. 96X's popularity among younger listeners was bolstered by Power 92.5's evolution to "92.5 Joe FM" which played a variety hits format. In the fall of 2005, 96X's main studio moved from its old location in a 99th Street strip mall to a new facility in Phase 4 of the West Edmonton Mall along with Newcap Broadcasting's other stations.

However, the entry of CHBN "91.7 The Bounce" in March 2005 and CHDI "SONiC 102.9" in April 2005 spelled disaster for 96X, whose market quickly dispersed over the upcoming months. In response, the station once again changed its identity on August 31, 2005, this time to "The 90s and Now: 96X" and reverted to its former hot AC format. This change was unsuccessful in regaining listeners.

On December 12, 2005, 96X morphed into "Big Earl 96 dot 3" and adopted a new country format, as well as the slogan "He plays anything country". The station's new identity was modelled after Newcap's CFCW "Big Earl 98 dot 1" station in Camrose. Within hours of the change, CHBN began broadcasting itself as "Edmonton's only hit music station" and over the next few months expanded its playlist to fill 96X's former niche. The Camrose station was rebranded as "CAM FM" and began to play classic rock.

In its first quarter as "Big Earl", CKRA continued to lose listeners, registering only 2.7% of the Edmonton market and failing, for the most part, to recruit listeners from mainstays CISN and CFCW.

External links

• Official homepage of Big Earl 963

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