 | |
| Broadcast area | Greater Victoria |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 107.3MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 107.3Virgin Radio |
| Programming | |
| Format | Top 40/CHR |
| Subchannels | HD2:CFAX HD3: Pure Country HD4: Same as HD3 |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | |
| CFAX,CIVI-DT | |
| History | |
First air date | May 26,2000 |
| Technical information | |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 20,000wattshorizontal polarization only |
| HAAT | 142 meters (466 ft) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | iheartradio.ca/virginradio/victoria |
CHBE-FM (107.3MHz) is acommercialradio station inVictoria, British Columbia. The station is owned byBell Media and broadcasts aTop 40/CHRformat. Theradio studios and offices are on Broad Street in Victoria.
CHBE has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 20,000wattshorizontal polarization only. Thetransmitter is on Claudette Court in Victoria.[1] CHBE broadcasts usingHD Radio technology. The HD-2digital subchannel carries thetalk format on co-ownedCFAX. The HD3 subchannel rebroadcasts the comedy format heard onCKST.
The station received approval in October 1999.[2] It originally launched in May 26, 2000 asCFEX, amodern rock station branded asExtreme 107.3. It was owned by Seacoast Communications, which also ownedCFAX in the city. On August 16,2002, at 1:07 p.m., it changed toadult hits asB107.3.
CFAX and CHBE were acquired by CHUM Limited in November2004. On the 19th of that month, CHBE began playing allChristmas music. At Midnight on December 26, CHBE changed tohot AC as107.3 Kool FM, bringing back the format sinceCHTT-FM flipped toadult hits in January that year. Kool's first song wasThe Black Eyed Peas'Let's Get It Started.
CHUM Ltd., in turn, was purchased on June 22,2007 by CTVglobemedia, which now owns CFAX, CHBE andCIVI-TV in Victoria. Months later, CTVglobemedia would acquireCFBT-FM inVancouver, with CHBE shifting toTop 40/CHR. The shift totop 40 proved unsuccessful, and around August 2010, songs from the1980s and1990s were phased back in the playlist, bringing the station back to hot AC.
The station placed 3rd in the Spring 2012BBM Ratings for Victoria.[3]
In its final rating survey as "Kool", the radio station placed 6th for the fall 2018Numeris Diary Survey for Victoria.[4]
On February 8, 2019, the station re-branded as107.3Virgin Radio. The last song played on "Kool" was "Thank U, Next" byAriana Grande, while the first song on "Virgin" was "High Hopes" byPanic! At the Disco.
Radio stations onSouthern Vancouver Island,British Columbia | |||||||||
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| Victoria |
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| Central Vancouver Island |
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| Salt Spring Island |
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48°25′17″N123°30′40″W / 48.42139°N 123.51111°W /48.42139; -123.51111
