660 News launch

On April 3, 2006 Calgary oldies station "66 CFR" flipped to an all-news format, becoming 660 News. 660 follows in the footsteps of Toronto sister station 680 News, Vancouver's News1130, 570 News in Kitchener, and the three news/talk FMs in the Maritimes Rogers launched in 2005. Each share the familiar news wheel with traffic and weather reports on the :01s, sports at :15 and :45, and business at :26 and :56.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• 660
• news
• all-news-radio
• rogers
• calgary

[bigasssuperstar]

Ah, that was a fun time. I'm proud to have done the first story on the new station. An exciting few weeks. Congrats to Calgary on a year of All News Radio. Nice to hear the audio again -- perhaps a slide show from the launch would've been nice. (Some photos are over on flickr.)

[ackerboy]

Thanks, Scott.  I'll keep an eye out for those and recut this when I get a chance.

[ackerboy]

When Vancouver's CKWX 1130 went from country to all-news in 1996, management did something similar on the air.

[rexxdexx]

@wtvg1 I believe the radiowest.ca forum has The News 1130 launch as a aircheck

[kingalow1]

BOOO. BORING!! I MISS THE OLDIES!!!

[garycalgary]

never liked 66 cfr thought it was lame

the all news format is long overdue

[tutsuro]

This was such a painful thing to wake up to....3 years ago now, Losing all that great music here in town. And I just heard about 1050 CHUM switching too. What a shame. RIP 66 CFR

[wtvg1]

I haven't listened to them yet.

PS, does anybody have the launch of CFTR 680 News from 1993 or the launch of Vancouver's CKXW News 1130 from 1996?

[erich84502]

I News 880 CHQT in Edmonton; Oldies to All News format. Different managment though.

[misterspiffy2008]

Technically 660's official call is CFFR.

[thebestplaceonearth]

IN 1988, I WAS PLYING "OUR TRADE" ON CHQR-(QR-77)back then, Great memories of Rawlco Radio's 66 CFR...Jerry Steen..Ronald T...

Where are they now.

Rogers did a great job on the launch of 660 News....I even go back to the days of 680 CFTR in T-dot..Rogers Flagship A.M. It was a great CHR Format in it's day, and the talent was the very best ! Here's to Dick Smyth and Hal Anthony...Thanks for the memories.

[moosewelch]

Unfortunately, the people from "format in beaker" couldn't keep the calls and still have a flip to a newsradio station.  Something like "CFR-Newsradio-66." Distinctive call letters... and a rare 3-call set to boot... a rarity.. like Boston's WBZ or Philadelphia's "KYW... Newsradio.. 10-60"