97-year-old Hamilton radio station closes permanently

The changing media landscape has taken its latest victim: 900 CHML, Hamilton’s largest radio station and one with nearly a century on the airwaves.

The Corus Entertainment station announced it was closing on social media at noon Wednesday and was off the air by early afternoon.

“This decision, though incredibly difficult, has been made after careful consideration and is necessary following years of financial loss,” the station said on ‘X.’ “The shift of advertising revenues to unregulated foreign platforms, combined with the difficult regulatory and competitive landscape, has forced us to make the difficult decision to close.”

The station thanked their listeners for their “steadfast support” over the years. “Your loyalty and this community have been the foundation of our station’s legacy and we deeply value the connection we’ve shared with you.”

The station was famous for its talk radio format and featured shows such as Good Morning Hamilton, Hamilton Today and until 2023, the Bill Kelly Show.

The loss of the station is “devastating” and “tremendous loss to the community, Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said on social media Wednesday.

“We started our day by tuning in,” she said. “For close to 100 years – 97 years next month – CHML’s on-air personalities have been a part of our daily lives here in Hamilton and beyond.”

“They are part of our community, our neighbours, our friends,” she said, adding that the team “behind scenes” helped make “radio magic happen.”

Corus Entertainment said earlier this year it would have to reduce its staffing by 25 per cent – about 800 jobs – and make big cuts to operations around the chain. Corus radio stations in Edmonton and Vancouver were closed and there were layoffs in London, resulting in 500 job losses by May.

Regular listers were still caught by surprise, however.

• “I’m in shock. As a daily listener, I will be lost without my CHML.” – Mallory
• “That’s too bad. The radio landscape is sure changing fast!” – Ric

It is unknown if Corus is looking or buyers for CHML or any of the other closed stations.