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CKHZ-FM is a Canadian radio station, serving the Halifax Metropolitan area broadcasting at 103.5 FM owned by Evanov Communications (HFX Broadcasting Inc.). The station broadcasts a country music format branded as Hot Country 103.5. CKHZ's studios are located on Cogswell Street in Halifax, while its transmitter is located on Washmill Lake Drive in Clayton Park.

Based on the current format, CKHZ-FM competes with CHFX-FM.

Station history

CKHZ occupies the 103.5 FM frequency that was once Halifax's home to CKO from 1985 to 1989, the year CKO ceased broadcasting. In 2003, the CRTC awarded the vacant frequency license to Evanov. On November 26, 2004, CKMW Radio Ltd., (on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated) received CRTC approval to operate on 103.5 MHz. After several days of fine tuning it began on-air testing on June 28, 2006. The official on air date of the new station was August 14, 2006.

When CKHZ signed on the air, it sported the moniker and handle Z103.5 The Beat of Halifax and patterned its format after sister station CIDC in Toronto, Ontario, with an emphasis on local content. The station targets the format towards adults 24-44 with a tertiary demographic in the 18-49 range. The top 40 station leaned heavily on dance until 2009, when CKHZ became a full-time Mainstream CHR. By 2010, like with all Evanov stations, CKHZ dropped the "Dot" from its branding ID, like sister station CIDC-FM in Toronto. It also changed its logo to match CIDC's, except the .5 was omitted (the logo read only "Z103") and used a modified slogan, "All The Hitz." However, the move to a Top 40 direction would turn off listeners, resulting in declining ratings.

On January 6, 2012, at exactly 1:03 PM (AST), after playing "Neva Eva" by Jhevon Paris, CKHZ relaunched with a Dance-intensive Rhythmic CHR direction as "Energy 103.5" with the first two songs to herald the transition: Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" and David Guetta's "Turn Me On." The station now mirrored its sister station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, CHWE, by focusing on mostly Dance-pop hits. Four CKHZ staff members were dismissed ahead of the station's rebranding.

On March 4, 2013, CKHZ-FM transitioned to Hot AC, but by the summer of that year, the station returned to a mainstream Top 40 format, though without the Dance-intensive lean that "Energy" initially had. The station's slogan at this time was "The Perfect Music Mix." On February 12, 2014, after continued low ratings against rival top 40 station CJCH-FM, CKHZ-FM transitioned back to Hot AC, this time with the new slogan "90's and NOW", and aimed at playing more songs from the 90s and 2000s, as well as current popular music.

"Energy" performed poorly in the Halifax market, with ratings significantly below close competitors CJCH-FM and CIOO. On September 3, 2015, at 4 PM, CKHZ-FM switched to a country format, branded as Hot Country 103.5. The last song played on "Energy" was "Bye, Bye, Bye" by N'Sync while the first song on "Hot Country" was "This Is How We Roll" by Florida-Georgia Line. CKHZ's general manager, Trevor Romkey, explained that unlike its new competitor, CHFX-FM, the station's country format would have a slant towards newer material.

The station has seen a gradual increase in listenership according to Numeris ratings. At the same time, CHFX has seen a drop in ratings.

On December 04, 2017 Hot Country 103.5 announced a partnership between Evanov Radio Group and iHeart Radio Canada. This agreement brings CKHZ-FM, CKHY-FM, and 17 other Evanov group of stations to the popular streaming service along with Bell Media group of stations which includes CIOO-FM and CJCH-FM.

Current On Air Hosts

• Ian Robinson (Hot Country Mornings)
• Dana Thompson (Hot Country Mornings)
• Cruise (Afternoons)
• Lexi (Weekday evenings, Weekends)
• DJ Sinister (Hot Country Fried Mix)
• Denyse Sibley (Hot Country Skinny)
• Coop (Weekends)
• George Canyon (Weekends)

Former logos

File:Z103halifax.jpg File:Energy1035Halifax.png

References

1. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2004-514
2. from Mediafire
3. "Halifax Gets Energy Boost" from Radio Insight (January 6, 2012)
4. Energy 103.5 Becomes Hot Country
5. "Halifax gets second all-country radio station as Energy 103.5 changes playlist". Metro Halifax. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
6. http://en.numeris.ca/media-and-events/radio-diary-topline
7. "Evanov Radio Group joins iHeart Radio Canada".

External links

• Official website
• LISTEN LIVE
• Template:History of Canadian Broadcasting
• CKHZ-FM in the REC Canadian station database
• http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2013/2013-144.htm

44°38′47″N 63°39′37″W / 44.64639°N 63.66028°W / 44.64639; -63.66028

• Radio stations in Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Country radio stations in Canada
• Evanov Communications radio stations
• Radio stations established in 2006
• 2006 establishments in Nova Scotia