Radio Easy 101 (CKOT)

CKOT-FM is a Canadian radio station, airing at 101.3 FM in Tillsonburg, Ontario. The transmitter is located near the interchange of Highway 19 and Highway 401 (Exit 218), close to Ingersoll, with an Effective Radiated Power of 50,000 watts, on a 454 foot-/163 metre-high transmitter. The station airs a mixture of adult contemporary vocals and oldies, with the occasional smooth jazz or easy listening instrumental, under the brand name Easy 101, and is one of the few remaining stations in North America still playing instrumental Beautiful Music although that is no longer the primary component of the station's format. The station also broadcasts Radio Data System (RDS) information to listeners with equipped radios, displaying weather, time, the artist and song playing, and news updates like traffic conditions.CKOT-FM is the second radio station to serve Tillsonburg, Ontario, and is the sister station to CKOT (AM) and CJDL-FM.The station's history dates back to 1964. Its owner was the late John B. Lamers (1905- April 17, 1994). His application for a radio station on the FM dial at 106.7 FM was accepted, but he was advised to use the frequency of 100.5 FM instead. The station first aired on October 1, 1965. Its ERP was 1.135 kW. Its studios were in Tillsonburg, while its transmitter was located to the northwest of the town. CKOT-FM originally acted as a simulcast transmitter while CKOT (AM) was on the air (the FM transmitter could only operate from 6 a.m. to midnight, even though the AM station could only air from sunrise to sunset, as it was a daytimer station). Since the FM station was on the air longer, it proved to be successful.By January 1970, CKOT-FM and CKOT (AM) had adopted different programming. CKOT-FM adopted "The Sound of Music" easy listening format, while the AM station became known as "Active, Lively, Community Information Radio."In 1974, the station was granted permission to move from 100.5 MHz to 101.3 MHz, to increase its power from 1,135 watts to 50,000 wats, and to move its transmitter to a new site (its current location). This went into effect in December 1974.In 1996, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved a change of ownership of Tillsonburg Broadcasting Co. Ltd., resulting in John D. Lamers, Jr. increasing his ownership interest from 36.8 to 50.3%. This gave him a controlling interest in his Tillsonburg Broadcasting (also known as the "John D. Lamers Group"), and its two radio stations (CKOT-AM-FM). Other shareholders are Robert Lamers and Joanne Fenton.