View source for CIBK-FM

{{short description|Radio station in Calgary}}
{{Infobox radio station
| logo            = File:98.5 Virgin Radio Logo.svg
| name            = CIBK-FM
| logo_size       = 150px
| airdate         = September 6, [[2002 in radio|2002]]
| frequency       = 98.5 [[Hertz|MHz]] ([[FM broadcasting|FM]])
| city            = [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]]
| area            = [[Calgary Metropolitan Region]]
| format          = [[Contemporary hit radio|Top 40/CHR]]
| owner           = [[Bell Media]]
| licensee        = [[Bell Media Radio|Bell Media Radio G.P.]]
| sister_stations = [[CKMX]], [[CJAY-FM]]
| erp             = 100,000 [[watt]]s
| haat            = {{convert|298.5|meters}}
| branding        = 98.5 [[Virgin Radio]]
| class           = C
| webcast         = [http://www.iheartradio.ca/virginradio/calgary Listen Live]
| website         = [http://www.iheartradio.ca/virginradio/calgary iheartradio.ca/virginradio/calgary]
| coordinates     = {{coord|51.065|N|114.214|W|type:landmark}}
| affiliations    = [[Premiere Networks]]
}}
'''CIBK-FM''' (''98.5 [[Virgin Radio]]'') is a [[contemporary hit radio|Top 40/CHR]] [[radio station]] based in [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], [[Canada]]. The [[Bell Media]] outlet operates at 98.5 [[FM broadcasting|FM]] with an [[effective radiated power]] of 100&nbsp;[[watt|kW]] from a [[transmitter]] located at the intersection of Old Banff Coach Road and 85 Street Southwest, and its studios located in the [[CTV Television Network|CTV Calgary]] studios on Patina Rise SW in the Prominence Point neighborhood of [[Calgary]].

As of Winter 2020, CIBK is the 16th-most-listened-to radio station in the Calgary market according to a PPM data report released by [[Numeris]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.radiowest.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=37459 |title=Winter 2020 PPM Data |access-date=2021-04-01 }}</ref>

==History==
The station received approval by the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|CRTC]] in March 2001.<ref>[http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2001/DB2001-172.htm Decision CRTC 2001-172], ''CRTC'', March 12, 2001</ref> When CIBK made its debut on September 6, 2002 as ''Vibe 98.5'', they thought they would become the city's first [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]/[[hip hop music|hip hop]] outlet, but they were beaten to the punch by [[CJAQ-FM|CKIS]] by about a month. This would spark a format war in Calgary, with both stations making potshots at one another.<ref>"96.9 KISSes off Rock," ''The Calgary Herald'', July 20, 2002.</ref><ref>Heath McCoy, "YO! Phat radio gets rowdy," ''The Calgary Herald'', November 2, 2002.</ref><ref>Heath McCoy, "Ratings sealed with a KISS," ''The Calgary Herald'', December 5, 2002.</ref> On April 1, 2003, CKIS would bail out and abruptly change to the "[[Jack FM]]" format, leaving CIBK as the victor.<ref>Heath McCoy, "Goodbye KISS, Say hello to JACK," ''The Calgary Herald'', April 2, 2003.</ref>

However, CIBK would also go through an evolution of its own as they transitioned to a [[rhythmic contemporary]] direction by [[2003 in radio|2003]], and to their current mainstream [[Top 40]] direction by [[2004 in radio|2004]]. CIBK still played [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]/[[hip hop music|hip hop]] product (although at a reduced rate), and also incorporated [[pop music|pop]] and [[dance music|dance]] into the mix, in part due to its license with the CRTC that now requires the station to be programmed as a [[contemporary hit radio|Top 40/CHR]] outlet. Because CIBK was anticipated for years prior to its launch to be Calgary's long-awaited [[Urban contemporary|urban]] station, it had faced much criticism for bailing out to a Top 40 format leaving many of the station's hip-hop/R&B fans disappointed and let down by Standard.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

CIBK was part of the acquisition of most of the assets of Standard Broadcasting by [[Astral Media]] that was completed on October 29, [[2007 in radio|2007]]. Under Astral, CIBK dropped the [[rhythmic contemporary|rhythmic]] lean.
[[Image:virgin calgary new.png|thumb|left|150px|Former "Virgin" logo (2010–2019)]]
On April 1, 2010, [[Astral Media]] registered the domain names, VirginRadio985.com, Virgin985.com and VirginCalgary.com, which many speculated would be a branding change for CIBK to become a part of the ''[[Virgin Radio]]'' branding in Canada.<ref>[http://radioinsight.com/2010/04/27/a-virgin-coming-to-calgary/ Branding Change]</ref> This was confirmed on the Vibe Morning Show's June 23, 2010 broadcast, and the rebranding took place on June 30 at Noon,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe985.com/|title=Vibe 98.5 main page, "Tomorrow on The Vibe Morning Show"|date=June 23, 2010|access-date=June 23, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209183250/http://www.vibe985.com/#|archive-date=2010-02-09|url-status=dead}}</ref> and will retain its [[Top 40]] format. It is the second [[Virgin Radio]] station with a mainstream Top 40 format after [[Toronto]]'s [[CKFM-FM]]. The last song on "Vibe" was "[[Goodbye (Kristinia DeBarge song)|Goodbye]]" by [[Kristinia DeBarge]], while the first song on "Virgin" was "[[California Gurls]]" by [[Katy Perry]].<ref>[http://calgary.virginradio.ca/broadcasthistory.aspx Virgin Radio's playlist]</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url-status = dead|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLI8gFAj5LE|title = YouTube, a Google company|website = [[YouTube]]|access-date = 2016-07-27|archive-date = 2019-11-06|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191106235311/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLI8gFAj5LE&gl=US&hl=en}}</ref>

CIBK-FM is the longest-tenured [[contemporary hit radio|Top 40/CHR]] station in [[Alberta]] still having the format today, only [[Edmonton]]'s [[CKNG-FM]] (now [[adult hits]] since [[2004 in radio|2004]]) had the longest-tenured format from [[1991 in radio|1991]]-[[2003 in radio|2003]].

As part of the merger of Astral and [[Bell Media]] approved by the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|CRTC]] on June 27, 2013, CIBK is now owned by Bell Media.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.iheartradio.ca/virginradio/calgary 98.5 Virgin Radio]
* [https://broadcasting-history.ca/radio/radio-stations/alberta/alberta-south/CIBK-FM CIBK-FM] at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the [[Canadian Communications Foundation]]
*{{RecnetCanada|CIBK-FM}}

{{Calgary Radio}}
{{Bell Media}}
{{Virgin Group}}

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[[Category:Radio stations in Calgary|Ibk]]
[[Category:Contemporary hit radio stations in Canada|Ibk]]
[[Category:Bell Media radio stations|Ibk]]
[[Category:Virgin Radio]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 2002]]
[[Category:2002 establishments in Alberta]]