CKCH-FM
| City | Sydney, Nova Scotia |
|---|---|
| Branding | New Country 103.5 |
| Frequency | 103.5 MHz |
| First air date | June 20, 2008 |
| Format | Country |
| ERP | 26.5 kW |
| Class | B |
| Owner | Newcap Radio |
| Sister stations | CHRK-FM |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | 103.5 The Eagle |
CKCH-FM is a Canadian radio station broadcasting at 103.5 FM in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The station was one of several new radio stations approved in 2007 for the Atlantic Provinces and is also one of two new radio stations for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality along with sister station CHRK-FM. The station airs a country music format branded on-air as New Country 103.5. The station is owned by Newcap Radio which also owns sister station CHRK-FM as well as numerous other radio stations across Canada.
The station license was originally awarded to a Cape Breton group that included local investor / businessman Barry Martin, and broadcasters, Jay Bedford and Alex Morrison. In late 2012, the CRTC approved the application by Newcap Radio to purchase the remaining 70.1% of the shares from Barry Martin.
CKCH was formerly a call sign for an AM station in Hull, Quebec from 1933 to 1994 and also its sister station CKCH-FM from 1970 through 1978.
The station began a required three week Industry Canada test period on May 15, 2008 by playing television theme songs until its official launch on June 17 of that year.
In early 2009, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles announced a 3-year radio broadcast partnership with CKCH. Under the agreement, all 68 regular season games and playoff games were broadcast live. Antigonish Broadcaster Ken MacNeil was hired to do play-by-play broadcasts. Kyle Moore replaced MacNeil starting with the 2010-2011 season. The arrangement continued through to the 2014-2015 season, when Newcap Sydney decided to not re-new the rights to the live broadcasts.
The station opened with a variety based country format but switched to a top 40 country approach in 2010. The Eagle airs ten newscasts every weekday with the focus on local and regional news items. The on air hosts includes well known local announcers: Jay Bedford, Allan MacKay and Sheilah MacDonald. Sydney radio veteran Don Sharpe joined the on air staff in July 2016, replacing the departed Nikki Sullivan. Don had been apart of MBS cut backs in Dec 2015, having been the long time afternoon drive announcer with competing Max 98.3.
In February 2017, CKCH-FM rebranded to New Country 103.5.
Coordinates: 46°05′55″N 60°18′41″W / 46.09861°N 60.31139°W
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