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CKKL-FM (93.9 Hertz) is a commercial radio station in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Bell Media, it broadcasts a country music radio format branded as "Pure Country 94". CKKL's and offices are located in the Bell Media Building on George Street in Downtown Ottawa's ByWard Market.
CKKL-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 95,000 . The transmitter is in Camp Fortune, Quebec, within Gatineau Park.
In 1961, Ryan sought approval to increase power from 860 watts to 146,000 watts via a new tower site at Camp Fortune. The Ryan Tower (named after Frank Ryan) would become the area's main radio and television transmission site.
The station manager at the time was veteran broadcaster Gord Atkinson, well known to Ottawa listeners. The music director was Ray Eckford. Announcers included: John Cavill and Bryan Williams (mornings) as well as Jim Bristow and Dick Richards (whose real name was Richard "Dick" Gasparini, originally with CKWW and CKCY-FM) in the evenings. Core artists heard on CFMO-FM were orchestras conducted by Percy Faith, Henry Mancini and Mantovani, as well as vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and The Carpenters.
During the hot AC days, they aired mostly contemporary hits during the evening hours (in large part due to CRTC regulations banning FM stations for having more than 50% of hit material on their playlists to protect AM stations and French language stations), as well as the dance music show "Pirate Radio" with Chris Sheppard on Saturday nights. During the 1990s, CKKL competed against Top 40 stations CKTF-FM (which airs in French language) and AM station CFGO (which aired in English). Station liners during this time promoted "Hit Music on FM", directly targeting Energy 1200 listeners. After "Energy" flipped to alternative rock in 1997, CKKL was considered the default English-language hit music station in Ottawa. By February 2003, when CIHT-FM (now a CHR station) launched with its rhythmic contemporary format, CKKL completely shifted to CHR.
Bob FM's morning show, Cub & Company, was hosted by Cub Carson and Melanie Adams, and until February 2013, Sandy Sharkey. The show was formerly hosted by "Stuntman" Stu Schwartz, who is now at CJMJ-FM.
In 2007, CTVglobemedia bought CKKL-FM along with the other CHUM Limited properties. In 2011, Bell Canada acquired CTVglobemedia, renaming the company as Bell Media.
On February 1, 2013, Bell Media announced that longtime Bob FM announcers Steve Gregory and Sandy Sharkey were leaving the station as a result of cuts.
On November 12, 2014 at 11:45 a.m., after again playing "I Want a New Drug" (a near-bookend to the launch of "Bob"), followed by "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, CKKL went into a 15-minute stunt of a ticking clock. At Noon, CKKL flipped to country music as "New Country 94", launching with a marathon of 10,000 songs played without commercial interruption starting with "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line. After the 10,000 song marathon, the station began airing advertisements again, preceding song number 10,001 and over.
On May 28, 2019, the station was renamed "Pure Country 94" as part of a nationwide rebranding of all Bell Media country stations. The station's morning hosts Sophie Moroz and Jeff Hopper began to host the iHeartRadio Pure Country Countdown for the network as well.
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