Saying Goodbye to Hamilton's 900 CHML Radio, Where I Gave 28 Years As Host.

I was awash with an eerie sense of déjà vu a few days ago when I was informed that Corus Entertainment had decided to pull the plug on Hamilton’s radio station 900 CHML.

It was a year to the day that Corus informed me they were canceling The Bill Kelly Show on CHML and replacing it with Toronto programming that paid little to no attention to the burning issues of the Steel City. It was the ‘death by a thousand cuts’ that broadcasting institutions around the country have been subjected to for years.

As a native Hamiltonian who is passionate about my city, I was proud and honoured to participate in some of the most democratic and necessary dialogue formats at CHML for more than 28 of my 50 years in broadcasting.

But, this time, the parent company decided to take it to the next level, swinging the executioner’s axe and shutting down the entire radio station - one of Canada’s oldest! Reaction from within the Hamilton community was swift and passionate; after all, CHML served the Hamilton community for 97 years. It was the pre-eminent source of news and information for Hamiltonians and beyond and, just as importantly, a sounding board for leaders and citizens to debate and discuss the issues of the day.

Yet, on August 14, 2024, CHML Radio was seemingly hijacked by a disembodied, unfamiliar voice coming on air to suddenly tell poor listeners, “thank you, and goodbye”. Followed by an ominous, screeching white noise static as the radio station took its final breath. Personally, I find this farewell exceedingly disrespectful to their faithful audience, many of whom have been listeners their entire lives.

Now, that important platform for discourse has been taken away from a city of close to 700,000 people. I know how engaged Hamiltonians are on the issues that impact their day-to-day lives and the future of our community, and I know how important it is to have a place to be informed and be heard.

That’s why we created The Bill Kelly Podcast over the past few months. The response from you all has been overwhelming and continues to grow. To those who have supported me in this new and exciting venture, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It brings me great joy to be able to continue my mission of stoking important conversations that keep our city, and our world, moving forward.

If you are reading this and have yet to subscribe, I invite you to be part of our growing community, who have discovered our podcast and embraced it, just like so many of you did while I broadcasting on CHML for most of my career.

With the woefully inept oversight from the CRTC and the ‘questionable’ and short-sighted owners of our broadcasting entities, the future of radio and television is in serious jeopardy.

But, in these challenging times, where we are inundated with misinformation and baseless rhetoric, it’s more important than ever to stay informed and engaged. Do not let the rash decisions of nameless executives dampen your passion or your hope for change — they may have taken away one platform, but when one pillar of democracy crumbles, another one rises from the rubble. Here, on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more, me and my team are endeavouring to rebuild you a better one.

I feel badly for the many long-time CHML listeners who have been robbed of their conduit to those conversations; I share your pain because I am one of you!

Let your voice be heard, and join us on The Bill Kelly Podcast. Let’s keep the conversation going! I read all of your comments and appreciate your feedback. If you feel compelled, leave me a comment on this post or my previous posts, and I will do my best to give you a platform by reading it on future podcasts.

Further Reading:

Have your say: Share your memories of Hamilton hometown radio station 900 CHML

The closure of Hamilton’s CHML 900 is an ominous sign — and the station’s loss will be devastating

Hamilton's 900 CHML radio station, one of Canada's oldest, closes