Medicine Hat in Cypress County, Alberta — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)

Site of Medicine Hat's First Radio Station

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 26, 2022

1. Site of Medicine Hat's First Radio Station Marker

Inscription. This is the original site of Medicine Hat’s first radio station “1270 CHAT AM.”

CHAT AM signed on-air November 1, 1946 and continues to serve Medicine Hat and surrounding area.

For the past fifty years CHAT AM has been broadcasting on a frequency of 1270 KHz at 10,000 watts.

Owned and operated by Monarch Broadcasting Ltd. with the Yuill family as founding shareholders, CHAT AM will remain a part of Medicine Hat’s rich heritage and bright future.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is November 1, 1946.

Location. 50° 2.471′ N, 110° 40.72′ W. Marker is in Medicine Hat, Alberta, in Cypress County. Marker is on 1 Street Southeast (Provincial Highway 41A) 0.1 kilometers west of 6 Avenue Southeast, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located along the walkway on the west side of the Medicine Hat City Hall complex. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 580 1 Street Southeast, Medicine Hat AB T1A 8E6, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A. P. Burns House and Gas City Planing Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); River Road — "Gunter's Folly" (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Finlay Bridge (about 90 meters away); Courthouse

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

(about 90 meters away); Central Motors, Empress Theater, Medicine Hat News (about 90 meters away); a different marker also named Finlay Bridge (about 120 meters away); St. John's Presbyterian Church (about 120 meters away); Ewart Duggan House (about 150 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Medicine Hat.

Also see . . .
1. CHAT-FM History.

CHAT-FM is a Canadian radio station that broadcasts a country format at 94.5 FM in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The station is owned by the Jim Pattison Group. The station originally began broadcasting as an AM station in 1946 at 1270 AM, where it remained until the station moved to 94.5 FM in 2006. It was a network affiliate of CBC Radio's Dominion Network until 1962 when the network dissolved. It then became an affiliate of the main CBC Radio network and remained so until 1994 when CBC built a repeater of CBR for the Medicine Hat area.

(Submitted on September 25, 2022.)

2. CHAT-FM, CHAT 94.5, Medicine Hat.

In the late 1930s, industrialist and entrepreneur J. H. "Hop" Yuill applied for a radio station license for Medicine Hat,
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 26, 2022

2. Site of Medicine Hat's First Radio Station Marker
(looking west from City Hall • Medicine Hat Courthouse in background)
but World War II caused the application to be shelved. He reapplied in 1945 and a licence was granted. The 4,800 square foot studio building was at 520 First Street in Medicine Hat. Yuill's company was called Monarch Broadcasting Co. Ltd.
The unique call sign, "CHAT" was considered to be one of the best as it was synonymous with the business. It also represented the community of licence - Medicine HAT. The station's slogan at the start: Buy Alberta and get Saskatchewan free!

(Submitted on September 25, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 26, 2022

3. Site of Medicine Hat's First Radio Station Marker

(looking north from 1 Street SE • Medicine Hat City Hall on right)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 25, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 111 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 25, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.