Blackburn Radio

What Blackburn Radio does

Blackburn Media Inc., doing business as Blackburn Radio, is a family-owned Canadian broadcasting company headquartered in London, Ontario. The company traces its origins to 1852 with the founding of The London Free Press newspaper and has since evolved into a regional broadcaster operating 13 radio stations across six Southwestern and Midwestern Ontario markets: Chatham-Kent, Leamington, London, Sarnia, Windsor, and Wingham. Its portfolio spans country, contemporary hits, classic rock, and AM news/talk formats, with branded station clusters such as BIG Country, Cool Radio, The Fox, The One, and CKNX AM 920. The company employs between 101 and 250 people and operates through six physical offices aligned to each market.

The company's core offering is multi-platform advertising sales to local businesses, delivered through on-air radio inventory, four owned regional digital news portals (CK News Today, Sarnia News Today, Windsor News Today, CKNX News Today), a podcast property (The 519 Podcast), and a digital marketing services brand (Brand One Digital). Distribution is augmented by an iHeartRadio app integration that places Blackburn's stations on a national streaming platform. The underlying technology is described as radio broadcasting infrastructure with digital platform capabilities — conventional broadcast engineering plus owned-and-operated web properties — with no proprietary AI or advanced data capabilities disclosed.

Blackburn monetizes exclusively through advertising, primarily via a direct sales motion to local SMBs seeking community-level reach. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is direct sales in each local market, supplemented by self-serve digital ad options on the news portals. The company is privately held under family ownership with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, acquisitions, or leadership changes in the available data.

Name

Blackburn Radio

Legal name

Blackburn Media Inc.

Website

https://blackburnradio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1852

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Blackburn Media Inc. is a family-owned Canadian broadcaster operating 13 radio stations across Southwestern and Midwestern Ontario (Chatham-Kent, Leamington, London, Sarnia, Windsor, Wingham), selling multi-platform advertising to local businesses through on-air, digital news, podcast, and iHeartRadio streaming channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIAEAA

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

SECONDARYMPAIAEAE

Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

Keywords

• Radio broadcasting services
• Local advertising solutions
• Digital news platforms
• Multi-market radio stations
• Digital marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: The company generates primary revenue through advertising sales, offering local businesses marketing solutions across radio airtime, digital platforms, and online channels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blackburn Media Inc. operates 13 radio stations across Southwestern and Midwestern Ontario broadcasting music, news, and entertainment content. The company sells advertising airtime on its radio stations, digital news portals, and online channels to local businesses seeking to reach community audiences. It also offers digital marketing services through Brand One Digital and produces original podcast content via The 519 Podcast.

Product overview

Blackburn Media Inc. (formerly Blackburn Radio) is a family-owned broadcasting company operating 13 radio stations across Southwestern and Midwestern Ontario, complemented by digital news portals (CK News Today, Sarnia News Today, Windsor News Today, CKNX News Today) and digital marketing services (Brand One Digital). The portfolio includes radio stations under various branded formats including BIG Country (country music), Cool Radio (contemporary), Classic Rock 98.1, The Fox, The One, Mix, and CKNX AM. The company also offers The 519 Podcast and integrates with the iHeartRadio streaming platform for mobile access. Broadcasting operations span markets including Chatham-Kent, Leamington, London, Sarnia, Windsor, and Wingham, with roots dating back to 1852 starting with The London Free Press newspaper.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big Country 91.3: Radio station (CFCO-FM) serving the Chatham-Kent area
• 94.3 CKSY
• Cool 95.1
• Classic Rock 98.1
• The Fox 99.9 FM
• BIG Country 103.9
• Cool 106.3
• 101.7 The One
• CKNX AM 920
• Cool 94.5
• Windsor's BIG Country 95.9
• Mix 96.7
• Cool 100.7
• CK News Today
• Sarnia News Today
• Windsor News Today
• CKNX News Today
• Brand One Digital
• The 519 Podcast

Products and services

• BIG Country 91.3 (CFCO-FM) Country music FM radio station broadcasting on 91.3 in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, providing listeners with country music programming and offering advertisers local audience reach.
• 94.3 CKSY FM radio station broadcasting on 94.3 in the Chatham-Kent market, part of the Blackburn Media station portfolio offering music programming and local advertising inventory.
• Cool 95.1 (CKUE-FM) Contemporary hit/hot adult contemporary FM radio station on 95.1 serving Chatham-Kent, part of the Cool Radio brand within Blackburn Media.
• Classic Rock 98.1 (CKLO-FM) Classic rock format FM radio station broadcasting on 98.1 serving regional Southwestern Ontario listeners, part of Blackburn Media's station portfolio.
• The Fox 99.9 FM (CFGX-FM) FM radio station broadcasting on 99.9 in the Sarnia area, part of Blackburn Media's Southwestern and Midwestern Ontario station network offering music programming and advertising inventory.
• BIG Country 103.9 (CHOK-FM) Country music FM radio station on 103.9 serving Sarnia-area listeners, part of the BIG Country branded portfolio within Blackburn Media.
• Cool 106.3 (CHKS-FM) Contemporary hit FM radio station on 106.3 serving the Sarnia market, part of the Cool Radio brand network within Blackburn Media.
• 101.7 The One (CKNX-FM) FM radio station on 101.7 serving Midwestern Ontario listeners, part of Blackburn Media's station portfolio offering music programming and local advertising.
• CKNX AM 920 AM radio station broadcasting on 920 kHz serving Midwestern Ontario, providing news/talk/sports programming and local advertising inventory.
• Cool 94.5 (CIBU-FM) Contemporary hit FM radio station on 94.5 serving Wingham and the surrounding Midwestern Ontario market, part of the Cool Radio brand network.
• Windsor's BIG Country 95.9 / 92.7 (CJWF-FM) Country music FM radio station serving the Windsor market on dual frequencies 95.9 and 92.7, part of the BIG Country branded portfolio.
• Mix 96.7 (CHYR-FM) Hot adult contemporary FM radio station on 96.7 serving the Leamington area, part of Blackburn Media's station portfolio.
• Cool 100.7 (CKUEW-FM) Contemporary hit FM radio station on 100.7 serving the Windsor market, part of the Cool Radio brand network within Blackburn Media.
• CK News Today Digital news portal providing local news coverage for Chatham-Kent, offering display advertising inventory to local advertisers as part of the Blackburn News network.
• Sarnia News Today Digital news portal providing local news coverage for the Sarnia area, offering digital advertising options to local businesses as part of the Blackburn News network.
• Windsor News Today Digital news portal providing local news coverage for Windsor and the surrounding area, offering digital advertising inventory to local advertisers.
• CKNX News Today

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• iHeartRadiocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBlackburn Media Inc. has partnered with iHeartRadio to provide listeners with access to their radio stations, playlists, and podcasts through the free iHeartRadio mobile app. The partnership extends the reach of Blackburn's radio content to digital audiences, allowing users to browse playlists, build their own, and access top podcasts in one platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stingray Group: Canadian-listed media company operating radio stations (acquired Newcap Radio in 2022) plus streaming audio services. Comparable as a radio broadcaster and digital audio distributor; more diversified into music services than Blackburn.
• Golden West Broadcasting: Privately owned Canadian broadcasting company operating radio stations across Western Canada (Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan). Comparable business model as a multi-station regional radio operator serving mid-size markets with local advertising.
• Evanov Radio: Independent Canadian radio broadcasting company operating stations across Ontario and other provinces. Closely comparable as a privately held, multi-station regional operator selling advertising on commercial AM/FM stations.
• Harvard Broadcasting: Canadian regional radio broadcaster with stations across Western Canada. Comparable as a multi-station operator focused on secondary Canadian markets with local advertising as primary revenue.
• Durham Radio Inc. Family-owned Ontario regional radio broadcaster operating multiple stations in Durham Region. Directly comparable as a privately-held, multi-station Ontario broadcaster serving secondary markets with local advertising.
• Vista Radio: Canadian regional radio broadcaster operating stations in smaller markets across BC, Alberta, and Ontario. Closely comparable as a multi-station operator focused on secondary Canadian markets served by local ad sales.
• Corus Entertainment (radio division): Operates multiple Canadian radio stations (Global News Radio, country and rock formats) alongside TV and digital properties. Closely comparable multi-platform ad-supported broadcasting model serving regional and national Canadian audiences.
• Rogers Sports & Media (radio division): Operates a portfolio of FM and AM radio stations across major Canadian markets (CHFI, Kiss 92.5, JACK 96.9) alongside TV and digital properties. Directly comparable to Blackburn as a commercial terrestrial radio broadcaster selling multi-platform advertising.

Broad incumbents

• iHeartMedia: Largest US radio operator and operator of the iHeartRadio streaming platform that distributes Blackburn stations. Comparable as a commercial radio broadcaster and digital audio distributor, but vastly larger scale (850+ stations, national footprint).
• Bell Media (Bell Radio): Among Canada's largest commercial radio broadcasters (Virgin Radio, CHUM FM, BNN Bloomberg Radio) integrated within a larger telecom-media conglomerate. Comparable business model (radio + digital ad sales) but operates nationally and within a much broader media portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blackburn Radio