As mentioned in a previous article, there are two main ways to listen to FIFA World Cup™ Soccer games on the radio; Sirius Satellite Radio and CBC Radio One. The bad news is that Sirius requires a paid subscription and CBC Radio is only carrying the last four games.
Unofficially however, some Canadian cities have access to other options. Yes, there’s ESPN Radio’s coverage on AM stations leaking across the border, like WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo which can be heard in Toronto. But even better than that, there are local Canadian signals originating from an obscure FM frequency, which many people might not even know of. Even those who are aware, might not have thought of using this option for the World Cup.
Channel 6 on 87.7 FM
What places like Winnipeg, Whitehorse and Montreal have in common is that they are all cities where the local CBC TV station broadcasts over-the-air on channel 6. The same applies to Gaspe, except over there, it is the local Radio-Canada station. What does all this have to do with radio? For some strange reason, the powers that be decided at one point that the audio feed for VHF channel 6 would be 87.75 FM, a frequency which happens to be right at the very edge of what we know as the commercial FM band.
This means that in any market where a local TV station can be picked up on channel 6 with regular VHF bunny ears, the audio feed of that TV station can also be accessed on most radios by simply tuning it anywhere in 87.7 FM to 87.9 FM range. So if channel 6 happens to be the CBC or Radio-Canada, then fans can listen to the World Cup even when they’re not near a TV, like when they’re at work or in the car.
The Downside
Of course, this option isn’t perfect as the play-by-play announcers tend to assume that listeners can see what is going on and may occasionally skip over some important details. But that’s nothing compared to the usual drawbacks of this little known FM option during regular programming when the World Cup isn’t even on. Somehow, The Ghost Whisperer just doesn’t seem to work on the radio.
Needless to say, there are other advantages to this loophole aside from following a soccer game. Individuals can also listen to Hockey Night in Canada or to their local channel 6 news in the car, on their way home after work. But bear in mind, many of the advantages will come to an end once Canada finally makes the transition to DTV on August 31, 2011. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Canadian Radio Has Pretty Good De Facto Coverage
Bottom line, however, is that in spite of CBC Radio One carrying only the last four games, the World Cup somehow remains easy to pick up on both FM and AM radio in Canada. Listeners can follow the tournament almost no matter where they happen to be, as they have access to more coverage than they may think.
Other Sources:
WGR 550 SportsRadio
See also:
Finding the FIFA World Cup Soccer Games on Canadian TV is Easy
Steve Hatton - Steve Hatton is a Montreal-based freelance writer and journalist who covers the television industry, including TV show reviews and media ...
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