La Radio Communautaire Cornwall-Alexandria has closed on its acquisition of the former “Hot Country 92.5” CHRC-FM Rockland and “Hot Country 107.7” CKHK-FM Hawkesbury ON and has flipped the pair to Variety Hits “Big-FM“.

The company, which owns French Variety “92.1 GO FM” CHOD-FM Cornwall, agreed to acquire both stations last September after Evanov Communications planned on shutting both down. The new brand launched at 12pm today after a six hour loop of Mitsou’s “Bye Bye Mon Cowboy”. “Big-FM” features imaging voice Derek ‘Watty’ Watson with Derrick Scott serving as Operations Manager and host of “The Big Breakfast”.

Scott said, “The stations will remain locally focused, more so than before. We’ll continue to promote/support local events, and charities, provide news from across the region at times ignored by other outlets, while giving listeners a station that is fun to listen to suiting everyone’s music preference.”

General Manager Mathieu Manning and General Sales Manager Richard Michel said, “When several local business owners heard about the proposed change, they automatically wanted to partner with the stations given the demographics, and the fact that we are now locally owned. This Big change wouldn’t of happened with input from the stations’ sister station team at GO-FM (CHOD-FM) Casselman, Ontario.