730 CKNW Vancouver News Talk – Live Stream, Schedule & Hosts

About

730 CKNW is a major talk radio station serving Vancouver and British Columbia. It covers breaking news, local politics, and community issues across British Columbia. Instead of just reading headlines, the hosts analyze local events and run live talk segments with callers.

History & Coverage

Launched in 1944 in New Westminster by Bill Rea, CKNW was the first station in the region to introduce hourly news updates and 24-hour broadcasting. Today, it operates with a powerful 50,000-watt transmitter on the 730 AM frequency, covering Southwestern British Columbia with enhanced signal clarity across the Lower Mainland. The station is owned by Corus Entertainment and brands itself as part of the Global News network.

For more than eight decades, it has remained a top choice for BC residents looking for continuous local news coverage.

Weekday Lineup & Hosts

The station’s weekday schedule relies on well-known local hosts who focus on live political commentary and community issues during prime listening hours:

Mornings with Simi (Simi Sara): The morning drive show. Covers local breaking news, overnight updates, and immediate interviews with municipal officials.
The Mike Smyth Show: Mid-day slot. Focuses strictly on British Columbia’s provincial politics, government policy shifts, and local debates.
The Jill Bennett Show: Early afternoon broadcast. Covers regional community issues, Vancouver housing density, and healthcare updates.
The Jas Johal Show: The afternoon drive-home slot. Analyzes federal politics and global economic trends, explaining how they affect Metro Vancouver residents.

Traffic, Weather & Sports: Traffic and weather reports feature meteorologist Mark Madryga and air every 10 minutes during peak commute windows. The station also serves as the flagship home of the Lions Audio Network, broadcasting live games and play-by-play coverage for the BC Lions (CFL), alongside exclusive weekly soccer updates and coaches' shows for Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Who is it for?	What are the downsides?
News and analysis fans. Ideal if you prefer detailed interviews and live debates over music.	No music playlist. This is a 100% talk format. It will not work as melodic background noise.
Metro Vancouver residents. Great for real-time updates on local housing, bridge construction, and BC laws.	Strictly local focus. Out-of-province listeners might find long discussions about Vancouver traffic boring.
Commuters. Traffic reports air every 10 minutes during rush hour, often catching delays faster than GPS apps.	Frequent ad breaks. As a major commercial station, the broadcast includes regular blocks of commercials.
Emergency updates. The station cuts into regular programming immediately for severe weather warnings or breaking news.	Opinionated hosts. The commentators have strong viewpoints, which might cause disagreement with some listeners.
BC Football fans. It provides full radio coverage and live play-by-play for all BC Lions games.	AM broadcast traits. While the 2025 frequency move vastly improved downtown reception, some concrete structures can still cause minor static. (The digital stream in this online player bypasses this entirely).

CKNW vs. Vancouver Talk Radio Competitors

Vancouver has three major news-talk stations, but they follow very different formats:

Feature	730 CKNW	1130 NewsRadio Vancouver	CBC Radio One Vancouver
Format	News, talk shows, local politics, and live sports.	All-news cycle. Continuous news wheels.	Public talk radio, cultural programs, and documentaries.
Pace	Dynamic and opinion-driven. Features heavy listener call-ins.	Fast, repetitive, and strictly factual.	Calm, measured, and deeply investigative.
Core Content	Long-form host interviews, political debates, and live BC Lions games.	Short, rolling headlines updated every few minutes. No long talk blocks.	Commercial-free public broadcasting with a focus on arts and Canadian stories.
Key Feature	High-profile hosts (Simi Sara, Mike Smyth) and dedicated regional sports coverage.	"Traffic and weather together every ten minutes on the ones" around the clock.	Flagship regional shows like The Early Edition and On The Coast.
Best For	Listeners who want to hear debates on local issues and political commentary.	Drivers needing a quick 10-minute briefing on traffic and weather.	Listeners who dislike commercials and prefer deep social storytelling.

Editorial Verdict: Testing the Broadcast

Written by: Data current for 2026

A four-hour monitoring of the 730 CKNW digital stream on a weekday confirms that the station maintains a highly structured, talk-heavy format. During the morning drive programming, I observed extended political segments with active listener call-ins, particularly around municipal policy topics. The live interaction feels natural, though listeners should expect heavy commercial blocks during these peak hours. Following the station’s strategic frequency realignment, the 50,000-watt transmitter now provides a highly robust and stable signal along major highways throughout the Fraser Valley and into the core of downtown Vancouver. Testing the broadcast via our online player bypasses these regional terrain issues entirely, delivering the audio as a stable digital stream without the typical static.