99.1 CKXS and CKDP Unite To Form Community Portal

Five Amigos Broadcasting And Local Online Publisher Unite To Create Innovative Community Portal

Five Amigos Broadcasting and local web publisher Rob Armstrong have joined forces to create a new website offering a HomePage alternative similar to the MSN or Yahoo style homepage, but with a truly local twist.

Instead of offering global news and information, the new website – called InCK.ca, will focus on local Chatham-Kent based content, and will offer social aspects allowing site visitors to contribute to the content. Upon logging in, users will have the ability to contribute news items, create and participate in daily discussions, promote local organizations, and list local events.

“InCK.ca is the result of an online conversation where readers were challenged to come up with ideas on how to make Chatham-Kent a better place” says Armstrong, “I felt it would be very positive to have a space where everyone in Chatham-Kent could present and discuss what matters to them, and where users could discover the people and initiatives that make Chatham-Kent a great place to live.”

Armstrong says he knew his idea would require considerable manpower and resources, so he took his idea to the CKXS radio studio in Wallaceburg, where he pitched it to station co-owners Greg Hetherington and Gary Patterson.

“Greg and Gary are great supporters of our communities” says Armstrong, “and since InCK.ca offers many benefits and opportunities for local non-profit clubs and organizations, they were happy to partner with me on the new project”.

CKXS co-owner Greg Hetherington feels that InCK.ca matched their goals as a community-oriented media company, saying “This is not a traditional corporate website where we as a company push a message to our audience, but instead, we turn the microphone around and support the community in bringing to the table whatever they want to offer to Chatham-Kent… and to connect with other like-minded people in the community.”

As part of their partnership FAB will acquire the assets of CKDP (owned by Armstrong) and continue to operate the online newspaper at www.ckdp.ca CKDP will be one of the many news/community sources that will be available at InCK.ca.

Armstrong also took his idea to the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, who agreed to purchase a one year sponsorship on the InCK.ca website.

“The InCK.ca concept fits very well with our community’s need for positive and constructive places online where citizens, groups and businesses can connect, communicate and collaborate,” says Communication Officer Brian Worrall.  “Over time, this kind of online presence will help citizens and organizations to build the kind of distinct, progressive Chatham-Kent they want and introduce it to the world.”

Armstrong says early support for the InCK.ca site has been very strong, and that he’s formed partnerships with several other local websites and community groups to form an InCK.ca Network of sites. The current list of media participants includes The Chatham-Kent Daily Post, CKXSFM.com, local sports website CKSN.ca (The Chatham-Kent Sports Network), and TVCogeco who will be posting their video content to the site. Several community groups are also joining the InCK.ca Network in order to benefit from the combined traffic including The United Way of Chatham-Kent, The Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre and CK Animal Rescue, as well as town-based websites Wallaceburg.ca and ExploreDresden.ca.

To kick things off InCK.ca is running a contest with a $5,000 cash prize going to a local non-profit community group, service club or organization. Organizations are being invited to request an InCK homepage with their name on it, which they can then share with the public, their friends and their supporters. InCK.ca staff will then track page-usage statistics, and the organization whose homepage gets the most usage between January 1 and April 1 2012 will win the $5,000 prize.

Current participants include Create CK, Operation Red Nose, Chatham-Kent VON, Blenheim Golden Eagles Gymnastics Club, Chatham-Kent Childrens Safety Village, Big Brothers Big Sisters Chatham-Kent, Sydenham Field Naturalists, The Mary Webb Centre, CK On The Edge, The Ground Floor, The Brain Injury Association and many others.

“This contest is a great way to get the word out about this great new site, as well as providing yet another way to support our local charities and service organizations” says co-owner Gary Patterson, “It’s a great way to bring all of these community groups and local users together in one place.”

The InCK.ca website is currently open to the public, and everyone is welcome to visit the site and select a homepage. Instructions for setting your InCK page as your default homepage can be found on the site. The official launch is scheduled for January 1st 2012.

Visit: http://inck.ca

All non-profit groups and organizations who would like to participate in the InCK.ca homepage contest are invited to contact Rob Armstrong at rob@ckdp.ca.

Category: Announcements, Community, featured, news