CFIQ: Difference between revisions

{{shortShort description|News radioRadio station in Richmond Hill—TorontoHill–Toronto, Ontario}}

| logo = Global_News_Radio_640_Toronto640 Toronto Logo.png

| logo_size = 200px

| city = [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]], [[Ontario]]

| area = {{ubl|[[Greater Toronto Area]]<br />|[[Southern Ontario]]}}

| airdate = July{{start 1,date [[1957and in radioage|1957]]|7|1|p=y|br=yes}}

| former_callsigns = '''{{ubl|CJRH''' (1957-19611957–1961)<br />'''|CFGM''' (1961-19881961–1988, 1988-19901988–1990)<br />'''|CHOG''' (1988, 1990-19991990–1999)<br />'''|CFYI''' (1999-20021999–2002)<br />'''|CFMJ''' (2002-20222002–2022)}}

| former_frequencies = {{ubl|1300 kHz (1957-19591957–1959)<br />|1310 kHz (1959-19781959–1978)<br />|1320 kHz (1978-19881978–1988)}}

| website = [http{{URL|https://www.640torontoglobalnews.com 640Toronto.com]ca/radio/640toronto/}}

'''CFIQ''' (640 [[HertzAM broadcasting|kHzAM]]) is a [[commercial radio|commercial]] [[AMRadio broadcasting|AM]] [[radio station]] [[city of license|licensed]] to [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]], [[Ontario]], and serving [[Greater Toronto]]., The[[Southern stationOntario]] airsand [[Western New York]] with a [[talk radio|talk]] [[radio format|format]] and is known as ''"640 Toronto''". It is ownedOwned by [[Corus Entertainment]], withCFIQ's [[radiostudios studio]]sare andlocated offices inat the [[Corus Quay]] Building atin 25[[Toronto]]; Docksidedespite Drivethe station's city of licence being a suburban community north of the city, the transmitter is located in the [[TorontoRegional Municipality of Niagara|Niagara Region]] town of [[Lincoln, Ontario|Lincoln]], {{Convert|60|km|mi|abbr=off}} southwest of Toronto.

===Early Yearsyears===

On July 1, 1957, the station first [[sign-on|signed on]] as '''CJRH'''.<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1958/Radio-Other-1958-BC-YB.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1958 page A-467]</ref> It was a 500-watt station, broadcasting on 1300&nbsp;kHz. The last two letters in the [[call sign]] referred to its [[city of licenselicence]], Richmond Hill. It moved to 1310 in 1959, and changed its call letters to '''CFGM''' in 1961. The station adopted a [[country music|country]] format in 1964. A few years later, it became Canada's first 24-hour country station. Don Daynard, who went on to become a longtime personality on [[CHFI-FM]], was a host on CFGM in the 1960s.

The station moved to 1320 in 1978, and to 640&nbsp;kHz on September 16, 1988.<ref>[http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1987/DB87-376.HTMGreg Decision CRTC 87-376]</ref><ref>[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/435772793.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+16%2C+1988&author=Greg+Quill+Toronto+Star&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=D.19&desc=CFGM+sliding+down+the+dial+to+reach+millions+of+new+listeners/ , "CFGM sliding down the dial to reach millions of new listeners]," -''The Toronto Star'', September 16, 1988.</ref><ref>[http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1987/DB87-376.HTM Decision CRTC 87-376]</ref>

===Top 40 Eraera===

After 26 years as a country station, CFGM changed its format and call letters at 5 p.m. on June 29, 1990, broadcasting a [[rock music|rock]]-leaning [[contemporary hit radio|Top 40/CHR]] format as ''AM 640 The Hog'', '''CHOG''' (which would later shift towards a more mainstream direction in September 1991).<ref>{{citeGreg webQuill, |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/436231312.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+2%2C+1990&author=Greg+Quill+TORONTO+STAR&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=C.4&desc="Nobody+ waved+ goodby+ to+ CFGM," |url-status=dead''The |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506181440/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/436231312.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+2%2C+1990&author=Greg+Quill+TORONTO+STAR&pub=Toronto+ Star&edition=&startpage=C.4&desc=Nobody+waved+goodby+to+CFGM'', |archive-date=2016-05-06July |title=Nobody2, waved goodby to CFGM}}1990.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/cfgm-farewell-jun29-90.mp3</ref><ref>http://www|title=Farewell June|website=rockradioscrapbook.americanradiohistory.com/Archiveca|access-Billboard/90s/1991/BB-1991-09-21.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=January20 June 20222023}}</ref> InBy Juneearly 1992, the station rebranded as ''AM 640 The Beat Of Toronto'', and adjusted its format to [[Rhythmic contemporary|Rhythmic CHR]].<ref>Greg Quill, "CHFI's music mix catches ears of 208,700 more listeners," ''The Toronto Star'', January 31, 1992.</ref>

Several notable radio personalities were associated with the station during this era, including John Gallagher, "Tarzan Dan" (Freeman), Pat Cochrane, Adrian Bell, Tony Monaco, Deanna Nason, Randy Taylor, Eric Hollo, Kenny 'The Hitman' Caughlin, Roger Kelly and the Toronto radio team of [[Jesse and Gene]]. After [[CFTR (AM)|CFTR]] movedchanged formats from contemporary hits to [[all-news radio|all-news]] in 1993, CHOG AM 640 (still with the calls CHOG) was the last Top 40 station in the Toronto [[media market|radio market]] until [[CKIS-FM|CISS-FM]] adopted the format in February 1999. Talk shows would later come to take up a substantial part of the station's schedule, particularly during midday periods when many of the station's hit music listeners might normally be in school.

On October 10, 1995, at 10 p.m., the station changed to a full-time [[talk radio|talk]] format.<ref>[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/437328458.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+26%2C+1995&author=&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=E.4&desc=Top+hits+AM+640+turning+to+talk+radio/ "Top hits AM 640 turning to talk radio]," ''The Toronto Star'', September 26, 1995.</ref><ref>[http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/chog-end-oct10-95.mp3/ CHOG Flips from Top 40 to Talk]</ref> As ''Talk 640'', the station aired [[radio syndication|syndicated]] shows such as [[Joy Browne]], Rhona Raskin, [[Laura Schlessinger|Dr. Laura]] and [[Live Audio Wrestling]], along with local programming hosted by personalities such as [[Gene Valaitis]], [[Jane Hawtin]], [[Bill Carroll (broadcaster)|Bill Carroll]], Shelley Klinck, Marsha Lederman, Karen Horsman, [[Michael Coren]], [[Dave Chalk (broadcaster)|Dave Chalk]], Spaceman Gary Bell and Roger Kelly.

Despite regular adjustments, including acquiring the radio broadcast rights to the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]], the station received low [[audience measurement|ratings]]. During this period, the station adopted the call letters '''CFYI'''. The weekend programming was a hit with "The Touch of Health" a show that started with just a half hour in 1997 to a two-hour nationally syndicated show airing 2 to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Hosted, produced and managed by Christine McPhee, other weekend shows were the "Pet Show" with Mitch Levitsky, a "Cruise Show", a "Law Show", a "Beauty Show", and the "Small Canada Business Show".

In 2000, the station was acquired by [[Corus Entertainment]].<ref>[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2010/D4-2010-BC-YB-7.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010 page D-645]</ref> On April 23, 2001, at 6:40&nbsp;a.m., the station re-launched as ''Mojo Radio'', a [[hot talk]] radio format aimed at the male demographic.<ref>[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/438276548.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+20%2C+2001&author=Powell%2C+Betsy&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=A.01&desc=On+MOJO+640%2C+it%27s+all+guys%2C+all+the+time/ Powell, "On MOJO, it's all guys, all the time]," -''The Toronto Star'', April 20, 2001.</ref> The station also changed its call letters the same day to '''CFMJ'''.

The new format featured programs hosted by [[Humble and Fred]], [[John Derringer]], [[Phil Hendrie]], [[Mike Stafford]], [[Andrew Krystal]], Spider Jones, and the syndicated ''[[Coast to Coast AM]]''. Later on, John Oakley replaced [[Scruff Connors]], who had taken over from Humble and Fred; the latter pair left for [[hot adult contemporary]] station [[CKFM-FM]] in July 2003. Krystal moved to part-time work at [[CFRB]] and [[CKTB]] before moving to [[CJNI-FM]] in [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]]. Derringer's Mojo show was later discontinued as he concentrated on his marquee morning show on co-owned [[CILQ-FM]].

In 2004, due to low ratings (MOJO was typically hovering around a 1.4 share), the station moved away from the male-oriented imaging to a more general news and talk format as ''AM640 Toronto Radio''. Oakley and Stafford continued to host the major morning and afternoon drive programs. Former police union head [[Craig Bromell]] joined the station as co-host of a new late morning program, ''The Beat'' (later rebranded as ''Bromell!'' in 2006), and in 2005, [[Charles Adler (broadcaster)|Charles Adler]]'s nationally syndicated radio show was added to mid-afternoons. Award-winning journalist [[Arlene Bynon]] was added to the ranks in 2006 to host the Saturday afternoon ''Toronto Weekend'' program, which expanded to include a Sunday edition as well.

Near the end of July 2007, the programming line-up was shuffled in response to the departure of Craig Bromell, whose show ran until the end of August 2007. Afternoon host Mike Stafford replaced ''Bromell''. ''The Bill Watters Show'' was added to the afternoon lineup. Just as the new show with co-host Jeff Marek expanded, Marek moved on to [[Sirius Satellite Radio]]. Greg Brady replaced Marek as Bill's co-host. Brady left AM640 in late June 2010 to host a Noon - 3pm program on The FAN 590. Bill Hayes, formerly of [[CILQ-FM|Q107]], replaced Greg Brady as Watters' co-host. Hayes was fired in January 2011. Co-hosting duties then fell to his son, Brian[[Bryan Hayes (radio host)|Bryan Hayes]]. Hayes left AM640 on Friday, April 8 to host his own mid-morning program on TSN Radio 1050. AM640's Leafs play-by-play colour analyst Jim Ralph became co-host of The Bill Watters Show, which ran from 4pm – 7pm covering hockey issues and other major sports news as well, up until July 15, 2011.

CFMJ, along with several other Corus's news/talk radio stations across Canada were relaunched under the new national ''Global News Radio'' brand between November and December 2017. The new moniker matches the [[Global News]] brand which is already used for the newscasts on [[Global Television Network|Global Television]]'s owned-and-operated stations, including CFMJ's sister station, [[CIII-DT]], which was acquired by [[Corus Entertainment]] as part of its acquisition of the [[Shaw Communications]] media unit. The official changeover to ''Global News Radio 640 Toronto'' occurred on December 1, 2017, with CFMJ maintaining its talk format and on-air roster.

The "Global News Radio" branding was dropped in January 2022 to avoid confusion between news and talk programming on the station. The station continues to have a shared newsroom with Global News and the newscasts themselves are still identified as Global News.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/amanda-cupido-toronto-miked-1006/id557260245?i=1000552615668|title = Toronto Mike'd: Amanda Cupido: Toronto Mike'd #1006 on Apple Podcasts}}</ref> This comes one month after Amanda Cupido was hired as the station's Program Director.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dialogue |first=Broadcast |date=2021-12-02 |title=The Weekly Briefing |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/twb-rsa-120221/ |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=Broadcast Dialogue |language=en-US}}</ref>

From the [[1998–99 Toronto Maple Leafs season|1998]] until [[2011–12 Toronto Maple Leafs season|2012]], the station aired radio broadcasts of [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] hockey broadcastsgames. [[Dennis Beyak]] was the team's play-by-play commentator when [[Joe Bowen]] called games on television, though Bowen continued to call games on radio when the Leafs aired on national TV. Beyak was replaced by [[Dan Dunleavy]] in 2011, when he left for TSN to be the [[Winnipeg Jets]] play -by -play commentator.

The station nohas longernot airs theaired Leafs broadcastsgames since the [[2012–13 Toronto Maple Leafs season|2012–13 season]]. All games hashave since been split with [[CJCL]] and [[CHUM (AM)|CHUM]], owned by Rogers and Bell, respectively. Both media companies co-own the parent company of the team.

[[Jeff Marek]] was offered a position with [[Sirius Satellite Radio]] and CBC's ''[[Hockey Night in Canada]]'' to host a new show. On September 7, 2007 Marek announced that he was leaving ''[[Leafs Lunch]]'' on AM 640 Toronto Radio to pursue a new route in radio broadcasting on the ''Hockey Night in Canada'' radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 122. Brian Duff from the NHL Network was the program's host for a period of time until he was replaced by TSN Hockey Insider [[Darren Dreger]]. On July 5, 2010, ''Leafs Lunch'' was canceled.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.truthandrumours.net/2010/06/18/heres-why-leafs-lunch-was-cancelled/ |title=ArchivedHere's copywhy Leafs Lunch was cancelled &#124; Truth & Rumours &#124; William Houston &#124; on Sports and the Media |access-date=2010-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625123459/http://www.truthandrumours.net/2010/06/18/heres-why-leafs-lunch-was-cancelled/ |archive-date=2010-06-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Leafs Lunch'' returned to Talk Radio AM640's Saturday and Sunday lineups, filling the noon - 1pm timeslot until spring of 2011, when it was cancelled.

For over 15 years, Gary Bell (nicknamed 'The Spaceman') hosted a show, broadcast on Saturday nights, that dealt with current events, [[numerology]] and [[conspiracy theories]] . The show was cancelled, following its November 11, 2017 broadcast, when parent company Corus fired the late-night host citing complaints of anti-Semitic content.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2017/11/29/corus-fires-host-of-a-view-from-space-radio-show.html| title = Corus fires AM640 late-night host, citing complaints of anti-Semitic content {{!}} The Star| website = [[Toronto Star]]| date = 29 November 2017| last1 = Demara| first1 = Bruce}} </ref> Bell also worked as a producer for various weekday shows during his time at the station and had previously worked as a technician at [[CKGM]] and [[CFTR]]. He died of cancer in June 2018.

*[[Andy Frost (radio personality)|Andy Frost]]

* [httphttps://www.globalnews.ca/radio/640toronto/ 640 Toronto]

* [https://broadcasting-history.comca/listing_and_historiesradio/radio-stations/ontario/ontario-city-of-toronto/cfmj-am/ CFIQ ''(as CFMJ)''] at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the [[Canadian Communications Foundation]]