CFIQ: Difference between revisions

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

| logo = Global News Radio 640 Toronto Logo.png

| logo_size = 200px

| former_callsigns = {{ubl|CJRH (1957–1961)|CFGM (1961–1988, 1988–1990)|CHOG (1988, 1990–1999)|CFYI (1999-20021999–2002)|CFMJ (2002–2022)}}

| website = {{urlURL|https://www.globalnews.ca/radio/640toronto/}}

'''CFIQ''' (640 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]) is a commercial [[Radio broadcasting|radio station]] licensed to [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]], [[Ontario]], and serving [[Greater Toronto]], [[Southern Ontario]] and [[Western New York]] with a [[talk radio|talk]] format known as "640 Toronto". Owned by [[Corus Entertainment]], CFIQ's studios are located at the [[Corus Quay]] Building in [[Toronto]]; despite the station's city of licenselicence being a suburban community north of the city, the transmitter residesis located in the [[Regional Municipality of Niagara|Niagara Region]] town of [[Lincoln, Ontario|Lincoln]], {{Convert|60|km|mi|abbr=off}} southwest of Toronto.

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>

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|title=Farewell June|website=rockradioscrapbook.ca|access-date=20 June 2023}}</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.

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.

On May 1, 2022, the station's call sign was changed to CFIQ.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Canadian Broadcast Sales - Station Changes |url=https://www.radiocbs.com/stationchanges-all.php |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=www.radiocbs.com}}</ref> The current weekday talk show lineup includesincluded Greg Brady hosting ''Toronto Today'' in the [[morning drive]] slot followed by Kelly Cutrara, Alan Carter, Jeff McArthur, John Oakley, Alex Pierson and Ben O'Hara-Byrne, with Shane Hewitt in the overnight slot.<ref>{{Cite web |title=640 Toronto |url=https://globalnews.ca/radio/640toronto/schedule/ |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=640 Toronto |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 have 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.

Weekdays from 12 midday to 2 pm:00pm–2:00pm [[Tasha Kheiriddin]] focused on politics and lifestyle. The show was produced by Jackie Lamport. The show featured a Political Panel every Wednesday from 1:20 - 1:40pm. On Fridays during the same time slot a Top 3 panel took place where three women joined the show to talk about three of the top stories of the week. Notable panelists included Maddie Di Muccio, Lisa Kinsella, [[Anne Lagacé Dowson]], and Sophie Nadaeu. The final edition of the program aired March 1, 2019 when it ended its run after three years.

Aired weekdays from 9am - 12 midday12pm, ''The Exchange'' was a news based talk show with host Matt Gurney. Heather Purdon, Mike Stafford's former producer, produced the show. The show was launched in February 2018 and ended in February 2019.

* [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]]