Saturday, May 12

[Russ_Byth]

[jon]

In 1967, shares in CHUM first traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange. It was during this period that CHUM became the answer to the trivia question: "What music-based radio station holds the record for most Canadian listeners?" But the original 1050-CHUM was daytime-only with 250 watts when it signed on October 28, 1945, with the express purpose of selling its owner's patent medicine products. In 1957, it became Canada's first full-time Top 40 radio station, and increased power to 2500 watts. Allan Waters had purchased the station on December 11, 1954, passing away December 3, 2005. As an organization, CHUM grew to become one of the largest media empires in Canada, and is currently owned by Bell Media.

In 1972, CKLW Windsor was authorized to move from the legendary 825 Riverside Drive facilities, to 1640 Ouelette Avenue. RKO had 100% control of CKLW from 1963 until the CRTC forced a sale in 1970, with Baton Broadcasting gaining 100% control on December 17, 1970. It marked the beginning of the end for what many argue was the finest Top 40 radio station that ever existed, anywhere in the world. At its peak, The Big 8 was not just a Detroit radio station, but its powerful signal on a Mexican/Canadian clear channel provided fierce competion in many other U.S. markets, most notably in Ohio. In fact, CKLW is the answer to the trivia question "What Canadian radio station holds the record for most listeners?" But the station started out small, and relatively late, as early radio stations go. On June 2, 1932, a group of Windsor businessmen signed on CKOK-540 with 1000 watts as a CBS affiliate. But they even lost that network affiliation, to WJR Detroit, switching to the Mutual network on September 24, 1935, by which time they had changed call letters to CKLW (London-Windsor), frequency to 1030 KHz and power to 5000 watts. The move to 800 KHz came in the great frequency shuffle of 1941. But the legendary 50,000 watt transmitter site did not sign on until September 7, 1949, 35 miles South of Windsor, with five 307 foot towers. CKLW-FM signed on in 1948 and CKLW-TV in 1954. By 1956, RKO was the primary owner, with a 33.4% stake in the three stations, obtaining 100% ownership in 1963. RKO was a subsidiary of General Tire and Rubber of Akron, Ohio.



In 2005, at 8 p.m., CJYR Edson (Alberta) and its rebroadcast transmitters began a format change that concluded the next morning at 7 a.m. when The Fox Radio Group was launched with a classic hits format. The new call letters were CFXE Edson, CFXG Grande Cache, CFXH Hinton, CFXP Jasper and CFXW Whitecourt. On February 1, 2007, CFXE was approved to move to FM on 94.3 MHz with 11,000 watts. CJYR first signed on April 4, 1968, with 10,000 watts on 970 KHz.

[radiofan]

CFUN Vancouver - CFUNTASTIC FIFTY - May 12, 1962





Thanks to Larry "Firedog" Morton for sharing his re-creation of the column that
appeared with the May 12, 1962 C-FUN-TASTIC FIFTY in The Province. And
thanks to Jim at Vancouver Top 40 Radio for sharing the survey!

[radiofan]

CKLG Vancouver - Thirty - May 12, 1972

[radiofan]

CILA Lethbridge, AB - Hot 20 - May 12, 1986

[Firedog]

The "Twist With C-FUN" LP mentioned in the Cameron Bell blurb was the Del-Fi 1222 album featuring the Bob Keene Big Band doing instrumental versions of some of the most popular twist themed songs of the day. Radio stations in the U.S. and Canada could order custom made album covers with their own DJ's and call letters on the front. U.S. covers were titled "Twist To Radio ----, and Canadian covers were titled Twist With Radio ----.

If anyone has a copy of the Twist With Radio C-FUN, I would appreciate a scan of it. Thanks.