- Bell Media Radio
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Bell Media Radio Industry radio broadcasting Founded 1945 (as CHUM Limited)
2007 (as CHUM Radio Network under CTVglobemedia ownership)
2011 (current name)Headquarters Toronto, Ontario, Canada Key people Chris Gordon, president[1] Owner(s) Bell Media (BCE Inc.) Website http://www.bellmedia.ca/ Bell Media Radio is the Canadian radio broadcasting division of Bell Media which is owned by BCE Inc. The division owns the bulk of the radio properties owned by CHUM Limited until 2007, when it was purchased by CTVglobemedia (now Bell Media).
Contents
Operations
Bell Media Radio currently owns 35 radio stations across Canada, broadcasting in 16 markets, including most of Canada's largest radio markets. The company's programming is also distributed to other stations across Canada via its syndication division, which prior to the acquisition by Bell was known as the CHUM Radio Network. This division has since been renamed to Bell Media. On top-of-the-hour ID's for its radio stations, the ID's include "A division of Bell Media" after the call letters and city-of-license.
As of August 2009, its head office is currently located at 250 Richmond Street West in Toronto, the studios of its Toronto flagship stations 104.5 CHUM-FM and TSN RADIO 1050. In July 2008, CTVglobemedia sold its former location 1331 Yonge Street to developer Aspen Ridge Homes for $21.5 million.[2] The stations were expected to move to 250 Richmond Street West, a downtown location near 299 Queen Street West.[3]
The large "Dial 1050 CHUM" neon sign from the Yonge Street building, which is considered a Toronto landmark, has been moved to the new location, and has added "Dial 104.5 CHUM" to the sign.[4]
CHUM Radio also previously operated CHUM Satellite Services, a multimedia division which provided programming and production services for corporate clients. This operation was acquired in 2009 by Stingray Digital,[5] which eventually renamed it Stingray360.
Re-acquisition of CTVglobemedia by Bell
On September 10, 2010, BCE announced plans to re-acquire 100% of CTVglobemedia's broadcasting arm, including CHUM Radio.[6] When the deal was finalized on April 1, 2011, CTVglobemedia became Bell Media, and likewise CHUM Radio became Bell Media Radio. CHUM Radio had been the only division of the company to retain the CHUM name following the acquisition of CHUM Limited by CTVglobemedia in 2007.[7]
Programming
Bell Media Radio's stations broadcast in a variety of formats, although hot adult contemporary and adult hits are particularly common. Its hot AC stations use a variety of brand names, but are all patterned to an extent after flagship CHUM-FM, while its adult hits stations are all branded as Bob FM. The company is the fifth largest private-sector radio operator in Canada behind Astral Media, Newcap Broadcasting, Rogers Media and Corus Entertainment.
The stations typically air locally-produced or voice-tracked programming for the majority of their schedules, although some national network programming, including the weekly MuchMoreMusic Countdown, also airs. In 2007 and part of 2008, the hot adult contemporary radio stations also aired the national evening program The Sound Lounge.
The company also operates four sports radio stations, all branded as The Team. Three of these stations were formerly part of a larger but short-lived national sports radio network, which was launched by CHUM Limited in 2001 on virtually all of the company's AM radio stations across Canada, but was dissolved in 2002 due to poor ratings. Its remaining AM stations air either oldies or news/talk formats. However, many of these stations are expected to return to a sports format under the new TSN Radio branding later in 2011 starting with Toronto's radio station CHUM (1050 AM) on April 13, 2011,[8]
Stations
City Call Sign Frequency Branding Format Notes Brockville CJPT FM 103.7 Bob FM adult hits CFJR FM 104.9 JR FM adult contemporary Calgary CKCE FM 101.5 Kool 101.5 hot adult contemporary Halifax CJCH FM 101.3 The Bounce top 40 CIOO FM 100.1 C100 hot adult contemporary Kingston CKLC FM 98.9 98.9 The Drive modern rock CFLY FM 98.3 FLY FM hot adult contemporary Kawartha Lakes CKLY FM 91.9 Bob FM adult hits Montreal CKGM AM 990 TSN RADIO 990 sports Ottawa CFRA AM 580 news/talk CFGO AM 1200 The Team 1200 sports CKKL FM 93.9 Bob FM adult hits CJMJ FM 100.3 Majic 100 adult contemporary Peterborough CKPT FM 99.7 Energy 99.7 hot adult contemporary CKQM FM 105.1 Country 105 country music Toronto CHUM AM 1050 TSN Radio 1050 sports CHUM FM 104.5 104.5 CHUM-FM hot adult contemporary CFXJ-FM FM 93.5 Flow 93-5 Rhythmic Top 40 Vancouver CKST AM 1040 The Team 1040 sports CFTE AM 1410 The Team 1410 sports CFBT FM 94.5 The Beat contemporary hit radio CHQM FM 103.5 QMFM adult contemporary Victoria CFAX AM 1070 news/talk CHBE FM 107.3 Kool FM hot adult contemporary Waterloo CKKW FM 99.5 K-FUN oldies CFCA FM 105.3 Kool FM hot adult contemporary Windsor CKWW AM 580 AM 580 Motor City Favorites oldies CKLW AM 800 news/talk CIMX FM 88.7 89X modern rock CIDR FM 93.9 939 The River adult album alternative Winnipeg CFRW AM 1290 TSN RADIO 1290 sports CHIQ FM 94.3 FAB 94.3 oldies CFWM FM 99.9 Bob FM adult hits References
- ^ http://www.friends.ca/News/Friends_News/archives/articles04020809.asp
- ^ Scott Fybush, "Speaking of CHUM" Northeast Radio Watch, July 28, 2008.
- ^ Marc Weisblott, "CHUM's blinking sign". eye weekly, August 5, 2008.
- ^ Theresa Boyle, "CHUM site slated for luxury condos". Toronto Star, July 29, 2008.
- ^ Stingray Digital (2009-08-05). "Stingray Digital acquires CHUM Satellite Services Limited from CTV Limited". http://www.stingray360.com/en/about-us/latest-news/2/Stingray+Digital+acquires+CHUM+Satellite+Services+Limited+from+CTV+Limited. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
- ^ Bell Canada (2010-09-10). "Bell to acquire 100% of Canada's No.1 media company CTV". CNW Group. http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2010/10/c8677.html. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
- ^ CHUM Ltd. - (1944-2008) at the Canadian Communications Foundation
- ^ "TSN Radio a reality". The Globe and Mail, January 21, 2011.
External links
Bell Media Inc. (subsidiary of BCE Inc.) Conventional television Specialty / pay television CTV SpecialtyAnimal Planet · Discovery Channel · Discovery Science · Discovery World HD · ESPN Classic · NHL Network · RDS · RDS2 · RIS · TSN · TSN2 · Viewers ChoiceMuch MTV GroupOtherRadio stations (Bell Media Radio) AMRadio networksTSN Radio · Bob FMBell Media broadcasting studios Vancouver · Toronto (9 Channel Nine Court · 299 Queen Street West · Masonic Temple · 250 Richmond Street West)Other Bell Media-owned assets Agincourt Productions · Autohound · Bell Media Radio National Sales · CTV Music · Dome Productions · Exploration Distribution · Exploration Productions · sympatico.caAssociated foundations Bravo!FACT · MuchFACTPredecessors and historic brands See also Some of the assets listed above are only partially owned by Bell Media. Refer to full asset list for detailed information.Categories:
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