- CFMJ
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CFMJ 
City of license Richmond Hill, Ontario Broadcast area Greater Toronto Area Branding Talk Radio AM640 Slogan Home of the Leafs Frequency 640 kHz (AM) First air date 1957 Format sports, talk Power 50 kW (day) Callsign meaning C F MoJo Former callsigns CJRH, CFGM, CHOG, CFYI Owner Corus Entertainment Sister stations 102.1 The Edge, Q107 Website Talk Radio AM640 CFMJ is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 640 kHz on the AM dial. It is officially licensed to Richmond Hill, Ontario, but the studio is in the newly-constructed Corus Quay building, located at 125 Queens Quay East in Toronto. The station airs a talk radio and sports format targeted to the entire Greater Toronto Area.
Contents
History
The station began in 1957 under the callsign CJRH, on the 1310 frequency. It changed its call letters to CFGM in 1961. The station adopted a country music format in 1964; a few years later they became Canada's first 24-hour country station. Don Daynard was a notable host with the station in the 1960s.
The station moved to 1320 in 1978, and to 640 in 1989.[1]
Final CHOG logo
On June 29, 1990, the station changed its format and call letters, broadcasting rock music as CHOG (branded 640 The Hog). The Hog format was short-lived, and evolved into contemporary hit radio as AM 640: The Beat Of Toronto. Several notable radio personalities were associated with the station during this era, including John Gallagher, Tarzan Dan, Kenny 'The Hitman' Caughlin, Roger Kelly and the Toronto radio team of Jesse and Gene. After CFTR moved from contemporary hits to all-news in 1993, AM 640 (still with the calls CHOG) was the last contemporary hit radio station in Toronto proper (and the very last AM station in the area to broadcast Top 40 hits) until CISS adopted the format in 1999. Talk shows came 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.
Shift to Talk
Talk 640 logoOn October 11, 1995, the station changed to a talk radio format. As Talk 640, the station aired syndicated programming such as the Joy Browne, Rhona Raskin, Dr. Laura and Live Audio Wrestling, along with local programming hosted by personalities such as Gene Valaitis, Jane Hawtin, Bill Carroll, Shelley Klinck, Marsha Lederman, Karen Horsman, Michael Coren, Dave Chalk , Spaceman Gary Bell and Roger Kelly. Despite regular adjustments, the station received low 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 coast to coast 2-4 Saturdays. Hosted, produced and managed by Christine McPhee, her other collection of weekend shows were the "Pet Show" with Mitch Levitsky, a "Cruise Show", a "Law Show", a "Beauty Show", and the "Small Canada Business Show".
Mojo Radio
Mojo Radio logo used from 2001-2004On April 23, 2001, the station re-launched as Mojo Radio, a talk radio format aimed at the male demographic. The station also changed its call letters the same day to the current CFMJ. The new format featured programs hosted by Humble and Fred, John Derringer, Phil Hendrie, Mike Stafford, Andrew Krystal and the syndicated Coast to Coast AM, John Oakley replaced Scruff Connors who had taken over from Humble and Fred in the morning show; the latter pair left for hot adult contemporary station Mix 99.9. Krystal moved to part-time work at CFRB and CKTB before moving to Halifax. Derringer's Mojo show was discontinued as he concentrated on his marquee morning show on "brother station" Q107.
AM640 Toronto Radio
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 continue to host the major morning and afternoon drive programs. 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'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 has expanded to include a Sunday edition as well.
AM640 Toronto Radio logo, used from 2004-2010Near 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 Q107, replaced Greg Brady as Watters' co-host. Hayes was fired in January of 2011. Co-hosting duties then fell to his son, Brian Hayes. Brian left AM640 on Friday, April 8th to host his own mid-morning program on TSN Radio 1050. AM640's Leafs play-by-play colour analyst Jim Ralph is the current co-host of The Bill Watters Show, which runs from 4pm – 7pm covering hockey issues and other major sports news as well.
AM640 Toronto Radio is now known as "Talk Radio AM640". Veteran host and reporter John Downs was let go in early August, 2010. His 7pm - 9pm slot is now hosted by Bryan Hayes, who program is primarily sports-talk. Charles Adler hosted a Toronto-based hour from 1pm - 2pm during the summer of 2010. On Monday, August 30 Arlene Bynon took over hosting duties for the 1pm - 2pm hour, with news anchor Tina Trigiani guest-hosting Friday afternoons.
One of the station's biggest draws is that it is the radio broadcaster of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which it networks into other markets. Its play-by-play announcers are Joe Bowen, Dennis Beyak and Jim Ralph.
Programs
Leafs Lunch
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.[2] Leafs Lunch returned to Talk Radio AM640's Saturday and Sunday lineups, filling the noon - 1pm timeslot.
The John Oakley Show
Airing weekdays between 5:30am and 10:00am, the John Oakley show offers opinion and discussion of the issues of the day. The Oakley show also includes economic and investment news and advice from financial expert Lou Schizas as well as a segment known as Leafs Breakfast detailing the latest news from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the National Hockey League. Often radio callers will greet Oakley with the phrase 'it's a great day for talk radio'.
The Stafford Show
Currently airing weekdays from 10am - 1pm, The Stafford Show show offers opinion and listener response to the issues of the day and various topics of interest. Host Mike Stafford often discusses topics that relate to "The Greatest Generation" (while Tom Brokaw's definition refers to the generation who grew up during the Great Depression and fought during World War II, Mike's definition covers the generation who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s). Stafford's program does not feature "guests", but instead relies on input from listeners.
Lineup
Monday to Friday
Timeslot Show & Hosts 5:30am – 10:00 am John Oakley 10:00am – 1:00 pm Mike Stafford 1:00pm – 2:00 pm Tina Trigiani 2:00pm – 4:00 pm Charles Adler 4:00pm – 7:00 pm Arlene Bynon 7:00pm – 9:00 pm AM640 Today (Replay) 9:00pm – 5:00 am Coast to Coast AM Various Toronto Maple Leafs Weekends
Timeslot Show & Hosts 5:00am – 7:00 am Infomercials 7:00am – 8:00 am Re-Roll 8:00am – 12:00 pm Infomercials 12:00am – 1:00 pm Re-Roll 1:00pm – 5:00 pm Roy Green 11:00pm – 2:00 am (Sat) A View From Space
SpaceManVarious Toronto Maple Leafs Newsroom
News Anchor Traffic Reggie Cecchini Darryl Fraser Shantelle Fearon Kevin Stanfield James MacPhee Rob Westgate Steve McCann Susan Amos Sandy Salerno Jamie Tawil Tina Trigiani Danny Longo See also
- CHMJ, a radio station in Vancouver that also used the Mojo format
References
External links
- Talk Radio AM640
- CFMJ history at Canadian Communications Foundation
- Query the REC's Canadian station database for CFMJ
Radio stations in the Greater Toronto Area Toronto AM Toronto FM CKLN.fm1 · CIRV 88.9 · CIUT 89.5 · CJBC 90.3 · CJRT 91.1 · CHIN-1 91.9 · CKIS 92.5 · CFXJ 93.5 · CBL 94.1 · CJKX-2 95.9 · CFMZ 96.3 · CKHC 96.9 · CHBM 97.3 · CHFI 98.1 · CKFG 98.7 · CBLA 99.1 · CKFM 99.9 · CHIN 100.7 · CJSA 101.3 · CIRR 103.9 · CHUM 104.5 · CHOQ 105.1 · CHRY 105.5 · CKAV 106.5 · CILQ 107.1 · Defunct CKRG1Peel Region Brampton: CIAO 530 · CFNY 102.1 — Caledon: CFGM 102.7 · CJFB 105.5 — Mississauga: CINA 1650 · CFRE 91.9 · Defunct: CFBN 1280Durham Region York Region Georgina Island: CFGI 102.7 — Richmond Hill: CFMJ 640 — Markham: CHEV 16101 — Newmarket: CKDX 88.5 · CHOP 102.7 — Stouffville: CIWS 102.7 — Vaughan: CFU758 90.7Halton Region Dufferin County Shortwave service CFRX 6070 kHz1: Currently internet only
Ontario Radio Markets: Cornwall & Eastern Ontario • Hamilton-Niagara • Kenora District • First Nations Radio • Kingston-Brockville • Kitchener-Waterloo • London • Midwestern Ontario • North Bay • Ottawa • Parry Sound-Muskoka-Haliburton • Pembroke/Ottawa Valley • Peterborough • Quinte/Belleville-Trenton • Rainy River • Simcoe County/Barrie/Orillia • Sault Ste. Marie • Sudbury • Thunder Bay • Timiskaming • Timmins • Toronto • Windsor-Chatham-Sarnia
See also: List of radio stations in Ontario Conventional television assets Cable television/specialty channels ABC Spark · CMT · Cosmopolitan TV · Dusk · Encore Avenue · EuroWorld Sport · Food Network · Mediaset Italia · Movie Central · Nickelodeon · OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network · Sundance Channel · Telelatino · Teletoon (English · French) · Teletoon Retro (English · French) · Treehouse TV · W Movies · W Network · YTVRadio stations
(by call-sign)Other assets Many of the assets listed above are only partially owned by Corus Entertainment. Refer to full asset list for detailed information.Categories:- Corus Entertainment radio stations
- News and talk radio stations in Canada
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Radio stations in York Region
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