CJEZ-FM

Infobox Radio Station


name = CJEZ-FM
airdate = 1987
frequency = 97.3 MHz (FM)
area = Toronto, Ontario
format = adult contemporary
owner = Astral Media
erp = 28,900 watts
branding = EZRock
slogan = A Better Variety of Yesterday and Today
class =
website = [http://www.ezrock.com 97.3 FM EZ Rock]
callsign_meaning = C J EZ (easy) rock

CJEZ-FM is a radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It broadcasts an adult contemporary format at 97.3 FM, and it identifies itself on-air as "EZ Rock".

The station was launched in 1987 by Redmond Broadcasting as an easy listening station. It was acquired by Telemedia in 1995, and subsequently adopted its current format and branding. Several other Telemedia-owned stations broadcasting a similar format in other cities were later branded EZ Rock as well.

When Standard Broadcasting acquired Telemedia in 2002, CJEZ was one of the stations retained by Standard, although some of the other EZ Rock stations were sold to Rogers Communications or Astral Media. Many of them continued to use the EZ Rock brand.

CJEZ competes most closely with fellow adult contemporary station CHFI at 98.1. In the mid-2000s, it picked up veteran CHFI morning show host Erin Davis after that station cancelled her show with Bob Magee in favour of Mad-Dog and Billie, later known as Jay and Billie, younger morning hosts who had previously worked in contemporary hit and urban radio at KISS 92 FM. In 2005, CHFI rehired Davis for mornings, also hiring her co-host, longtime CJEZ morning host Mike Cooper.

CJEZ along with most of the Standard Broadcasting assets were sold to Astral Media on October 29 2007.

For its new morning show, CJEZ hired Stu Jeffries and Colleen Rusholme away from Country 95.3. Stu later left EZ Rock in the summer of 2008, being replaced with radio personality Humble Howard, Kim Stockwood, and long-time CHUM-FM morning co-host Rick Hodge. Colleen remained on the show.

"My Music at Work", then a slogan for the station, inspired the title of The Tragically Hip's 2000 album "Music At Work".

Hosts

* Humble Howard, Kim Stockwood, Colleen Rusholme, and Rick Hodge, mornings
* Darryl Henry, weekday middays
* KJ, weekday afternoon drive time and Studio 97 Disco
* Troy McCallum, weekend afternoons and swing shifts
* Hailey Bryant, weekend mornings
* "Delilah", syndicated weekday/Sunday evenings 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
* John Tesh, syndicated early evening/overnight show.

Former hosts

* Mike Cooper, former weekday morning co-host (with Cardoso) and (Davis); left October 2005 to join Erin Davis @ CHFI 98.1
* Erin Davis, maternity leave substitute for Christine Cardoso as weekday morning co-host with (Cooper), 2004–2005 and returned to CHFI
* Shelly Wright - "Heart of the Night" evening show host
* Jay Nelson (Frank Coxe), late weekday morning co-host
* Terri Michael - weekday morning co-host (with Cooper), mid-day host
* Christine Cardoso - weekday morning co-host (with Cooper); left Summer 2005
* Marc "Mais Oui" Denis - mid-day host, EZ Rock Countdown Host
* Ron Young, weekends and swing shifts, and Studio 97 - now with Mix 99.9 FM
* John Majhor - late weekday morning host
* Trevor Biggs - weekend morning host 2000-2002
* Stu Jeffries - morning host with Colleen Rusholme, 2005-2008
* Peter Kaye - weekend night host 2000-2002, weekend morning host 2002-2007
* Anwar Knight - overnight host, went to Global Ontario News then CTV Toronto/Newsnet (Weather Forecaster)
* Craig Fox - overnight host
* Deanna Nason - weekend host
* Bob Van Dyke - weekend host
* Murray Smith - weekend host

External links

* [http://www.ezrock.com 97.3 FM EZ Rock]
* [http://www.ezrock.com/player/player Listen Live]
* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listings_and_histories/radio/histories.php?id=417&historyID=198 CJEZ history at Canadian Communications Foundation]
*RecnetCanada|CJEZ-FM