CFXJ-FM
Broadcast area | Greater Toronto Area |
---|---|
Frequency | 93.5 MHz (HD Radio) |
Branding | 93.5 Today Radio |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Format | Adult hits |
Ownership | |
Owner | Stingray Group |
CHBM-FM | |
History | |
First air date | February 9, 2001 |
Technical information | |
Licensing authority | CRTC |
Class | B |
ERP | 1,058 watts average 3,706 watts peak |
HAAT | 298.7 meters (980 ft) |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen live |
Website | www |
CFXJ-FM (93.5
CFXJ has an
.History
Launch
Both decisions sparked controversy in Toronto, a city with Canada's largest minority population but with no urban contemporary outlet. Some accused the CRTC of passing over an urban station in favour of existing radio services as an example of racism. The lack of an urban station also created difficulties for Canadian hip hop, reggae and R&B musicians, who had no radio outlets in Canada to play and promote their music.[5][6][7][8]
As well, the 99.1 signal which was awarded to the CBC was believed to be the last available FM frequency in the city. However, in 1998, the CBC found that it was able to surrender two of the CBC's
CFXJ
Rhythmic top 40 era (2007–2014)
In 2005, the station began to shift towards a more rhythmic direction. In 2007, the station re-branded as The New Flow 93.5, completing its shift to a rhythmic contemporary format. By 2009, with Rogers' relaunch of the Kiss Top 40 (CHR) format on CKIS, CFXJ shifted back towards an urban direction. However, this proved unsuccessful, and many of the adult urban tracks were dropped by March 2010.
On June 23, 2010, it was announced that CTVglobemedia's
CHUM's vice president of programming, David Corey, replaced Wayne Williams as PD and reshuffled the lineup. He brought in fellow ex-
In March 2013, the Competition Bureau approved a proposal by Bell Media to acquire Astral Media, under the condition that it divest itself of several television services and radio stations. Following the closure of the merger in July 2013, CFXJ was placed in a blind trust pending its eventual sale.[19][20][21] CFXJ and four other Astral Media radio stations were sold to Newcap Radio for $112 million.[22][non-primary source needed] The deal was approved by the CRTC on March 19, 2014, and the sale closed on March 31, 2014.[23][24][non-primary source needed] With the sale, CFXJ moved its studios to the former CFRB and CKFM studios at 2 St. Clair West (at Yonge and St. Clair).
Classic hip hop era (2014–2016)
In late 2014, influenced by the popularity of The Back in the Day Buffet noon-hour mix-show, as well as the growing popularity of the
By March 2015, the station's primary slogan was altered to "All The Best Throwbacks".[25][26]
The Move, return to Flow (2016–2022)
On February 25, 2016, CFXJ went jockless and began promoting a "big move" to take place at 8 a.m. the following Monday (February 29). At that time, after playing "
As part of the rebrand, the station also axed numerous on air hosts, including Melanie Martin of the JJ & Melanie morning show, midday host Miss Ange, and evening host Megan Coady. Weekend host J'ness moved to sister station CIHT-FM in Ottawa prior to the rebrand. On November 6, 2017, CFXJ switched back to a rhythmic contemporary format once again, while maintaining the Move branding and a small amount of rhythmic recurrents. CFXJ also changed slogans to "Toronto's Hits. Toronto's Throwbacks." before changing to "Toronto's Hip Hop".[30]
Newcap Radio was acquired by
Flow moves to 98.7; Today Radio (2022–present)
On February 9, 2022, Stingray announced that it had reached an agreement with CKFG-FM and its new owner, Neeti P. Ray's CINA Media Group, to move the Flow branding to that station beginning February 14, and that 93.5 would launch a new format the same day. CFXJ subsequently went jockless, and much of its on-air staff was let go.[33][34]
A Stingray executive stated that the company had originally wanted to "[bring] Flow back to its roots as a community-driven station". However, after realizing that this would have competed directly with CKFG, Stingray instead reached an agreement to transfer the Flow brand to that station. CINA plans to position the station as serving the entirety of Toronto's Black Canadian community by essentially merging the two formats into one station, adding the hip-hop already heard on Flow to its existing format of R&B and Afro-Caribbean music.[34]
On February 13, CFXJ began
On September 20, 2022, the CRTC published applications by Stingray to add boosters for CFXJ on the 93.5 frequency in Mississauga and in the North York district of Toronto, which Stingray said would be the first single-frequency network implementation of its kind in Canada.[a][38][39] The applications, which were opposed by a subsidiary of Evanov Communications, were denied in September 2023, on the grounds that they would have constituted a "service expansion" beyond the station's current licensed area.[40]
Footnotes
- ^ A few other Canadian stations already operate synchronous repeaters; for example, CJKX-FM (95.9 MHz), licensed to Ajax in the eastern part of the Greater Toronto Area, has a repeater at 95.9 in Toronto.[37] Stingray stated that its implementation would have used a new implementation branded as "MaxxCasting".
References
- ^ CRTC Decision 90-993
- ^ Twelve applicants dance for last local FM radio spot, Greg Quill, Toronto Star, November 23, 1989
- ^ CRTC Decision 97-362
- ^ CBC vs. 'dance' - who'll win 99.1 FM?, Peter Goddard, Toronto Star, April 12, 1997
- ^ Wrong headed CRTC fails Black community Royson James, Toronto Star, August 30, 1997
- ^ How the CRTC sold out Toronto decision to reject 'urban' format for 99.1 was power play, pure and simple, Peter Goddard, Toronto Star, August 2, 1997
- ^ Seems Blacks denied FM voice for reasons other than ability, Toronto Star, September 19, 1997
- ^ Canadian radio fails young urban musicians, Toronto Star, September 30, 1997
- ^ CBC offers plan for new FM station; hopes to calm outrage at taking last spot, Tim Harper, Toronto Star, October 1, 1997
- ^ Cabinet eyes a radio deal for black station and CBC, Tim Harper, Toronto Star, October 18, 1997
- ^ Decision CRTC 2000-203
- ^ Radio dream gives city its first black station: Flow 93.5 FM offers eclectic blend of music Greg Quill/Toronto Star, February 8, 2001
- ^ "Flow" goes with Marley as new station hits the air Greg Quill/Toronto Star, February 10, 2001
- ^ Two Mikes go with the "Flow 93.5"; Black culture radio station launched at party Ashante Infantry/Toronto Star, March 2, 2001
- ^ Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2010-715
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-964
- ^ "Changes Flowing In Toronto". RadioInsight. February 3, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- ^ "More Changes At Flow 93-5 In Toronto". All Access. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- ^ Biblic, Mirko (June 27, 2013). "Re: Voting Trust Agreement between BCE Inc. and Pierre Boivin, the trustee Application No. 2013-0243-9 – Approved". CRTC. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
- ^ "Competition Bureau OK's BCE-Astral deal, with conditions". CBC News. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
- ^ "Bell moves closer to Astral with sale of TV assets". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
- ^ "Newcap signs agreement with Bell Media to acquire five radio stations in Toronto and Vancouver". CNW. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2014-129
- ^ "Newcap Radio receives CRTC approval to purchase stations in Toronto and Vancouver". Canada Newswire. March 19, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
- ^ "Flow Toronto The Best Throwbacks and Hottest Hits". October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ "classic rock and classic rap". November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ^ "93.5 The Move Debuts In Toronto". RadioInsight. February 29, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- ^ Flow 93.5 Becomes The Move
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "93.5 Toronto Moves Back To Currents". RadioInsight. November 6, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- ^ "CRTC Approves $506-Million Sale of Newcap Radio to Stingray". VOCM. Archived from the original on July 8, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
- ^ Slingerland, Calum. "Toronto Hip-Hop Radio Station Flow 93-5 Relaunches". exclaim.ca. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ Venta, Lance (February 9, 2022). "Double Flip Coming In Toronto As Flow 93.5 Moves To 98.7". RadioInsight. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Thiessen, Connie (February 9, 2022). "G98.7 rebrands to Flow 98.7 as Stingray relinquishes heritage brand". Broadcast Dialogue. Momentum Media Marketing, Inc. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Venta, Lance (February 14, 2022). "93.5 Today Radio Arrives In Toronto". RadioInsight. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Ross, Sean (February 7, 2022). "Sometimes Live, Sometimes Local, Always Vital, Still Winning". RadioInsight. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (March 29, 2006). "CRTC Decision 2006-107: CJKX-FM Ajax - New transmitter in Toronto". Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "CRTC Application 2022-0687-0" (ZIP). Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "CRTC Application 2022-0704-2" (ZIP). Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2023-305". September 1, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
External links
- 93.5 Today Radio
- CFXJ-FM at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the Canadian Communications Foundation
- CFXJ-FM in the REC Canadian station database