CHAM (AM)
Broadcast area | Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area |
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Frequency | 820 kHz (AM) |
Branding | Funny 820 |
Programming | |
Format | Comedy |
Ownership | |
Owner | |
CKLH-FM, CKOC | |
History | |
First air date | 1959 |
Former call signs | CHIQ (1959-1967) CHAM (1967-1976) CJJD (1976-1982) |
Former frequencies | 1280 kHz (1959-1985) |
Call sign meaning | City of license of Hamilton |
Technical information | |
Class | B |
Power | 50,000 watts day 10,000 watts night |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | iheartradio.ca/funny/funny-820 |
CHAM (820
History
CHAM began operations in November 1959 as a 5,000-watt station on 1280 kHz with the CHIQ call sign. Initially the station broadcast a classical music format but rock and roll was featured later in the 1960s, with Canadian radio personality David Marsden among the station's DJ roster. In 1965, the power was increased to 10,000 watts day/5,000 watts night (the station went full-time 10 kW in 1968). The station was purchased from CHIQ, Ltd. in 1967 by (Ted) Rogers Broadcasting Ltd., which received approval from the CRTC to change the call letters to CHAM. Under Rogers' ownership and management by Dancy Broadcasting, Ltd., CHAM launched a "Middle of the road" music format on November 1, 1967.
By 1970, CHAM switched to
CJJD
In 1976, CHAM was sold to
Back to CHAM
In 1981, Moffat Communications, Ltd. acquired CJJD and immediately upgraded the station's facilities, expanded its news staff, and included some talk programming in the lineup. Moffat changed the station call sign back to CHAM in 1982, and in July 1983, changed format to country, broadcasting in AM stereo. In August 1985, CHAM moved to 820 kHz, increasing power to 50,000 watts daytime and 10,000 watts at night.[1]
As a pioneering country station, 820 CHAM would earn its greatest fame and following, having had a good run for 2+ decades under various management and ownership, including Golden West Broadcasting (who acquired the station in 1993), Affinity Radio Group (1997), and Telemedia (2000). CHAM was honoured as Canadian Country Music Association Station of the Year in 1989, the same year the Country Music Association bestowed Medium Market Station honours.
In 2002,
Talk radio
In October 2007,
The "Talk" format of CHAM did not provide the total numbers that Astral was looking for, with the station lagging behind longtime Hamilton talk stalwart CHML. Seeing an opportunity to fill a country void in the Hamilton market left by CING-FM's changeover to classic hits in 2009, and taking advantage of a staff restructuring at the Astral Hamilton station cluster, CHAM reverted to an all-country format (and the "820 CHAM" branding) on July 22, 2010 at Noon. The playlist concentrated on a range of music from 1990 to the present day, with larger focus on Canadian artists. The station would keep many of the sports commitments it adopted during its talk format, many of which it had already held prior to the talk format's debut.[2]
Flip to comedy
By August
In early 2013, the station added Astral's new late night Humble & Fred show.[5] Most recently, for the 2013-2014 hockey season, the station is airing Toronto Maple Leafs games in addition to their usual comedic fare.
24/7 Comedy ceased terrestrial distribution in August 2014. The station has continued to air stand-up comedy since the closure, one of only two remaining stations in Canada to carry the format. It remains the second-least-listened-to station in the market, with, in the latest report from
On June 14, 2023, as part of a mass corporate restructuring at Bell Media, the company shut down six of their AM radio stations nationwide, and announced their intention to sell three others, including CHAM and sibling station CKOC.[7]
Sale to CINA Radio Group
On November 16, 2023, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission announced that CHAM has been purchased from Bell Media by Neeti P. Ray, founder and CEO of the CINA Radio Group, which owns and operates numerous Canadian radio stations including CKFG-FM in Toronto, CINA in Mississauga, CKIN-FM in Montreal and CINA-FM in Windsor. The acquisition is part of a larger deal that includes the purchase of Bell's other Hamilton radio station CKOC and Windsor station CKWW for $455,000.[8]
Logos
2005-2008 | 2008–2010 | 2010–2012 |
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References
- ^ Decision CRTC 85-13
- ^ "CHAM swings back to country format; three hosts lose jobs" Archived 2010-07-24 at the Wayback Machine, from Hamilton Spectator, 7/22/2010
- ^ a b c "No kidding: Hamilton radio station CHAM goes all comedy," from The Hamilton Spectator, 8/20/2012
- ^ "Hamilton, Ontario Gets Funny," from RadioInsight, 8/20/2012
- ^ "Humble And Fred Return To Radio Via Astral Media, CFRB". Mediabase, January 14, 2013.
- ^ "Numeris Ratings for Hamilton Radio Show TSN 1150 Tanking, Other Stations Down Too". 7 June 2016.
- ^ Bell Media Shuts 6 AMs, to Sell 3 Others, as Part of Companywide Cuts
- ^ Connie Thiessen, "Neeti P. Ray makes bid to buy Bell Media AM stations in Hamilton, Windsor". Broadcast Dialogue, November 20, 2023.