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March 18, 2018 11:49 am  #1


Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

Remember when the old 1050 CHUM celebrated its 50th anniversary as a rock station in 2007? There were reunions on the air of surviving personalities, old airchecks were played and City TV even did an hour long special on the occasion.
 
And soon a new milestone is heading our way involving those legendary call letters, only this time on the FM side. On July 1, 1968, CHUM-FM went from Beethoven to the Beatles, turning a long standing staid classical music format into a legendary free form progressive rock station featuring the likes of Pete and Geets, David Marsden, Rainer Schwarz and David Pritchard.
 
This coming July means it’s been 50 years since that famous fated format switch, and although the station isn’t what it was back then either musically or in the ratings, it’s still playing rock music. Some of those great announcers are still with us, although sadly just as many are now gone.
 
The difference between when CHUM-AM feted itself and now is that Bell owns the place instead of the Waters family. They have just over three months to put even the slightest tribute day together. It would be amazing if they noted the anniversary on this coming Canada Day, but given the demo they're currently trying to reach, I doubt they'd do anything. Especially given how Bell’s CFRB completely ignored the day that station turned 90 in 2017.

 

March 18, 2018 12:00 pm  #2


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

2016 would have been a great time for NT 1010 to celebrate 140 years of the telephone.
Did Bell do anything special for that? Makes more sense...


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

March 18, 2018 12:06 pm  #3


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

Let's be blunt. Other than the navel-gazing Illuminati that grace this board, does the TYPICAL listener care?  I would hazard a constipated tinker's impacted bowel that they do not.  Just play the music.  Period.

 

March 18, 2018 12:34 pm  #4


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

cGrant wrote:

Let's be blunt. Other than the navel-gazing Illuminati that grace this board, does the TYPICAL listener care?  I would hazard a constipated tinker's impacted bowel that they do not.  Just play the music.  Period.

I think you're saying it's just like another commercial to them.


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

March 18, 2018 12:40 pm  #5


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

It's always interested me how little people care about the heritage of Chum-FM online. there are all kinds of sites for CHUM or CFTR or whatever, but even the Wikipedia entry for Chum FM is kinda pathetic.  

As I've said many times before, I was never a 'chum' person, I was a Standard person back when all that mattered in this city, and still feel that way to be honest, but for a station that made so much noise about how important it was, along with CityTV to Toronto's early music maturation, looking anywhere online, it's like it all didn't really matter in the long run.   


Madness takes its toll.  Please have exact change.
 
 

March 18, 2018 12:51 pm  #6


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

ig wrote:

It's always interested me how little people care about the heritage of Chum-FM online.

Again, how many regular listeners actually are interested in radio heritage?  Do you honestly believe a high-schooler, (if they actually listen to radio) listening to their favourite pop diva on Kiss, thinks, "gosh, golly, what is the history of this station?  Hmmm, didn't that news station that my parents listen to on that AM dially-thingy used to play top 40?  Hang on, while I temporarily halt bullying the drama geeks to sit down and open a can of diet-research?"
 

 

March 18, 2018 7:11 pm  #7


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

I can guarantee you that CHUM FM will NOT celebrate their 50th anniversary as a rock station.  They weren't interested in doing so 5 years ago...or 10 years ago....so this year will not be any different.  
 

 

March 18, 2018 8:08 pm  #8


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

cGrant wrote:

Again, how many regular listeners actually are interested in radio heritage?  Do you honestly believe a high-schooler, (if they actually listen to radio) listening to their favourite pop diva on Kiss, thinks, "gosh, golly, what is the history of this station?  Hmmm, didn't that news station that my parents listen to on that AM dially-thingy used to play top 40?  Hang on, while I temporarily halt bullying the drama geeks to sit down and open a can of diet-research?"
 

Bingo!

I can remember my college days in the early 80s and having access to Phil Stone for a couple of hours one day a week.  The stupid idiot kids we were at the time thought we knew everything and never considered the incredible source of history we had access to.  And we were in "in the biz", no less.

So yeah.  Why should the average listener care?

 

March 18, 2018 8:09 pm  #9


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

I don't know of many stations that celebrate the anniversary of a format flip.  That's a little bit "Inside Baseball."

 

March 18, 2018 8:27 pm  #10


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

Prod Guy wrote:

I don't know of many stations that celebrate the anniversary of a format flip.  That's a little bit "Inside Baseball."

Not only that but the free form format that started out in 1968 started to morph into AOR by 1975. There were still some remnants of the original diversity on the station from 1975-1976. After that it became pure AOR until the switch to the more pop orientated format which launched in 1985.

CFNY for many years carried the torch in creative rock radio programming while CHUM FM veered ever more mainstream.


Cool Airchecks and More:
http://www.lettheuniverseanswer.com/
 

March 19, 2018 12:36 pm  #11


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

CHUM-FM won't celebrate this milestone, but quite a few 100th anniversaries are just around the corner including KDKA, WBZ and CKOC..All reach the century mark in 2022. I wonder what will be planned, if anything. I highly doubt CKOC will do anything as an all-sports station, but I have hopes for KDKA and WBZ.


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

March 19, 2018 12:43 pm  #12


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

I agree, but for the folks like the people who hang out here, who are deeply involved in one way or the other, for so many other stations there's a rich online presence in one way or another.  Not so for Chum FM.

cGrant wrote:

ig wrote:

It's always interested me how little people care about the heritage of Chum-FM online.

Again, how many regular listeners actually are interested in radio heritage?  Do you honestly believe a high-schooler, (if they actually listen to radio) listening to their favourite pop diva on Kiss, thinks, "gosh, golly, what is the history of this station?  Hmmm, didn't that news station that my parents listen to on that AM dially-thingy used to play top 40?  Hang on, while I temporarily halt bullying the drama geeks to sit down and open a can of diet-research?"
 

 


Madness takes its toll.  Please have exact change.
 
 

March 19, 2018 1:31 pm  #13


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

Highly Highly doubt they will celebrate the milestone however, it might be "dropped" or mentioned prior to starting another Hedley song at the top of the hour.  Their demographic now caters to millenial women who enjoy mimosa brunches on Sundays in Liberty Village, not about radio heritage like us.

 

 

March 19, 2018 6:50 pm  #14


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

While there were multiple factors at play for 1050 during the mid-80's, one certainly was the fact that they couldn't stop acknowledging their past. Oldies shows, for a while an all-oldies Sunday and various other retro-fare contributed to the younger listeners' belief that CHUM was their parents'station. While CFTR's history as a top 40 was much shorter, never in all their years in the format did they glance back. They knew it was about current music and events and that as much as anything else enabled them to grab the torch from CHUM.
No one, that is NO ONE currently listening to CHUM-FM could even begin to relate to or care about what they were 5 decades ago so why would they acknowledge it? If they were like most stations, they would have changed their branding years ago although the brand seems to be the exception to that rule. If you were a regular CHUM-FM listener during their rock period, you're either approaching or over 60 and therefore of no interest to today's advertisers. The milestone might have been an event to commemorate were the station still in the hands of the Watters family, but it means squat to the current overlords.

 

March 19, 2018 9:02 pm  #15


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

Everyone here is right.  only radio nerds care about such an anniversary. 

however, i would posit that hyping it and getting PR value would bolster the brand in the community, and at least garner a certain amount of recognition and goodwill.  it is, after all, all about the brand.... and anything you can do to develop excitement for that brand pays off either in listeners or advertisers.  Sure it needs to be done correctly, but if done right, reflects positively on your brand status.

 

March 19, 2018 9:19 pm  #16


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

No; the last thing CHUM-FM needs to do right now is acknowledge how old it is. 

 

March 19, 2018 10:40 pm  #17


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

splunge wrote:

Everyone here is right.  only radio nerds care about such an anniversary. 

however, i would posit that hyping it and getting PR value would bolster the brand in the community, and at least garner a certain amount of recognition and goodwill.  it is, after all, all about the brand.... and anything you can do to develop excitement for that brand pays off either in listeners or advertisers.  Sure it needs to be done correctly, but if done right, reflects positively on your brand status.

Except that the CHUM FM brand now is not the CHUM FM brand of 1969. Heck there was more similarity between the CHUM AM and FM of 1969 then there is between CHUM FM circa 1968-1975 and CHUM FM now. ( and it was sometimes considered a wide chasm back then between the freaks on FM and their more straight laced counterparts on AM).
 


Cool Airchecks and More:
http://www.lettheuniverseanswer.com/
 

March 20, 2018 12:33 am  #18


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

@Fitz, with all due respect, I'm talking about marketing.  if you SELL it properly, then you generate interest in your brand.  As has been pointed out, no one remembers 1975.  I was two years old then when my dad worked for that org!  but now,in 2018, you create a mystique around the brand, and sell that to your listeners and advertisers.  It becomes an event that even the City of Toronna could potentially get behind.

Who cares who remembers the CHUM heyday.  That's what i'm saying.  Push the promotions in the right way and you can turn the situation into a city wide event.... an interesting theory that i doubt anyone is willing to exploit.

 

March 20, 2018 1:10 am  #19


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

splunge wrote:

Push the promotions in the right way and you can turn the situation into a city wide event.... an interesting theory that i doubt anyone is willing to exploit.

What an absolutely wonderful idea.  But, it shouldn't be merely "a city wide event".  Nay, it should be nationwide -- heck, North America-wide.  No, worldwide.  And, assuming aliens and other inhabited planets exist, make it multi-universe-wide.

The legacy of Chum must be emblazoned throughout the future of human civilization.  Have all newborns tattooed with the logo and anniversary details.  Make it mandatory study in schools and on our citizenship test.  Even with all that, I fear it's still not enough.


C'mon. Do you honestly believe that anyone, outside of the Illuminati of this board, give two black-tar squirts of Taco Bell-induced explosive diarrhea against the stall walls of your local walmart fitting room even a second of their fidget-spinning thoughts?

 

March 20, 2018 8:37 am  #20


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

splunge wrote:

@Fitz, with all due respect, I'm talking about marketing.  if you SELL it properly, then you generate interest in your brand.  As has been pointed out, no one remembers 1975.  I was two years old then when my dad worked for that org!  but now,in 2018, you create a mystique around the brand, and sell that to your listeners and advertisers.  It becomes an event that even the City of Toronna could potentially get behind.

Who cares who remembers the CHUM heyday.  That's what i'm saying.  Push the promotions in the right way and you can turn the situation into a city wide event.... an interesting theory that i doubt anyone is willing to exploit.

Well ok WMMR FM in Philadelphia did celebrate their 50th anniversary as a rock station even though there is really not that much similarity between their initial free form days and the mostly active rock current format. During their 45th anniversary they even had a link to a site that has tremendous air checks of the station from the early 1970's. There is however a link between the old and new however tenuous but I don't think the same could be said for CHUM FM and it's past and their current hot AC format.

WMMR 50th
 


Cool Airchecks and More:
http://www.lettheuniverseanswer.com/
 

March 20, 2018 7:00 pm  #21


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

kevjo wrote:

While CFTR's history as a top 40 was much shorter, never in all their years in the format did they glance back. They knew it was about current music and events and that as much as anything else enabled them to grab the torch from CHUM.

Well except for that goodbye automated music they entitled "The CFTR Story".  I remember coming home from CHNR in Simcoe, around 6:45 on Friday evening.  I was headed eastbound on Highway 3, almost making it to Jarvis.  A gourgeous sunny evening.  A canned announcer made mention of something new coming up on Monday morning at 6, "but for now, more of the CFTR Story".

And then "Back in the High Life" by Steve Winwood started.  I will always think of that song when I remember that format flip.

 


Cheers,
Jody Thornton
 
 

March 20, 2018 9:06 pm  #22


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

Fitz wrote:

Well ok WMMR FM in Philadelphia did celebrate their 50th anniversary as a rock station even though there is really not that much similarity between their initial free form days and the mostly active rock current format. During their 45th anniversary they even had a link to a site that has tremendous air checks of the station from the early 1970's. There is however a link between the old and new however tenuous but I don't think the same could be said for CHUM FM and it's past and their current hot AC format.

WMMR 50th
 

Yep. WMMR still plays music it played *40* years ago, so there's a connection. Not so much with CHUM-FM.
 

 

March 21, 2018 10:58 am  #23


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

Doug Thompson wrote:

I can guarantee you that CHUM FM will NOT celebrate their 50th anniversary as a rock station.  They weren't interested in doing so 5 years ago...or 10 years ago....so this year will not be any different.  
 

That they're no longer a 'Rock' station and haven't been for modern day eons would impact greatly on the decision to not celebrate that which they aren't...sadly.

Whatever that shyte is that they spin as music...doesn't deserve to be celebrated.
 

 

March 21, 2018 12:59 pm  #24


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

Old Codger wrote:

Doug Thompson wrote:

I can guarantee you that CHUM FM will NOT celebrate their 50th anniversary as a rock station.  They weren't interested in doing so 5 years ago...or 10 years ago....so this year will not be any different.  
 

That they're no longer a 'Rock' station and haven't been for modern day eons would impact greatly on the decision to not celebrate that which they aren't...sadly.

Whatever that shyte is that they spin as music...doesn't deserve to be celebrated.
 

In the "hobby radio world" such as we are on this forum....what is the whole hype with the CHUM stations and their history?  CHFI should be celebrating their stature in radio instead based on their history and what Ted Rogers started....atleast their call letters are still used and format (well similar).

We have CHUM Fm on at work today....theres simply no variety of music here at all.  
 

 

March 21, 2018 9:01 pm  #25


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

Don wrote:

Fitz wrote:

Well ok WMMR FM in Philadelphia did celebrate their 50th anniversary as a rock station even though there is really not that much similarity between their initial free form days and the mostly active rock current format. During their 45th anniversary they even had a link to a site that has tremendous air checks of the station from the early 1970's. There is however a link between the old and new however tenuous but I don't think the same could be said for CHUM FM and it's past and their current hot AC format.

WMMR 50th
 

Yep. WMMR still plays music it played *40* years ago, so there's a connection. Not so much with CHUM-FM.
 

BINGO! Had the current corporate owners been at the helm in the mid 80's, they likely would have thrown out the CHUM-FM moniker and rebranded it. Then we wouldn't even be having this conversation because the only thing this station has in common with the CHUM-FM of 1968 is the name. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
 

 

March 21, 2018 9:42 pm  #26


Re: Will CHUM Acknowledge This Coming Milestone?

kevjo wrote:

While CFTR's history as a top 40 was much shorter, never in all their years in the format did they glance back. They knew it was about current music and events and that as much as anything else enabled them to grab the torch from CHUM.

Jesse and Gene celebrated 20 years of hits.


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.