I started my radio days at 13 years old, at CHRY 105.5 FM, originally located in Vanier Hall (now Vibe in a very well way utilizes a space in the Student Centre)

At 16, I was commissioned to do some  noon and 5:00 news casts in spring 1994 under direction of a nice gentleman named Pedro Sanchez (I also remember hearing this guy's presence at CKLN prior, very professional and all around cool guy). I stuck around til 1997 (20 years old at the time) and did a short lived open format Tuesday overnight in summer of '96.

So, we wrote our own news and casted it. I was a little nervous the first week, stumbled some but was very fluent going forward for almost a year intermittently to earn co-op credits.

So, now I'm 35 years into radio (almost 50 years old), currently producing under the on-air name Daddy J through both CFMU 93.3 (Hamilton - DOPEfm - Hip-Hop since April 2004) & CFAJ Classic 1220 (Niagara - Amplitude - Disco, Funk, Pop, etc weekends since March 2024)

DOPEfm:
https://cfmu.ca/show/dopefm/
https://podomatic.com/dopefm/

Amplitude:
https://https://www.classic1220.ca/on-air/amplitude/

I have other projects in the works through DOPEfm Media in 2025. Stay tuned!

dmcjeff wrote:

I've spent months in five different U.S. Cities this year ranging from NYC/NJ Trenton to DC, Philly, Las Vegas and I have noticed that there is a resurgence of old school hip hop stations being programmed, likely catering to older audiences.  Jammin 105.7 Las Vegas, 97.5 Kveg, 94.7 the Block NJ Trenton and even WBLS, WBLK are finding success playing a Lot of Gold.  You're right, Today's youth don't even know what the current radio stations are in the area typically.

This is also why Boom 97.3 is top of the pack in Toronto as it caters to old folks like us

 

How true about an old school resurgence.

I was also recently in New York City and noticed what you're saying.

I've also started programming at Classic 1220 in St Catherines doing a disco & funk mixshow. So far, the audience reception has been generally good.

But to stay on topic. I'm so pleased Vibe105 is doing things relevant to urban culture. This 50 year celebration special should be great.

Thanks RadioActive for the mention of this.

RadioActive wrote:

I agree with you - it is very odd that, despite numerous attempts at bringing a true Hip Hop/R&B station to Toronto, with a huge Black population, this type of radio has always been sort of out of the mainstream. You'd think it would be doing a lot better and be a lot more available on a better signal.

Kind of like the country curse, I guess. No matter how many times it's been tried (with perhaps the exception of CFGM, which was C&W for 26 years) It just never seems to work in this city. It's really inexplicable. 

When picking up my son in central Hamilton mountain, I regularly catch 105.5 over the air in the car with very little static (the schools along a north/south hydro corridor)

I remember them as the 50 watt station I was a volunteer at and i'd catch in Markham in the 90s with my dope ass clock radio, still have the darn thing in a box.

You know, CHRY had this annoying buzz on the hour, every hour with no way to turn it off.

I remember the hip-hop shows would DJ through that noise.

Now CHRY is Vibe at 150 watts.

I appreciate what they do today, but miss that community radio format that allowed others in the community to participate with little to no barriers.

Ah, 105 and a 1/2 love!

I do get the HD signal in Hamilton.

I hope more broadcasters utilize an AM HD signal.

I work on both the AM and FM dial on-air so I appreciate both mediums of broadcasting.

Heard 1280 AM Montreal on my drive home through Hamilton tonight.

I do normally hear CJTM, although weak.

Laid off too many. Should've kept a few techs on payroll.

JON POLE wrote:

The only thing we did wrong with the Pole was we didn't film a documentary.   It was a great learning experience.  Listener response was amazing and they shared some incredible feedback on "radio".

I'm currently rocking a weekend disco and funk show on AM from St Catherines.

I wish The Pole FM lived on.

It partially inspired Amplitude on Classic 1220.

Thanks for that, Mr Jon Pole.

I live within eyes range of the Upper Wentworth location.

Equipment is being removed from the rooftop when I looked this afternoon.

I often receive CHRY (vibe105) Toronto from my area of central Hamilton mountain, almost always on good weather days.

I'm on central Hamilton mountain, noticing reception is mediocre in my area.

RadioActive wrote:

By the way, has anyone else noted the signal is even worse than usual? I'm in North York and even with the morning pattern change, I can barely get them at all. Have they decreased their power or changed their signal some way? It never came in especially well here, but at least it was somewhat listenable. Not on Sunday.

..."wheel again" with the great Deadly Headley.

AM HD signals impress me from what I've listened to here on 530 AM and away at 1230 AM New York.

Fidelity is  close to an FM HD sub-channel. (I work on a non-hd station, sure wish we could do hybrid analog/HD like 530 Toronto/Brampton)

Unfortunately, they do cut landlines for missing a single payment. It may be the policy for landlines.

This same situation happened to me about 18 years ago. Could only dial 911 and incoming calls.

Radiowiz wrote:

newsguy1 wrote:

As rapacious and callous as Bell might be they have still not gone as far as Rogers did which is why I switched over to Bell.
The last straw for me with Rogers was when I went traveling a few years back and when I came home my phone was not working.
It was a land line which I still have.
Anyway when I called Rogers I was told they had rendered my phone incapable of making phone calls except for 911, but I could receive incoming calls.
This was because I missed ONE PAYMENT on my phone bill.
I had been travelling for about a month.
So I called Bell and asked them what would be involved in switching over..
They did it for free.
I told the person I was dealing with why I was switching and she said something like, "Oh, Bell would never cut off your phone just for missing one payment."
So far that has proven true.
I have missed a payment with Bell and I got a polite email saying so and thanking me if I had already made the payment.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
 

Rogers Ignite land line today does not get disconnected for missing only one payment.  

1220 St Catharines has two new programs joining their schedule:

GROWING SEASON:
https://www.classic1220.ca/on-air/the-growing-season/

AMPLITUDE:
https://www.classic1220.ca/on-air/amplitude/

Radiowiz wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

In other news, Mr. Ray released whatever was left of FLOW 98.7's airstaff this week, which is a sure sign that everything's going great.

Very strange.  "Personality coming soon"  https://flow987.com/personalities/geena-lee/

VX3 Exchange is now helping operate the station.

The same group operates Vibe 105.5 York University.

Perhaps staff will 'flow' from 105.5 to 98.7?