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October 1, 2024 7:15 am  #1


A Weird Coincidence Of History About The CBC's Toronto FM

I remember being a tad angry when the CBC took over the 99.1 FM frequency vacated by the old CKO radio network in 1998, It just seemed to me they were given a sort of inside track on the precious dial position, when there wasn't much room left for anything else. (It was controversial, because another company, Milestone Communications, had also applied for an urban format on the open spot, which would have been the first of its kind in the city. It was denied.) 

That's water under the bridge, but it turns out I was wrong, and that the CBC had an almost historic right to that spot.

In October 1946, back when only CFRB had an FM signal in Toronto, the Corp. tried its hand on the new band for the first time. Though they only used it to re-broadcast their AM programs, it was their first foray into FM. The frequency they were assigned back then? 99.1.

So really, when the CBC was awarded that spot, it was a homecoming of sorts - and a very weird quirk of Toronto broadcast history.