If you are talking about Canadian stations with Top Forty formats for most of the day, I think CHUM was first in May 1957. Red Robinson hosted 'shows' that played Rock n Roll music, first on CJOR in 1954, then on CKWX in 1957. CKWX followed CHUM to a Top Forty 'format' in 1958.

geo wrote:

It is well-known that 1050 CHUM switched from middle-of-the-road to top 50 (not top 40) hits on this date.   However to the best of (what's left of) my memory it wasn't Canada's first.       Red Robinson hosted a show on Vancouver's CJOR and then CKWX in 1954/55/56.      And Allan Slaight went to CHUM from CFRN Edmonton which reportedly had gone top 40 in 1954.     So who was first?     

 

CHUM was the first full-time hit parade station in Canada. While other Canadian stations played rock 'n' roll prior to CHUM's launch on May 27, 1957, CHUM was the first station in Canada to adopt the format full-time.

Allan Slaight joined CFRN in 1950 as a news reporter before going to CJCA in 1952. He was appointed news director at CHED in 1954, then was named national sales manager at the station two years later. Slaight moved to CHUM in 1958 as program and promotions director.

http://www.chumtribute.com

Last edited by Dale Patterson (October 28, 2017 9:39 pm)