The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » CJOY

Storm · June 9, 2024 3:04 pm

Does anybody know what is going on at CJOY Guelph? I do my radio listening only in the early morning, so I don't know what happens in the afternoon, but CJOY appears to have gone announcerless. Just music and commercials and id's. There is still news weekday mornings but nothing on the weekend - no longer Guelph's news leader. Mike Devine had been doing the morning show but he has vanished. He had also covered the mid-day slot on Dave-FM - been there for years, but he is gone from there too. CJOY had a diverse oldies playlist often playing great songs that other oldies formatted stations never played and they would even include some from the 50s and 60s. The music now has become bland and boring. Really sucks.

RadioActive · June 9, 2024 3:27 pm

Definitely something is up. Here's their playlist for the last hour. This is definitely not the mix I remember, although to be honest, I haven't listened to the station in many months. Still, they are not playing what they used to - not a single 60s song in the bunch and barely any 70s, either.

15:11. -You Can't Hurry Love - PHIL COLLINS

15:08. - THIS FLIGHT TONIGHT - NAZARETH

15:07. - Singing-V1 - CJOY Generic

15:04. - WALKING ON SUNSHINE - KATRINA AND THE WAVES

15:03. - 17 fall liner takes & adlibs par - CJOY LEGAL ID

15:00. - LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING - HONEYMOON SUITE

14:59. - Party Like Its 1999 - CJOY Generic

14:56. - LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY - DENIECE WILLIAMS

14:52. - NEW ORLEANS IS SINKING - TRAGICALLY HIP

14:51. - Ver1 - CJOY DAI SWAP

14:51. - Summer Footwear-V2-5775 - Kintec

14:50. - TRUST - Global News

14:46. - OUT OF TOUCH - HALL & OATES

14:45. - Omelette-V2 - CJOY Generic

14:42. - ARMS OF MARY - CHILLIWACK

14:39. - Handle With Care - Travelling Wilburys

14:39. - PLU0090 - PLUTO TV

14:38. - HRT-34624R30E Hyundai - Big Play - Hyundai

14:34. - SEXUAL HEALING - MARVIN GAYE

14:31. - NEW GIRL NOW - HONEYMOON SUITE

14:30. - Omelette-V1 - CJOY Generic

14:27. - INDEPENDENT WOMEN PART 1 - DESTINY'S CHILD

14:22. - THIS COULD BE THE NIGHT - LOVERBOY

14:21. - Sell Off Jun21 REV - Little Joes

14:20. - Sponsors - CJOY Commercial Break

14:18. - TAINTED LOVE - SOFT CELL

14:14. - FEELING ALRIGHT - JOE COCKER

14:09. - LIKE A PRAYER - MADONNA

RadioActive · June 9, 2024 3:36 pm

As for their on-airline-up, looks like you have good reason to wonder. More Corus cutbacks or just a temporary retooling? My guess would be the former, but time will tell.

Here's what's listed on their site in the morning drive slot.

And under afternoons, this is the only entry:

So does this mean the rest of the day is being filled by that most ubiquitous of hosts, Otto Mated?

paterson1 · June 9, 2024 4:41 pm

CJOY hasn't been an oldies station playing 50's and 60's music for a long time. They have been playing more recent oldies like above for about two or three years and prior to that a lot of new wave gold.

A few years ago they also started mixing in more current music like The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa etc. But the list above doesn't have any of that.

I don't listen to them much and never on the weekend, so I don't know if they are usually with no announcers.

RadioActive · June 9, 2024 5:08 pm

I always wondered what happened to CJOY. They used to come in really well in my location but about a year or more ago, their signal completely disappeared. All I get at 1460 now is static and electronic interference. There's no hint of them at all. Did they change their pattern in some way or lower their power? There's no other real way to explain why it used to come in fairly well and now is all but impossible to get. Has anyone else in Toronto experienced this?

RadioAaron · June 9, 2024 5:24 pm

RadioActive wrote:
And under afternoons, this is the only entry:

So does this mean the rest of the day is being filled by that most ubiquitous of hosts, Otto Mated?

And his main job is mornings in Cornwall.

paterson1 · June 9, 2024 10:03 pm

RadioActive wrote:
I always wondered what happened to CJOY. They used to come in really well in my location but about a year or more ago, their signal completely disappeared. All I get at 1460 now is static and electronic interference. There's no hint of them at all. Did they change their pattern in some way or lower their power? There's no other real way to explain why it used to come in fairly well and now is all but impossible to get. Has anyone else in Toronto experienced this?

Living in Kitchener CJOY's signal is no hell either. I don't know if it is their actual power or the fact that we are having a building boom with taller buildings going up everywhere and this has effected their signal quality in town. Driving around Kitchener CJOY has a lot of noise and not very strong, and the AM radio in my vehicle isn't very good. So other than CityNews 570 all AM signals are pretty bad. Driving north of Guelph towards Fergus/Elora/Arthur CJOY's signal is much better. 570 is loud and clear all over Waterloo and Wellington counties.

Radiowiz · June 10, 2024 10:05 am

paterson1 wrote:
CJOY hasn't been an oldies station playing 50's and 60's music for a long time.

https://www.corusent.com/advertising/brands/1460-cjoy-guelph/

RadioAaron · June 10, 2024 10:25 am

Radiowiz wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
CJOY hasn't been an oldies station playing 50's and 60's music for a long time.
https://www.corusent.com/advertising/brands/1460-cjoy-guelph/

Yeah, that's outdated

Radiowiz · June 10, 2024 10:37 am

RadioAaron wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
CJOY hasn't been an oldies station playing 50's and 60's music for a long time.
https://www.corusent.com/advertising/brands/1460-cjoy-guelph/

Yeah, that's outdated

Ya think? Most likely an oversight. They'll probably pull this page and cause it to link to the current Global news CJOY page.

paterson1 · June 10, 2024 10:40 am

RadioAaron wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
CJOY hasn't been an oldies station playing 50's and 60's music for a long time.
https://www.corusent.com/advertising/brands/1460-cjoy-guelph/

Yeah, that's outdated

Pretty sad when the owner doesn't even have an accurate write up of the format.

km93 · June 10, 2024 10:49 am

paterson1 wrote:
RadioAaron wrote:
Radiowiz wrote:

https://www.corusent.com/advertising/brands/1460-cjoy-guelph/

Yeah, that's outdated
Pretty sad when the owner doesn't even have an accurate write up of the format.

That's because I don't think they really care and to be honest I'm surprised they haven't just cut the power to it yet-if there is no morning show, and afternoons are piped in from Cornwall-that says it all. I recall on their website a few months ago under contact it had Magic's phone #...

Brymar · June 28, 2024 5:25 pm

Corus Entertainment removed the station manager Kevin Kelly about 7 years ago..
He had been with them for over 20 years. It is now a robot station on the weekends and hourly news during the week.
I am sure the building would be demolished if they could find an alternative.
It all comes down to $$$.
Bryan

Radiowiz · June 28, 2024 6:04 pm

Brymar wrote:
Corus Entertainment removed the station manager Kevin Kelly about 7 years ago..
He had been with them for over 20 years. It is now a robot station on the weekends and hourly news during the week.
I am sure the building would be demolished if they could find an alternative.
It all comes down to $$$.
Bryan

Is the station making any money? How soon before they decide to shut the station down?

Storm · June 28, 2024 10:59 pm

There are two stations in Guelph - both Corus - 1460 CJOY and CIMJ Magic 106.1 which it is a hot a/c and used to draw a fair sized audience (I don't know now since no ratings information is released to the general public). After Kevin Kelly was let go there was another PD named Brad Hulme who also did PM drive. He has since disappeared and the PD is now Dave Blezard, who is PD for a number of Corus stations in the area including 91.5 The Beat, Kitchener and Energy 95.3 Hamilton. Magic has a local morning drive hosted by Lisa Richards, who has been there more than 20 years, and Brent Freeman and afternoon drive hosted by Will Menzies (also MD). Don't know what will happen to CJOY. Corus tried twice to have it moved to FM but the CRTC would not approve. The last time the reason given was that Corus had CIMJ, CKBT & CJDV Kitchener and CJXY (Y108 Hamilton) (I don't recall that CING was mentioned) which all covered Guelph and that was enough FM stations for Guelph - all that despite only one is in and licensed to Guelph. I live not far from the CIMJ & CJOY building and driving by at various times of the day there are almost never any vehicles in the parking area. I wonder if there is anybody working in the building at all now.

homewithbrian · June 30, 2024 11:23 am

Brymar wrote:
Corus Entertainment removed the station manager Kevin Kelly about 7 years ago..
He had been with them for over 20 years. It is now a robot station on the weekends and hourly news during the week.
I am sure the building would be demolished if they could find an alternative.
It all comes down to $$$.
Bryan

From what I've heard they are moving all the Kitchener people to the Guelph building. I'm guessing CJOY will go dark soon after (unless they keep it solely for the Guelph Storm broadcasts).

Brymar · July 5, 2024 2:49 pm

Does anyone remember that two CJOY staffers scrounged enough gasoline during the big blackout to keep the generator operating.? This allowed them to stay broadcasting and let us know what was happening.
Now this sounds like folklore and could never happen today.. I think one was Dave Hanna who was canned a few years ago. Thanks, Dave. Thanks, Corus.
Bryan

Storm · July 5, 2024 4:44 pm

Kevin Kelly and Ron Fitzpatrick were on the air almost non-stop during the power failure. Magic and CJOY may have been simulcasting. Listeners were also bringing gas for the generator.

pinto · July 5, 2024 5:33 pm

Ron Fitzpatrick.. man is a legend!

Jody Thornton · July 6, 2024 9:13 am

pinto wrote:
Ron Fitzpatrick.. man is a legend!

My PD in Cambridge in 1991. I recall hearing him on CJOY in 2004, along with Laird Alcombe on news, who was also the news director in Cambridge in 1991. Good memories.

Paul Jeffries · July 6, 2024 9:48 am

I listened to Magic 106 during the 2003 blackout too, and was quite impressed with the way Kevin Kelly and the on-air staff were dealing with the situation. I also seem to remember a female staffer during the late evening hours, but I don't remember her name.

Kevin and the crew were taking calls from listeners, asking what they were doing during the blackout. Many listeners were out on their patios barbequing and having beers with their neighbours.

I also remember Kevin taking a call from a rather grumpy and agitated man that seemed to think that Magic's on-air staff was making light of a serious situation. I don't remember his exact words, but Kevin responded by saying that he didn't think they were doing that at all, but rather, helping people cope during these unusual circumstances.

Sadly, the way most stations have pared their staffs down to next to nothing these days, I question whether we'd have that type of communal radio if a major event like that happened again.

PJ

Jody Thornton · July 6, 2024 10:35 am

Paul Jeffries wrote:
I listened to Magic 106 during the 2003 blackout too, and was quite impressed with the way Kevin Kelly and the on-air staff were dealing with the situation. I also seem to remember a female staffer during the late evening hours, but I don't remember her name.
...
Sadly, the way most stations have pared their staffs down to next to nothing these days, I question whether we'd have that type of communal radio if a major event like that happened again.
PJ

It may have been Christy Curtis. As for communal radio, I'm almost surprised it was still there in any small markets even in 2003. Cutbacks to a lot of small market non-prime shifts started to take place in the 90s. But I agree, it's hard to imagine this type of connecting radio happening now.

RadioAaron · July 6, 2024 11:01 am

There's also the issue of battery-powered radios being largely absent from homes relative to 20 years ago.

pinto · July 6, 2024 1:45 pm

Jody Thornton wrote:
pinto wrote:
Ron Fitzpatrick.. man is a legend!

My PD in Cambridge in 1991. I recall hearing him on CJOY in 2004, along with Laird Alcombe on news, who was also the news director in Cambridge in 1991. Good memories.

Check out the Grand in Fergus.. you will find Fitz there!! He never stops...