CHUM (AM)
Encyclopedia
CHUM, branded as TSN Radio 1050, broadcasting at 1050 kHz in the AM
band, is a Canadian
radio station
licensed to Toronto
, Ontario
. The station is owned and operated by Bell Media.
Long known as 1050 CHUM, the station played Top 40 hits from the late 1950s to early 1980s. CHUM then carried an oldies
format featuring music from that period between 1989 to 2009, except for a brief stint as a sports radio
station, The Team 1050 in 2001-02.
In March 2009, CHUM switched to an all-news
format known as CP24 Radio 1050, which operated primarily as an audio simulcast
of CP24.
In April 2011, CHUM reverted to a sports format as TSN Radio 1050.
CHUM AM was founded by four Toronto businessmen, including Al Leary, a former sportscaster
, who had been the station manager at CKCL for 14 years. CHUM received its licence in late November 1944 to operate a station with 1000 watts. CHUM launched as a dawn-to-dusk radio station on 28 October 1945, with John H.Q. "Jack" Part, an entrepreneur in the business of patent medicines, as its president. The station, then operating from studios in the Mutual Street Arena
, broadcast a format typical of the late 1940s, with a combination of information, music, and sports. When CHUM was about to debut, Leary told the press that the new station would be known for community service and in-depth news, in addition to live talent and the most popular phonograph records.
CHUM was taken over in December 1954 by Allan Waters
, a salesman from Part's patent medicine business. Waters' first major move was to secure a licence for 24-hour-a-day broadcasting for CHUM, along with a power increase to 5,000 watts. Less than three years after Waters acquired the station, and soonafter bringing the new full-time transmitter online, a major programming change was made. On 27 May 1957, Waters switched to a "Top 50" format that had proven itself popular in some U.S. cities; Elvis Presley
's "All Shook Up" was the first song played. "1050 CHUM" pioneered rock and roll radio in Toronto, and was noteworthy for hosting many noteworthy rock concerts including, among others, visits to Maple Leaf Gardens
by Elvis Presley (1957) and The Beatles
(1964, '65, and '66). While the station was rising to the top of the popularity ratings in Toronto in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it also built yet another new transmitter in Mississauga, Ontario (a few miles west of the current Toronto city line) along the Lake Ontario shoreline, and raised its power once again to its current 50,000 watts around the clock.
In the late 1950s, CHUM was calling itself "Radio One", as its ratings continued to increase. An important part of CHUM's success was the station's unpredictable morning man Al Boliska, who joined CHUM in October 1957, after working at station CKLC in Kingston, Ontario
. By 1959, Boliska had made a name for himself as a disc jockey
who got listeners talking. He also made them laugh, and became known for telling what he called the "World's Worst Jokes". Boliska also did a number of stunts, such as taking part in a professional wrestling match with Whipper Billy Watson
. When he lost, that led to another stunt, where Boliska stayed away from his show for several days, saying he was now too discouraged by the loss to do his show. A hypnotist was called in, and Boliska's self-esteem was restored. Boliska left CHUM in late 1963 to go 'across the street' to CKEY
. He was replaced by WKBW Buffalo
radio & TV personality Jay Nelson
, popularly known as "Jungle Jay" from his role as host of a children's show on Buffalo's Channel 7 which was also popular among Toronto youngsters. He would be followed by housewives' jock John Spragge; singer/DJ Mike Darow; Pete Nordheimer, replaced in 1961 by Bob McAdorey
, teen DJ Dave Johnson, and all night DJ Bob Laine. Later additions to the CHUM DJ lineup included Duff Roman, John Dolan and Brian Skinner, each of whom came over from CKEY (then owned by Jack Kent Cooke
).
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, CHUM DJs included Duke Roberts (also known as Gary Duke for a time), Johnny Mitchell (better known today as Sonny Fox), J. Michael Wilson, Tom Rivers, Scott Carpenter, Jim Van Horne
, John Rode, Don Reagan, John Majhor
, Mike Cooper
, Daryl B, Terry Steele, Mike Holland and Roger Ashby
. Among their later night-time hosts was J. D. Roberts, who joined CHUM in 1977, co-hosted CTV
's Canada AM
in the early 1990s, and eventually became known across North America as White House correspondent for CBS-TV and today hosts CNN
's morning program American Morning
.
CHUM was also well known for its contests, like the 1970s' "I Listen to CHUM" promotion, in which DJs dialed phone numbers at random and awarded $1,000 to anyone who answered the phone with that phrase.
The CHUM Chart
was, for many years, the most influential weekly Top 40 chart in Canada and has been hailed as the longest-running continuously-published radio station record survey in North America. The first CHUM Chart was released on May 27, 1957, with Elvis Presley's
"All Shook Up" the first Number 1 song.
and FM-based music stations. On June 6, 1986, at 3 PM, after the playing of Starship's We Built This City
, CHUM dropped its Top 40 format for a gold-based adult contemporary format ("Favourites of Yesterday and Today"). The CHUM Chart ended the week of June 14, 1986 with Madonna's
"Live to Tell
" as the final Number 1 song.
Beginning the weekend of Labour Day, 1989, CHUM adopted an oldies
format, drawing heavily on its previous Top 40 reputation to cater to the fans of that era's music.
During the 1990s the on-air lineup included Daryl B, Bob Magee
, Kory Skinner, Andy K, Russ McLeod, Roger Kelly, Marc Chambers and Dan Michaels. In 1989, the station acquired the broadcast rights for the Toronto Argonauts
, led by play by play man Marc Charbonneau and Colour man Peter Martin, the CHUM broadcast team helped to celebrate the team's Grey Cup
victory in 1991 in Winnipeg.
In 1998, CHUM obtained the radio broadcast rights to Toronto Blue Jays
baseball, resulting in a shift towards sports programming on the station.
broadcasts were available nationwide on the Team Radio Network. This also meant the end of music on 1050 CHUM, which occurred on May 7, 2001. Duff Roman and Bob Laine hosted a farewell party, ending with Elvis Presley's
"All Shook Up
" (the station's first song as a Top 40 station in 1957) and an audio montage of CHUM memories. Then, at 3 p.m., "The Team Radio Network" was launched on CHUM and CHUM-owned stations across Canada. Noted Canadian sportscaster Jim Van Horne
, who had recently left TSN
, was the network's marquee host. In the 1970s, before he turned to sports broadcasting, Van Horne had been a rock jock on 1050 CHUM. While the station retained the CHUM call letters, on air the station was not referred to as 1050 CHUM, but rather by its Team 1050 name. Nevertheless, "1050 CHUM" wasn't entirely put to rest, as the oldies format continued on a 24-hour webcast
at the 1050chum.com website.
The Team network did not prove successful, especially in Toronto, where CHUM struggled against long-time sports station The Fan 590. On August 27, 2002, the network was closed down, and while a few affiliates nationwide retained the sports format, most reverted to their pre-Team formats — including CHUM, which reverted to oldies
.
" and Presley's "All Shook Up
". The station reverted to a playlist of music (along with occasional liners and identifications) that were popular in CHUM's 50s-to-80s Top 40 heyday. The station also featured The Morning Show with Gord James and the James Gang, as well as call-in lifestyle programs during weekend mornings.
In 2007, CHUM and the rest of the CHUM Limited
stations (with the exception of Citytv
) were sold to CTVglobemedia
. That same year, CHUM commemorated the 50th anniversary of the launch of its rock and roll format, the highlights of which included vignettes and specials throughout the year, as well as anniversary celebrations on May 26, 2007 that included an open house at CHUM's studios at 1331 Yonge Street
, in conjunction with Doors Open Toronto
, and a concert at Nathan Phillips Square
.
to a condominium
developer and had acquired a new property, 250 Richmond Street West
, to serve as the new home of CHUM and CHUM-FM. On August 18, 2009, CHUM left 1331 Yonge Street, ending 50 years at its historic home. The site is slated to become a new condominium complex.
and the 2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment
, CTV announced on March 25, 2009 that CHUM would again drop its oldies format. The station was converted to all-news as "CP24 Radio 1050" effective 5:00 a.m. the following day, acting as an audio simulcast of its co-owned 24-hour television all-news channel, CP24. The move coincided with the launch of CP24's new morning program, CP24 Breakfast
(which was launching due to the realignment, as CP24 was no longer simulcasting Citytv
Breakfast television
) . Unlike the sendoff the station received upon its switch to The Team, the switch occurred without ceremony and with minimal publicity. Moreover, no webcast of the former oldies format was offered on this occasion, as 1050chum.com redirected to the CP24 website. Although operations for CP24 remained housed at 299 Queen Street West, technical operations and studios for the minimally unique weekend programming on CP24 Radio 1050 continued, first at 1331 Yonge Street, and then at 250 Richmond Street West.
The change came a few weeks after the CRTC revised its formatting regulations to permit oldies music on FM radio for the first time, although at the time of the change no Toronto-area FM station had performed such a flip (CHBM-FM and Hamilton's CING-FM
both adopted a classic hits format later in the year). CKOC in Hamilton retained a more traditional AM oldies format, while pop standards station CFZM marketed itself as an alternative as well.
columnist and former radio personality Ted Woloshyn
, criticized CP24 Radio 1050 as a poor substitute for a true news radio format. In his column on the format change, Woloshyn noted a number of instances where he could tell he was listening to content that had been prepared for television, not radio, presentation:
network sometime in 2011 which would compete against rival Rogers
-owned Toronto radio stations, The Fan 590, as the two stations previously did from 2001-2002.
On February 17, 2011, It was then officially announced that CHUM would drop its simulcast of CP24's programming as CP24 Radio 1050 and return to sports radio format as TSN Radio 1050. Shortly after the format change was announced, CP24 begun phasing out the CP24 Radio 1050 monikers from the enriched screens and CP24's station identifications. The official re-launch to TSN Radio 1050 was initially scheduled to take place at 5:30 a.m. on April 13, 2011, however it instead occurred at 1:00 a.m. on the same day beginning with ESPN Radio
overnight programming (AllNight with Jason Smith
& Sportscenter AM
) airing on the station until the official launch of TSN Radio 1050 occurred with The Mike Richards Show at 5:30am.
This change comes just weeks after Bell Canada completed its acquisition of 100% of the shares in CTVglobemedia it didn't already own. It renamed the company Bell Media and likewise renamed the radio division CHUM Radio to Bell Media Radio.
Ratings in the initial weeks of broadcasting showed that CHUM's new TSN Radio sports format was capturing 1.0% of the target male audience, while rival sports station The Fan 590 was capturing 5.8% of the same demographic. Still, the ratings were considered promising enough that Bell Media announced that it would replicate the TSN Radio format in two Canadian cities with Winnipeg and Montreal joining the network in early October 2011.
in Downtown Toronto
(which also houses sister radio stations, 104.5 CHUM-FM
and Flow 93.5
) which is adjacent to 299 Queen Street West (where Bell Media's speciality channels such as MuchMusic
and CP24 are based). In addition, auxilery studios for TSN Radio 1050 are also located at 9 Channel Nine Court
in Scarborough, Ontario
where TSN's television operations and sister television station CFTO-TV
are based.
Weekday programming begins with Mike Richards
hosting The Mike Richards Show from 5:30am-9am (ET)
. The Mike Richards Show along with Cybulski & Company were expected to be simulcast on TSN2
starting in the fall of 2011, although this has been delayed due to construction for TSN Radio 1050's auxilerly studios at Bell Media's 9 Channel Nine Court
headquarters in Agincourt, home of several Bell Media channels including, CFTO-TV
and TSN
. The Dan Patrick Show
was initially announced to follow Mike Richards from 10am-noon and was to be joined in progress, although as of September 2011, this program follows the Mike Richards Show and airs from 9am - 12noon, however Bryan Hayes departed Talk 640 Toronto to host a show at the aforementioned time, displacing Dan Patrick from the time-slot, although this program currently airs from 12-noon-4pm From noon-1pm Steve Kouleas
hosts That's Hockey 2Day. Since the show will be in hiatus during the NHL off-season, Bryan Hayes' show will fill its time slot. The Jim Rome Show
was initially scheduled to air from 1pm-4pm, however Dan Patrick instead aired on tape delay in that time slot. Afternoon drive programming was announced on March 31, 2011, with James Cybulski
hosting Cybulski and Company from 4pm-7pm. with Bruce Arthur co-hosting the show on Mondays. Dave Feschuk also co-hosts during the week. After 7pm, TSN Radio 1050 features a combination of live sports offering, and post-game shows Scott Macarthur, formerly of The Team 1200, and Jim Tatti co-hosts Game Night which airs from 7pm-11pm. 11pm onward TSN Radio 1050 airs ESPN Radio
's AllNight with Jason Smith
. while on Friday nights TSN Radio 1050 would air a one hour program called Sports Beats from 11pm-midnight, followed by various ESPN Radio
thereafter until 9am Saturday.
Aside from programming, Claude Feig hosts Sportscentre
updates from 11am-3pm. While the CP24 traffic team would continue to host traffic updates, as they do at the other Bell Media Radio stations in Toronto.
Weekend programming primarily consists of programming from ESPN Radio
. On Saturday's a one-hour program called Golf Talk Canada airs from 9:00am – 10:00am, On Sunday's TSN Radio 1050 airs a one hour program called Fast Talk which airs from 7am-8am followed by The International Sports Report which airs from 8am-10am and a live weekend program called TSN 1050 Gameday, hosted by Mike Hogan
and Matt Cauz, airs from 10am-7pm. As of October 9, 2011, Live Audio Wrestling
began to air Monday mornings from 12:00am-2:00am.
Additionally, TSN Radio 1050 is the official local radio broadcaster for the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
during the 2011 and 2012 seasons as well as golf's The British Open, The U.S. Open
, EURO 2012 and EURO 2016 as part of TSN's broadcasting rights for the events.TSN Radio 1050 has simulcasted ESPN Radio's broadcast of the 2011 NBA Playoffs
. For the 2011 NFL season
, TSN Radio 1050 has secured the broadcast rights of NFL on Westwood One
.
Corey Longo of SportsHaze wrote:
Meanwhile, Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun
positively opined that:
However Raju Mudhar of the Toronto Star
was more melancholy:
In addition, Bruce Dowbiggin of The Globe and Mail
suggested that the on-air talent was simply a rehash of past and failed hosts:
Although reception to the programming was well received, many complained of noise
in parts of Downtown Toronto
resulting in obstructed listening and in lieu, forcing them to tune to The Fan 590.
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
band, is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The station is owned and operated by Bell Media.
Long known as 1050 CHUM, the station played Top 40 hits from the late 1950s to early 1980s. CHUM then carried an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format featuring music from that period between 1989 to 2009, except for a brief stint as a sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
station, The Team 1050 in 2001-02.
In March 2009, CHUM switched to an all-news
All-news radio
All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of news.All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried in some form on both major US satellite radio networks...
format known as CP24 Radio 1050, which operated primarily as an audio simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
of CP24.
In April 2011, CHUM reverted to a sports format as TSN Radio 1050.
Early history and Top 40 format
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
, who had been the station manager at CKCL for 14 years. CHUM received its licence in late November 1944 to operate a station with 1000 watts. CHUM launched as a dawn-to-dusk radio station on 28 October 1945, with John H.Q. "Jack" Part, an entrepreneur in the business of patent medicines, as its president. The station, then operating from studios in the Mutual Street Arena
Mutual Street Arena
Mutual Street Arena, initially called Arena Gardens or just the Arena, was an ice hockey arena and sports and entertainment venue in Toronto, Ontario...
, broadcast a format typical of the late 1940s, with a combination of information, music, and sports. When CHUM was about to debut, Leary told the press that the new station would be known for community service and in-depth news, in addition to live talent and the most popular phonograph records.
Allan Waters
Allan Waters was a Canadian businessman and media icon. Waters was one of the founders of CHUM Limited, a Canadian media corporation....
, a salesman from Part's patent medicine business. Waters' first major move was to secure a licence for 24-hour-a-day broadcasting for CHUM, along with a power increase to 5,000 watts. Less than three years after Waters acquired the station, and soonafter bringing the new full-time transmitter online, a major programming change was made. On 27 May 1957, Waters switched to a "Top 50" format that had proven itself popular in some U.S. cities; Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's "All Shook Up" was the first song played. "1050 CHUM" pioneered rock and roll radio in Toronto, and was noteworthy for hosting many noteworthy rock concerts including, among others, visits to Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
by Elvis Presley (1957) and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
(1964, '65, and '66). While the station was rising to the top of the popularity ratings in Toronto in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it also built yet another new transmitter in Mississauga, Ontario (a few miles west of the current Toronto city line) along the Lake Ontario shoreline, and raised its power once again to its current 50,000 watts around the clock.
In the late 1950s, CHUM was calling itself "Radio One", as its ratings continued to increase. An important part of CHUM's success was the station's unpredictable morning man Al Boliska, who joined CHUM in October 1957, after working at station CKLC in Kingston, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. By 1959, Boliska had made a name for himself as a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
who got listeners talking. He also made them laugh, and became known for telling what he called the "World's Worst Jokes". Boliska also did a number of stunts, such as taking part in a professional wrestling match with Whipper Billy Watson
Whipper Billy Watson
William John Potts, O.Ont was a Canadian professional wrestler best known by his ring name Whipper Billy Watson, and was a two-time world heavyweight wrestling champion.-Early life:...
. When he lost, that led to another stunt, where Boliska stayed away from his show for several days, saying he was now too discouraged by the loss to do his show. A hypnotist was called in, and Boliska's self-esteem was restored. Boliska left CHUM in late 1963 to go 'across the street' to CKEY
CHKT (AM)
CHKT is a Canadian radio station, airing at 1430 AM in Toronto, Ontario. The station, owned by the Fairchild Radio service, airs Chinese language programming.-History:The station first aired in 1925 as AM 840 CKCL, owned by the Dominion Battery company...
. He was replaced by WKBW Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
radio & TV personality Jay Nelson
Jay Nelson
Jay Nelson spent most of his career in radio, although he did a brief stint on television in the early 1960s. He was married twice and had four children. His son Kevin is one of the morning hosts on Majic 100 in Ottawa, Ontario.He started in radio at WRIT in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1955...
, popularly known as "Jungle Jay" from his role as host of a children's show on Buffalo's Channel 7 which was also popular among Toronto youngsters. He would be followed by housewives' jock John Spragge; singer/DJ Mike Darow; Pete Nordheimer, replaced in 1961 by Bob McAdorey
Bob McAdorey
Robert Joseph McAdorey was a Canadian television and radio broadcaster.Robert McAdorey was born and raised in Niagara Falls. In the 1960s, McAdorey was one of Canada's most influential radio DJs, as the afternoon 1300-1600 and later drivetime, weekdays 1600-1900 host on 1050 CHUM...
, teen DJ Dave Johnson, and all night DJ Bob Laine. Later additions to the CHUM DJ lineup included Duff Roman, John Dolan and Brian Skinner, each of whom came over from CKEY (then owned by Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke was a Canadian entrepreneur and former owner of the Washington Redskins , the Los Angeles Lakers , and the Los Angeles Kings , and built The Forum in Inglewood, California and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.-Early career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Cooke moved with his family to...
).
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, CHUM DJs included Duke Roberts (also known as Gary Duke for a time), Johnny Mitchell (better known today as Sonny Fox), J. Michael Wilson, Tom Rivers, Scott Carpenter, Jim Van Horne
Jim Van Horne
Jim Van Horne is a Canadian sports anchor.Van Horne began his broadcasting career on CKMP in Midland, Ontario, in 1971. From 1972 to 1980, Van Horne was one of the top disc jockeys in Canada at 1050 CHUM in Toronto. He was named Billboard Magazine's Disc Jockey of the year in 1972, the only...
, John Rode, Don Reagan, John Majhor
John Majhor
John Majhor was a radio and television host, most noted for his work in Toronto, Canada.-Early years:...
, Mike Cooper
Mike Cooper (broadcaster)
Mike S. Cooper is a Canadian radio personality in Toronto, Canada, co-hosting the 98.1 CHFI morning show with Erin Davis. Cooper was born in Hamilton, Ontario.-Career:* Announcer at 1050 CHUM in Toronto...
, Daryl B, Terry Steele, Mike Holland and Roger Ashby
Roger Ashby
Roger Ashby has an impressive football record, both as a player and manager. He made over 600 appearances for Kettering Town before starting a successful managerial career at Irthlingborough Diamonds, Rushden Town, Rushden & Diamonds, Bedford Town, Grantham Town and Nuneaton Borough.After being...
. Among their later night-time hosts was J. D. Roberts, who joined CHUM in 1977, co-hosted CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
's Canada AM
Canada AM
Canada AM is a Canadian breakfast television news show, which has aired on the CTV Television Network since 1972. It is currently hosted by Beverly Thomson and Seamus O'Regan, with Marci Ien reporting from the headline news desk and Jeff Hutcheson presenting the weather forecast and sports...
in the early 1990s, and eventually became known across North America as White House correspondent for CBS-TV and today hosts CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's morning program American Morning
American Morning
American Morning is the morning television show on CNN. It premiered in 2001.-About the show:American Morning is hosted by Ashleigh Banfield, Zoraida Sambolin & Soledad O'Brien. Others who appear regularly are Rob Marciano with the weather, Sunny Hostin on legal news, and CNN senior medical...
.
CHUM was also well known for its contests, like the 1970s' "I Listen to CHUM" promotion, in which DJs dialed phone numbers at random and awarded $1,000 to anyone who answered the phone with that phrase.
The CHUM Chart
CHUM Chart
The CHUM Chart was a ranking of top 30 songs on Toronto, Ontario radio station CHUM 1050 AM, from 1957 to 1986, and was the longest-running Top 40 chart in the world produced by an individual radio station...
was, for many years, the most influential weekly Top 40 chart in Canada and has been hailed as the longest-running continuously-published radio station record survey in North America. The first CHUM Chart was released on May 27, 1957, with Elvis Presley's
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
"All Shook Up" the first Number 1 song.
The end of an era: From top 40 to gold-based AC to oldies
By the mid-1980s, CHUM had lost ground in the Toronto ratings to competitor Top 40 station CFTRCFTR (AM)
CFTR, broadcasting under the brand 680News, is an all-news radio station based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which broadcasts live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 680 kHz on the AM dial...
and FM-based music stations. On June 6, 1986, at 3 PM, after the playing of Starship's We Built This City
We Built This City
"We Built This City" is the title of a song written by Bernie Taupin, Martin Page, Dennis Lambert, and Peter Wolf, and originally recorded by the American pop rock group Starship and released as its debut single on August 1, 1985....
, CHUM dropped its Top 40 format for a gold-based adult contemporary format ("Favourites of Yesterday and Today"). The CHUM Chart ended the week of June 14, 1986 with Madonna's
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
"Live to Tell
Live to Tell
"Live to Tell" is a pop ballad by American singer-songwriter Madonna. Originally written by Patrick Leonard for the soundtrack of the film Fire with Fire, the song was shown to Madonna, who decided to use it for then-husband Sean Penn's film At Close Range...
" as the final Number 1 song.
Beginning the weekend of Labour Day, 1989, CHUM adopted an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format, drawing heavily on its previous Top 40 reputation to cater to the fans of that era's music.
During the 1990s the on-air lineup included Daryl B, Bob Magee
Bob Magee
Bob Magee is the professional name of Denny O'Neil, a Canadian radio personality. Formerly, he was co-host of the morning show on CING-FM in Toronto. Previously to that, he hosted the afternoon drive time show on Toronto's CHFI-FM from 2003 until 2009...
, Kory Skinner, Andy K, Russ McLeod, Roger Kelly, Marc Chambers and Dan Michaels. In 1989, the station acquired the broadcast rights for the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
, led by play by play man Marc Charbonneau and Colour man Peter Martin, the CHUM broadcast team helped to celebrate the team's Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
victory in 1991 in Winnipeg.
In 1998, CHUM obtained the radio broadcast rights to Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
baseball, resulting in a shift towards sports programming on the station.
The Team 1050
In 2001, CHUM's owners launched a national sports radio network, titled "The Team", with CHUM serving as the network's flagship (to be called "Team 1050"). As part of the synergy, Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
broadcasts were available nationwide on the Team Radio Network. This also meant the end of music on 1050 CHUM, which occurred on May 7, 2001. Duff Roman and Bob Laine hosted a farewell party, ending with Elvis Presley's
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
"All Shook Up
All Shook Up
"All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music and composed by Otis Blackwell. Elvis Presley's single topped the U.S. Pop chart on April 13, 1957, staying there for eight weeks. It also topped the R&B chart for four weeks, becoming Presley's second single to...
" (the station's first song as a Top 40 station in 1957) and an audio montage of CHUM memories. Then, at 3 p.m., "The Team Radio Network" was launched on CHUM and CHUM-owned stations across Canada. Noted Canadian sportscaster Jim Van Horne
Jim Van Horne
Jim Van Horne is a Canadian sports anchor.Van Horne began his broadcasting career on CKMP in Midland, Ontario, in 1971. From 1972 to 1980, Van Horne was one of the top disc jockeys in Canada at 1050 CHUM in Toronto. He was named Billboard Magazine's Disc Jockey of the year in 1972, the only...
, who had recently left TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
, was the network's marquee host. In the 1970s, before he turned to sports broadcasting, Van Horne had been a rock jock on 1050 CHUM. While the station retained the CHUM call letters, on air the station was not referred to as 1050 CHUM, but rather by its Team 1050 name. Nevertheless, "1050 CHUM" wasn't entirely put to rest, as the oldies format continued on a 24-hour webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
at the 1050chum.com website.
The Team network did not prove successful, especially in Toronto, where CHUM struggled against long-time sports station The Fan 590. On August 27, 2002, the network was closed down, and while a few affiliates nationwide retained the sports format, most reverted to their pre-Team formats — including CHUM, which reverted to oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
.
Rebirth of 1050 CHUM
At 2 p.m. on August 27, 2002, the montage that closed down "1050 CHUM" reintroduced the oldies format, followed by the Elvis vs. JXL Remix of "A Little Less ConversationA Little Less Conversation
"A Little Less Conversation" is a song written by Mac Davis and Billy Strange that was originally performed and written for American rock and roll icon Elvis Presley for the 1968 film Live a Little, Love a Little. When the song was released as a single with "Almost in Love" as the b-side, it became...
" and Presley's "All Shook Up
All Shook Up
"All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music and composed by Otis Blackwell. Elvis Presley's single topped the U.S. Pop chart on April 13, 1957, staying there for eight weeks. It also topped the R&B chart for four weeks, becoming Presley's second single to...
". The station reverted to a playlist of music (along with occasional liners and identifications) that were popular in CHUM's 50s-to-80s Top 40 heyday. The station also featured The Morning Show with Gord James and the James Gang, as well as call-in lifestyle programs during weekend mornings.
In 2007, CHUM and the rest of the CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited
CHUM Limited was a media company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 1945 to 2007. Immediately prior to its acquisition, it held full or joint control of two Canadian television systems — Citytv and A-Channel — comprising 11 local stations, and one CBC Television affiliate, one...
stations (with the exception of Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
) were sold to CTVglobemedia
CTVglobemedia
CTVglobemedia , was one of Canada's largest private media companies. Its operations include newspaper publishing , television broadcasting and production , radio broadcasting , and their respective Internet properties.Originally established by BCE and the Thomson family in 2001 combining CTV Inc.,...
. That same year, CHUM commemorated the 50th anniversary of the launch of its rock and roll format, the highlights of which included vignettes and specials throughout the year, as well as anniversary celebrations on May 26, 2007 that included an open house at CHUM's studios at 1331 Yonge Street
1331 Yonge Street
1331 Yonge Street was the civic address of an office and studio complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, It is located on Yonge Street, three blocks south of St. Clair Avenue...
, in conjunction with Doors Open Toronto
Doors Open Toronto
Doors Open Toronto, now in its 12th year, has evolved into a weekend festival that is recognized as one of Toronto's greatest cultural events....
, and a concert at Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza that forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and named for Nathan Phillips, mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962. The square opened in 1965, and, as with the City Hall, the square was...
.
Move from the CHUM Radio Building
In 2008, CTVglobemedia announced they had sold 1331 Yonge Street1331 Yonge Street
1331 Yonge Street was the civic address of an office and studio complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, It is located on Yonge Street, three blocks south of St. Clair Avenue...
to a condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
developer and had acquired a new property, 250 Richmond Street West
250 Richmond Street West
250 Richmond Street West is a studio complex in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building now serves as the new headquarters of Bell Media Radio's national operations, a division of Bell Media and to the studios of the company's Toronto radio stations, CHUM , CHUM-FM as well as Bell Media's...
, to serve as the new home of CHUM and CHUM-FM. On August 18, 2009, CHUM left 1331 Yonge Street, ending 50 years at its historic home. The site is slated to become a new condominium complex.
CP24 Radio 1050
Almost seven years after the demise of The Team, and amidst other cost-cutting measures at CTVglobemedia and other Canadian broadcasters due to the global economic crisisLate 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
and the 2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment
2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment
In 2007, significant ownership changes occurred in Canada's broadcast television industry, involving nearly every network and television system. In addition to the shuffling of television network affiliations and network mergers, several new broadcast translators and new television stations also...
, CTV announced on March 25, 2009 that CHUM would again drop its oldies format. The station was converted to all-news as "CP24 Radio 1050" effective 5:00 a.m. the following day, acting as an audio simulcast of its co-owned 24-hour television all-news channel, CP24. The move coincided with the launch of CP24's new morning program, CP24 Breakfast
CP24 Breakfast
CP24 Breakfast is a Canadian morning television news show that airs on CP24, the show airs weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 7:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. on Saturdays and 7:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m...
(which was launching due to the realignment, as CP24 was no longer simulcasting Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
Breakfast television
Breakfast television
Breakfast television or morning show , is a type of infotainment television program, broadcast live in the morning...
) . Unlike the sendoff the station received upon its switch to The Team, the switch occurred without ceremony and with minimal publicity. Moreover, no webcast of the former oldies format was offered on this occasion, as 1050chum.com redirected to the CP24 website. Although operations for CP24 remained housed at 299 Queen Street West, technical operations and studios for the minimally unique weekend programming on CP24 Radio 1050 continued, first at 1331 Yonge Street, and then at 250 Richmond Street West.
The change came a few weeks after the CRTC revised its formatting regulations to permit oldies music on FM radio for the first time, although at the time of the change no Toronto-area FM station had performed such a flip (CHBM-FM and Hamilton's CING-FM
CING-FM
CING-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 95.3 FM in Hamilton, Ontario. The station airs a classic hits format branded as Vinyl 95.3.CING was launched in 1976 by Burlington Broadcasting, at 107.9 FM in Burlington, Ontario...
both adopted a classic hits format later in the year). CKOC in Hamilton retained a more traditional AM oldies format, while pop standards station CFZM marketed itself as an alternative as well.
Criticism
A number of media critics, including Toronto SunToronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
columnist and former radio personality Ted Woloshyn
Ted Woloshyn
Ted Woloshyn is a Toronto broadcaster. He hosted The Ted Woloshyn Show, mornings from 5:30 to 8:30 on CFRB radio 1010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 3 November 1996 until 15 December 2006. He previously worked for Toronto area stations CFNY-FM, Q107 and CKFM-FM...
, criticized CP24 Radio 1050 as a poor substitute for a true news radio format. In his column on the format change, Woloshyn noted a number of instances where he could tell he was listening to content that had been prepared for television, not radio, presentation:
TSN Radio 1050
Shortly after the re-acquisition of CTVglobemedia by Bell Canada was announced in the fall of 2010, and with CP24 Radio 1050 not proving to be successful, media analysts began to speculate that CTV would be converting many of its existing AM radio stations including CP24 Radio 1050 into a national TSN RadioTSN Radio
TSN Radio is a semi-national sports radio network in Canada carried on AM radio stations owned by Bell Media's Bell Media Radio division. The TSN Radio brand, and much of the network's content, is partially shared with Bell Media's television sports channel, The Sports Network...
network sometime in 2011 which would compete against rival Rogers
Rogers Media
Rogers Media Inc is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., which owns Canada's largest publishing company, Rogers Publishing Limited, which has more than 70 consumer and business publications. Rogers Media Inc...
-owned Toronto radio stations, The Fan 590, as the two stations previously did from 2001-2002.
On February 17, 2011, It was then officially announced that CHUM would drop its simulcast of CP24's programming as CP24 Radio 1050 and return to sports radio format as TSN Radio 1050. Shortly after the format change was announced, CP24 begun phasing out the CP24 Radio 1050 monikers from the enriched screens and CP24's station identifications. The official re-launch to TSN Radio 1050 was initially scheduled to take place at 5:30 a.m. on April 13, 2011, however it instead occurred at 1:00 a.m. on the same day beginning with ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
overnight programming (AllNight with Jason Smith
AllNight with Jason Smith
AllNight with Jason Smith was a syndicated sports talk radio show on ESPN Radio, hosted by Jason Smith. The show was heard Sunday through Thursday from 10pm PT to1 am PT live from the studios of KSPN in Los Angeles, California, rather than the ESPN Headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
& Sportscenter AM
Sportscenter AM
SportsCenter AM is a radio show on ESPN Radio hosted by ESPN Radio SportsCenter anchor Jay Reynolds. The show features scores from all the major sporting events including the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. They usually play audio highlights for last minute shots, game winning homers, and other exciting...
) airing on the station until the official launch of TSN Radio 1050 occurred with The Mike Richards Show at 5:30am.
This change comes just weeks after Bell Canada completed its acquisition of 100% of the shares in CTVglobemedia it didn't already own. It renamed the company Bell Media and likewise renamed the radio division CHUM Radio to Bell Media Radio.
Ratings in the initial weeks of broadcasting showed that CHUM's new TSN Radio sports format was capturing 1.0% of the target male audience, while rival sports station The Fan 590 was capturing 5.8% of the same demographic. Still, the ratings were considered promising enough that Bell Media announced that it would replicate the TSN Radio format in two Canadian cities with Winnipeg and Montreal joining the network in early October 2011.
Studios
TSN Radio 1050s primary studios is currently located at Bell Media's Bell Media Radio studios located at 250 Richmond Street West250 Richmond Street West
250 Richmond Street West is a studio complex in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building now serves as the new headquarters of Bell Media Radio's national operations, a division of Bell Media and to the studios of the company's Toronto radio stations, CHUM , CHUM-FM as well as Bell Media's...
in Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
(which also houses sister radio stations, 104.5 CHUM-FM
CHUM-FM
CHUM-FM is a Canadian radio station licensed to Toronto, Ontario and operated by Bell Media. It broadcasts at 104.5 MHz with a hot adult contemporary format that leans towards rhythmic adult contemporary...
and Flow 93.5
CFXJ-FM
CFXJ-FM is a Canadian radio station in Toronto, Ontario, which uses the on-air brand FLOW 93.5. It first aired in 2001 as Canada's first urban music station...
) which is adjacent to 299 Queen Street West (where Bell Media's speciality channels such as MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
and CP24 are based). In addition, auxilery studios for TSN Radio 1050 are also located at 9 Channel Nine Court
9 Channel Nine Court
9 Channel Nine Court is the civic address of an office and studio complex of Bell Media in the Agincourt neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, alternatively known as the CTV Toronto Studios, CFTO-TV Studios or Bell Media Agincourt...
in Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
where TSN's television operations and sister television station CFTO-TV
CFTO-TV
CFTO-DT, broadcast on channel 9 and cable 8, is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Currently branded as CTV Toronto, it is the flagship station of the CTV Television Network, and was one of the charter members of the network when it was launched in 1961. It...
are based.
Programming
The programming when TSN Radio 1050 launched represented a 'soft launch' version. By September 2011, TSN Radio 1050 anticipates a 'hard launch' version with additional locally produced programming displacing the syndicated radio shows.Weekday Programming
Weekday programming begins with Mike Richards
Mike Richards (broadcaster)
Mike Richards is a Canadian sports radio broadcaster. Previously associated with The Fan 590 in Toronto and The Fan 960 in Calgary, he was announced in January 2011 as the first major personality hired for TSN Radio 1050 and the national TSN Radio network, where he will be a morning host...
hosting The Mike Richards Show from 5:30am-9am (ET)
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
. The Mike Richards Show along with Cybulski & Company were expected to be simulcast on TSN2
TSN2
TSN2 is a secondary feed of the Canadian English language Category C specialty channel TSN, owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc., a joint venture of Bell Media and ESPN...
starting in the fall of 2011, although this has been delayed due to construction for TSN Radio 1050's auxilerly studios at Bell Media's 9 Channel Nine Court
9 Channel Nine Court
9 Channel Nine Court is the civic address of an office and studio complex of Bell Media in the Agincourt neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, alternatively known as the CTV Toronto Studios, CFTO-TV Studios or Bell Media Agincourt...
headquarters in Agincourt, home of several Bell Media channels including, CFTO-TV
CFTO-TV
CFTO-DT, broadcast on channel 9 and cable 8, is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, owned by Bell Media. Currently branded as CTV Toronto, it is the flagship station of the CTV Television Network, and was one of the charter members of the network when it was launched in 1961. It...
and TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
. The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show is a syndicated sports talk show hosted by former ESPN personality Dan Patrick. It is currently produced by DirecTV Sports Group and is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. The three-hour program broadcasts live every day beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern/6 a.m. Pacific time on Fox...
was initially announced to follow Mike Richards from 10am-noon and was to be joined in progress, although as of September 2011, this program follows the Mike Richards Show and airs from 9am - 12noon, however Bryan Hayes departed Talk 640 Toronto to host a show at the aforementioned time, displacing Dan Patrick from the time-slot, although this program currently airs from 12-noon-4pm From noon-1pm Steve Kouleas
Steve Kouleas
Steve Kouleas is a Canadian television anchor, radio host and hockey broadcaster who currently works for TSN...
hosts That's Hockey 2Day. Since the show will be in hiatus during the NHL off-season, Bryan Hayes' show will fill its time slot. The Jim Rome Show
The Jim Rome Show
The Jim Rome Show is a sports radio talk show hosted by Jim Rome. It airs live for three hours each weekday from 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. The show is produced in Los Angeles, California, syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, and can be heard on more than 200 affiliate radio stations in the U.S...
was initially scheduled to air from 1pm-4pm, however Dan Patrick instead aired on tape delay in that time slot. Afternoon drive programming was announced on March 31, 2011, with James Cybulski
James Cybulski
James Cybulski is a Canadian radio sportscaster currently working as a host of Cybulski and Company on TSN RADIO 1050. Cybulski also works as a television sportscaster, and a reporter for SportsCentre on TSN....
hosting Cybulski and Company from 4pm-7pm. with Bruce Arthur co-hosting the show on Mondays. Dave Feschuk also co-hosts during the week. After 7pm, TSN Radio 1050 features a combination of live sports offering, and post-game shows Scott Macarthur, formerly of The Team 1200, and Jim Tatti co-hosts Game Night which airs from 7pm-11pm. 11pm onward TSN Radio 1050 airs ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
's AllNight with Jason Smith
AllNight with Jason Smith
AllNight with Jason Smith was a syndicated sports talk radio show on ESPN Radio, hosted by Jason Smith. The show was heard Sunday through Thursday from 10pm PT to1 am PT live from the studios of KSPN in Los Angeles, California, rather than the ESPN Headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
. while on Friday nights TSN Radio 1050 would air a one hour program called Sports Beats from 11pm-midnight, followed by various ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
thereafter until 9am Saturday.
Aside from programming, Claude Feig hosts Sportscentre
SportsCentre
SportsCentre is a sports news program airing on the Canadian network TSN. As TSN's flagship program, it airs several times daily, and beginning in the 2008 season it also began to be aired on sister network CTV as its post-game program for early NFL games....
updates from 11am-3pm. While the CP24 traffic team would continue to host traffic updates, as they do at the other Bell Media Radio stations in Toronto.
Weekend Programming
Weekend programming primarily consists of programming from ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
. On Saturday's a one-hour program called Golf Talk Canada airs from 9:00am – 10:00am, On Sunday's TSN Radio 1050 airs a one hour program called Fast Talk which airs from 7am-8am followed by The International Sports Report which airs from 8am-10am and a live weekend program called TSN 1050 Gameday, hosted by Mike Hogan
Mike Hogan (sportscaster)
Mike Hogan is a Canadian sportscaster who is a sports talk radio host on TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto. Hogan was formerly a long time sports talk radio host on Toronto station CJCL , branded "The Fan 590", until he was relieved of those duties on June 24, 2010.-Fan 590 tenure:Hogan previously hosted...
and Matt Cauz, airs from 10am-7pm. As of October 9, 2011, Live Audio Wrestling
Live Audio Wrestling
Live Audio Wrestling , is a radio show, syndicated on conventional radio and previously broadcast on satellite radio and as a podcast, based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is owned by Fight Network. The show is broadcast live at 12:00am on Monday mornings , on TSN Radio 1050...
began to air Monday mornings from 12:00am-2:00am.
Live Sports Programming
Additionally, TSN Radio 1050 is the official local radio broadcaster for the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
during the 2011 and 2012 seasons as well as golf's The British Open, The U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
, EURO 2012 and EURO 2016 as part of TSN's broadcasting rights for the events.TSN Radio 1050 has simulcasted ESPN Radio's broadcast of the 2011 NBA Playoffs
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
. For the 2011 NFL season
2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
, TSN Radio 1050 has secured the broadcast rights of NFL on Westwood One
NFL on Westwood One
The NFL on Westwood One is the brand name given to weekly National Football League games carried on the radio over the Dial Global Radio Network...
.
Other availability
TSN Radio 1050's programming is streamed live online and is available on Bell TV channel 995.On-air staff
|
Steve Kouleas Steve Kouleas is a Canadian television anchor, radio host and hockey broadcaster who currently works for TSN... Rick Ralph Rick C. Ralph is the Winnipeg Jets game day host with Winnipeg's TSN 1290.Ralph was a professor of broadcast journalism at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto... Mike Richards (broadcaster) Mike Richards is a Canadian sports radio broadcaster. Previously associated with The Fan 590 in Toronto and The Fan 960 in Calgary, he was announced in January 2011 as the first major personality hired for TSN Radio 1050 and the national TSN Radio network, where he will be a morning host... |
Initial Reception
After the format shift, reception to TSN Radio 1050 was generally positive. Toronto Sports Media wrote:Corey Longo of SportsHaze wrote:
Meanwhile, Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
positively opined that:
However Raju Mudhar of the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
was more melancholy:
In addition, Bruce Dowbiggin of The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
suggested that the on-air talent was simply a rehash of past and failed hosts:
Although reception to the programming was well received, many complained of noise
Noise (radio)
In radio reception, noise is the superposition of white noise and other disturbing influences on the signal, caused either by thermal noise and other electronic noise from receiver input circuits or by interference from radiated electromagnetic noise picked up by the receiver's antenna...
in parts of Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
resulting in obstructed listening and in lieu, forcing them to tune to The Fan 590.
External links
- TSN Radio 1050
- Rock Radio Scrapbook The CHUM Charts
- Rock Radio Scrapbook The CHUM Archives (Part 1) and (Part 2)
- CHUM history at Canadian Communications FoundationCanadian Communications FoundationThe Canadian Communications Foundation is a history of Canadian broadcasting for radio and television chronicles and documents. It also provides a history of radio and television stations, including networks, programs, broadcasters and many others....