 | |
| Broadcast area | Greater Toronto Area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1010kHz |
| Branding | Newstalk 1010 |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/talk |
| Affiliations | Bell Media Premiere Networks CBS News Radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| CFTO-DT,CP24,CKVR-DT,CHUM,CHUM-FM,CKFM-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | February 19, 1927; 98 years ago (1927-02-19) |
Former frequencies |
|
Call sign meaning | "Canada's First Rogers Batteryless" |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | CRTC |
| Class | A (Clear-channel) |
| Power | 50,000watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 43°30′20.2″N79°37′50.6″W / 43.505611°N 79.630722°W /43.505611; -79.630722 |
| Repeaters | 99.9CKFM-HD2, 6.07 MHzCFRX |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | iheartradio.ca/newstalk-1010 |
CFRB (1010AM) is acommercialradio station inToronto, Ontario, Canada. It is owned byBell Media and carries aNews/Talkradio format. Its studios and offices are in theEntertainment District at250 Richmond Street West.
One of the oldest surviving radio stations active in Toronto, CFRB went on the air on February 19, 1927, as9RB owned byEdward S. Rogers Sr., with the callsign derived from its parentRogers Vacuum Tube Company, and the station moved to its current 1010 AM frequency in 1948. Throughout ownership changes for most of the decade and its format remained intact, the station was acquired bySlaight Broadcasting in 1985, before being acquired byAstral Media in 2007 and ultimately sold toBell Canada, rival company ofRogers Communications, founded by Rogers Sr.'s son,Ted Rogers Jr., in 2013.[1]
CFRB is aclear channel station powered at 50,000watts, the maximum permitted in Canada. While it is aClass A station, it also must protectCBR inCalgary, which shares Class A status on1010 AM. CFRB uses a four-tower arraydirectional antenna in theClarkson neighbourhood ofMississauga. CFRB issimulcast onshortwave stationCFRX at 6.07MHz in the 49 metre band and onsister station 99.9CKFM-FM-HD2, adigital subchannel. CFRB is also heard across Canada onBell Satellite TV channel 964.[2]
CFRB firstsigned on the air on February 19, 1927. It is notToronto's very first radio station, but it is the city's oldest English-language broadcaster still operating today. (CJBC, which now operates in French, was founded in 1925.) It was founded by theRogers Vacuum Tube Company. The station was used to promoteEdward S. Rogers Sr.'s invention of abatteryless radio receiver that could be operated usingalternating current and therefore did not need the cumbersome battery that had previously been required. The station itself was a demonstration of Rogers' application of his invention to radio transmitters as well as receivers, a development that allowed for a signal that reproduced voices and music more clearly. The new type of transmitter also made CFRB the world's first all-electric radio station.[3] The letters "RB" in the station's callsign stand for "Rogers' Batteryless".
The station began transmitting on an experimental basis in January 1927 as 9RB, before being converted to commercial operation a few weeks later, as CFRB. Thosecall letters have been used continuously since then. On February 19, the inaugural broadcast was a livesymphony orchestra concert conducted by Jack Arthur.[4] During its first years, CFRB leased time to twophantom stations: CNRX, owned byCanadian National Railways and providing programs ofCanada's first radio network, and CPRY, owned by the CNR's rival, theCanadian Pacific Railway. The CNR's network was discontinued in 1933, with many of its assets eventually passing to theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and the CPR's radio service was discontinued in 1935.[5]
CFRB's first studios were in a mansion onJarvis Street north of Wellesley Street, built by the family ofHart Massey. In 1929, the station moved to purpose-built studios at 37Bloor Street West. In the same year, the station became anetwork affiliate of theColumbia Broadcasting System.[5]
In 1932, CFRB began airing theGeneral Motors Hockey Broadcast, which had originated on the CNR's network. This program eventually becameHockey Night in Canada, and continued to be aired by CFRB for many years, despite also airing on the CBC'sflagship stationCBL, and continues to this day onCBC Television andRogers Sportsnet.[5]
From the 1930s to the 1950s, CFRB was the radio broadcaster for theToronto Santa Claus Parade.
In 1937, CFRB began tosimulcast onshortwave stationCFRX at 6070 kHz.[5]
Following the sudden death of Edward S. Rogers Sr. in 1939, Rogers Majestic Corporation Limited was sold in 1941 and became Standard Radio Limited. In turn, the company was acquired byArgus Corporation in 1946.[5]
On November 1, 1946,Wally Crouter joined CFRB. He eventually became its morningdrive time host, a position he would hold until his retirement on November 1, 1996, after exactly fifty years at the station.[5]
CFRB andCJBC, owned by the CBC, made a frequency switch on September 1, 1948. CFRB moved to 1010 while CJBC took over theClass I-A clear-channel frequency at 860, previously used by CFRB.[6] The CBC wanted its stations in major cities to be on Class I-A frequencies. But CFRB, which had been running at 20,000 watts, was boosted to 50,000watts, giving it wide coverage overSouthern Ontario.
Beginning in 1948, through until the early 1970s, CFRB made several unsuccessful bids for a licence to operate a television station in Toronto.
In 1965, CFRB moved its studios from 37 Bloor Street West to 2 St. Clair Avenue West (at Yonge Street). At around the same time, Standard Radio Limited was renamed Standard Broadcasting.[5]
A long-lasting show,Calling All Britons featuring news, sports scores and music from Britain, began in 1965. It was hosted byRay Sonin until his death in 1991.
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In 1978, Argus Corporation was acquired byConrad Black and his brother Montegu, thus also giving them ownership of Standard Broadcasting. In November 1985,Slaight Broadcasting acquired Standard from the Blacks.[5] In October 2007, Slaight sold Standard toAstral Media.[7]
Ted Rogers, the communications mogul and son of CFRB's founder, had vowed to re-acquire the station that his family had lost after his father's death, and considered his failure to do so his greatest disappointment. Reports indicate that he continued to attempt to re-acquire CFRB right up until his death in December 2008.[8]
In July 2013, with a buyout of Astral Media, CFRB was acquired byBell Media, a subsidiary ofBell Canada which already owns theCTV Television Network and rival competitor toRogers Communications founded by Ted Rogers.[9] Shortly after the purchase, Bell announced that it would move the studios and offices of CFRB and sister stationCKFM-FM from their long-time location atSt. Clair Avenue andYonge Street, to250 Richmond Street West at Richmond and Duncan (which already houses the operations of sister radio stations,CHUM andCHUM-FM). The building is adjacent to299 Queen Street West located atQueen Street andJohn Street (which already houses the operations of several Bell Media specialty television channels includingCP24 andMuchMusic).[10] The move took place on May 10, 2014.[11]
The transmitting antennas for CFRB are a prominent landmark alongLake Ontario, a four-tower array in theClarkson neighbourhood ofMississauga. Thetowers are visible from over 100 km away. They are used as a landmark for navigation by pilots, on approach toToronto Pearson International Airport, or toToronto Island Airport. The antenna array consists of four vertical masts, 168 metres (550 feet) in height.[12]
CFRB was one of few stations to broadcast inAM stereo, starting in 1984. However, since AM stereo never achieved wide acceptance, the station deactivated its stereo broadcasting system in the mid-1990s.
The transmitter is located on Royal Windsor Drive, 200 meters west of the intersection ofLakeshore Road West (former King's Highway 2) and Southdown Road, at the coordinates43°30′21″N79°37′54″W / 43.505748°N 79.631786°W /43.505748; -79.631786.
| Broadcast area | North America |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 6.07MHz (49 m shortwave) |
| Branding | Newstalk 1010 |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/Talk |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Bell Media |
| CFRB,CKFM-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | February 11, 1937 (88 years ago) (1937-02-11) |
| Technical information | |
| Power | 1kW |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | iheartradio.ca/newstalk-1010 |
CFRX is the internationalshortwave relay of CFRB. It transmits with a power of 1kW on 6.07 MHz in the 49-meter shortwave band. CFRX signed on the air on February 11, 1937, 10 years after CFRB began. In 1948, CFRB was considering discontinuing its shortwave relay when the station was planning the relocation of its transmitter fromAurora to a new complex atClarkson, Ontario but decided to keep the CFRX transmitter and move it to Clarkson after receiving hundreds of letters from listeners.[5] CFRX is operated on the north end of the same site as CFRB's main transmitter building.
The shortwave signal was originally directed to the northwest in order to provide service towards northern Ontario and western Canada. When a new transmitter was installed in the 2000s, it was made omni-directional with the intention of providing availability to Canadians travelling to or vacationing in the United States, particularlysnowbirds.[13]
CFRB has local hosts most of the day, though several shows aresyndicated to other Bell Media talk stations in Canada. The 11 p.m. newscast issimulcast from co-ownedCFTO-DT Channel 9CTV Toronto.
CFRB traditionally had Toronto's top-rated morning drive show with hostWally Crouter, who joined the station in 1946 and a few weeks later began hosting its morning drive show, originally calledTop O’ The Morning[5] and later theWally Crouter Show, until his retirement in 1996. At its peak in the 1970s and 1980s, the show drew half-a-million listeners.[14] CFRB's morning show has trailedCBC Radio One'sMetro Morning since 2003.[15][16]
As of 2024, Newstalk 1010's Monday to Friday schedule consisted ofMoore in the Morning with John Moore in the morning drive slot, Jerry Agar in mid-morning followed byThe Vassy Kapelos Show over midday,The Rush, with rotating hosts, in the afternoon, the simulcastCTV News Toronto in the late afternoon drive slot, followed byNewstalk Tonight with Jim Richards in the evening and a simulcast ofCTV National News in the late evening followed by repeats overnight.[17] An attempt to schedule Jim Richards in a national overnight shift in 2021 proved unsuccessful.[18]The Rush was hosted by Reshmi Nair and Scott MacArthur from 2022 to 2023 and had previously been hosted by Jay Michaels and Ryan Doyle.[19]
Weekend programming consists largely of repeats of programs from the previous week as well as some original programming such asTaking Stock, a business show withAmanda Lang, talent showFree For All with Amanda Galbraith, advice programs such as a home improvement show, a pet show, a real estate show, an employment law show,Tech Talk with Marc Saltzman,The Disability Law Show,The Sunday Money Show,Ask The Experts with Iain Grant, and several podcasts as well as simulcasts ofCP24 andCTV News.Avrum Rosensweig co-hosted and produced a show with Marty Galin about food and restaurants calledMarty & Avrum: The Food Guys. on Saturdays from 6-7pm.[17][20]
In August 2009, CFRB announced it was laying off a number of its well-known personalities, includingMichael Coren, Paul and Carol Mott, Christina Cherneskey, Jacqui Delaney and newscaster Kris McCusker as part of a move to open a "new chapter" at the station.[21]
The second phase of the shake up was announced in the fall withJohn Moore moving from afternoon drive to morning, replacingBill Carroll, who moved to the 9 am to 1 pm slot.Jim Richards took over the 1pm to 4pm slot formerly held by The Motts and Michael Coren and former Ontario Progressive Conservative leaderJohn Tory (later mayor of Toronto) took over the late afternoon slot vacated by Moore.[22] In 2010, Carroll left CFRB to take a job inLos Angeles and was replaced byJerry Agar.
In early 2013, the station added Astral's new late nightHumble & Fred show.[23]
Toronto City CouncillorJosh Matlow started on CFRB contributing to Sundays with John Downs and then began hosting his own show,The City (beginning in August 2011) every Sunday on CFRB between 1-3PM. Matlow discussed city hall's top headlines with Toronto's city councillors and the week's news makers. From February 2012 until November 2013, CFRB airedThe City, featuring Toronto MayorRob Ford and his brother and city councillorDoug Ford. The Ford brothers' version of the show was often controversial and was allegedly used by the Fords as a platform to attack their political enemies, prompting various complaints. The show was cancelled in November 2013 after Mayor Ford admitted using crack cocaine after several months of denials. The Fords were replaced in their time slot byMark Towhey[24] who had previously been Mayor Ford's Chief of Staff until he was fired by Ford on May 23, 2013[25] at the height of Ford's crack video scandal.[26][27] Towhey's show continued until 2021.
In 2016,Tim Hudak, the former leader of theOntario Progressive Conservative Party, was given a show on Sundays which he hosted until 2021.[28]
In February 2021, Bell Media eliminated 210 positions at its media properties across Canada. Included in the layoffs were Newstalk 1010 news director Kym Geddes, and several broadcasters including weekend hostTed Woloshyn,Nightside host Barb DiGiulio, news reporters and anchors Hayley Cooper, David McKee, Lucas Meyer, and Claude Feig.[29]
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