 | |
| Broadcast area | Waterloo Region |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 105.3MHz (FM) |
| Branding | 105.3Virgin Radio |
| Programming | |
| Format | Top 40/CHR |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | |
| CKKW-FM,CKCO-DT | |
| History | |
First air date | 1949 |
| Technical information | |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 250 meters (820 ft) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | iheartradio.ca/virginradio/kitchener |
CFCA-FM is a Canadianradio station broadcasting at 105.3FM inKitchener,Ontario. The station currently plays aTop 40/CHRformat branded as105.3Virgin Radio and is owned byBell Media.
CFCA's studios and offices are located inWaterloo, and theirtransmitter is onBaden Hill (also known as the Baden Tower), just west of the Kitchener city limits.
CFCA was first launched on 106.1FM in 1949 by local broadcasterCarl Pollock. It was the first FM radio station in Canada to operate independently, without an AM sister station. Due to the limited audience reach of FM radio at the time, however, the station left the air in 1951. Pollock subsequently launched television stationCKCO-TV in 1954 and AM radio stationCKKW in 1959, and then relaunched CFCA in 1967 as aneasy listening station. Pollock's broadcast holdings became part ofElectrohome in 1970.
CFCA and CKKW were tentatively sold in 1992 to a local consortium consisting of Jack Schoone, a former local radio announcer, and Irving Zucker, a former owner of competing stationsCKGL andCHYM-FM, but the deal fell through and the stations were instead acquired byCHUM Radio in 1993. By then the station had migrated from itsbeautiful music/easy listening sound to a brighteradult contemporary format.
On August 12, 1994 at Noon, CFCA flipped toclassic rock as105.3 Kool FM.
During the early 2000s, the station addedpop/rock songs into theirplaylist, and shifted towardsHot AC, but retained the rock lean and the "Kool FM" moniker.
CTVglobemedia became the stations' owner when it acquired CHUM Radio in2007, and is currently owned byBell Media since2011.
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In 2012, CFCA was slightly rebranded asKool 105.3, with a new logo and a new slogan "Today's Best Variety".
On July 26,2016, CFCA began stunting withChristmas music, while teasing a change to come that Friday (July 29) at Noon. At that time, CFCA flipped toTop 40/CHR, branded as105.3Virgin Radio, making CFCA the 8th station in Canada to utilize the "Virgin Radio" branding. (At the same time as CFCA's flip,CJCH-FM inHalifax rebranded to "Virgin".)[1][2][3][4][5] The first song on "Virgin" (as well as Halifax's "Virgin") was "This Is What You Came For" byCalvin Harris andRihanna.
Radio industry websites RadioInsight and Puget Sound Radio both reported that the station is expected to be reborn as a Virgin Radio "contemporary hit radio" station.
43°24′15″N80°38′04″W / 43.40417°N 80.63444°W /43.40417; -80.63444
