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| Broadcast area | Greater Toronto Area |
| Frequency | 104.5MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | CHUM 104.5 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Hot adult contemporary |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | |
| History | |
First air date | September 1, 1963 (62 years ago) (1963-09-01) |
Call sign meaning | CHUM Limited (former owner) |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | CRTC |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 36,180 watts[1] |
| HAAT | 449 meters (1,473 ft)[1] |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | iheartradio.ca/chum |
CHUM-FM (104.5 FM) is a Canadian radio station inToronto, Ontario. Owned byBell Media, the station airs ahot adult contemporaryformat. CHUM-FM's studios are located at250 Richmond Street West in theEntertainment District, while its transmitter is located atop theCN Tower. The station is simulcast onShaw Direct channel 872,[2] and onBell Satellite TV channel 990.[3]CHUM-FM is consistently one of Toronto's most popular stations according toNumeris' radio ratings.[4]
CHUM-FM started broadcasting on September 1, 1963, with anERP of 18,000 watts and atransmitter and studio at 1331 Yonge Street.[5] It aired aclassical music format, the first station in Canada to do so. On March 21, 1966, their ERP was increased to 54,000 watts. In 1968, CHUM-FM received approval for a change in its transmitter location and increase in power to 100,000 watts. The transmitter was to be moved to the top of the Manufacturer's Life Building at 250 Bloor Street East.
At midnight on July 1, CHUM-FM changed formats toprogressive rock, a forerunner to the present-dayadult album alternative format, by playing a wide range of music ranging fromworld music andjazz to classical music andfolk music.[6] The station also aired public affairs programming, such asIn Toronto. The station featured many famous Canadian radio personalities such as Larry Green, Walter Michaels, Steve Harris, Pete and Geets,Reiner Schwarz, Larry Wilson,David Marsden, David Pritchard and actorRick Moranis.[7]
On December 14, 1973, the station was authorized, along with other Toronto FM and TV stations, to move their transmitter to the top of theCN Tower. The new transmitter was turned on on May 31, 1976, with a reduced ERP of 40,000 watts.[7]
In 1978, CHUM-FM created aTop 30 Album Chart to complement sister station CHUM-AM'sSingles Chart. A television version of the countdown was later broadcast onCitytv, featuring music videos for most of the songs in the countdown; the TV version was discontinued in January 2008, followingRogers Communications' acquisition of Citytv.
In June 1984, the station started evolving towardsadult contemporary, with the shift completed by that September, though the station would retain arock lean through the remainder of the decade.[7] Longtime morning show host Roger Ashby would join the station from CHUM-AM on September 2, 1985, and would be paired with Rick Hodge (who had been doing sports updates on the FM's morning show since 1974).Marilyn Denis would join the show in July 1986, with "Roger, Rick & Marilyn" becoming an instant success, making them some of the best known broadcasters in Toronto radio.[8][9] Throughout the next two decades, CHUM-FM would usually be the highest rated station in the Toronto market, though it would occasionally alternate with CHFI, who was usually ranked a very close second, and would occasionally dip to third place behindCFRB.
The station evolved to its currenthot adult contemporary format in 1990.
On May 26, 1998, CHUM-FM was granted a license to broadcast inDigital audio broadcasting using the Eureka-147 system. Thetransmitter was installed on theCN Tower and broadcast at 1456.304 MHz with anERP of 5,084 watts.
At the 25th Anniversary Canadian Music Industry Awards, held March 8, 2007, CHUM-FM was honoured as Station of the Year, Program Director of the year for CHUM-FM PD Rob Farina, and air talent of the year forRoger, Rick & Marilyn. Former CHUM President Jim Waters was inducted into the Music Industry Hall of Fame that same evening.
On June 22, CTVglobemedia purchased CHUM-FM and most of the other assets ofCHUM Limited, the station's owners since their sign-on in 1963, following approval by theCRTC, while theCitytv stations were sold toRogers Communications.
On June 23, Rick Hodge resigned from both CHUM-AM and CHUM-FM to pursue other opportunities.[10] Roger Ashby and Marilyn Denis continued to host mornings, which would then be titledRoger, Darren & Marilyn (when Darren B. Lamb joined the show after a stint of afternoon drive host); Lamb left the station on September 23, 2015, with mornings hosted by Ashby and Denis.[11][12] After a stint atCFRB andCJEZ-FM, Hodge would later move to sister stationCHRE-FM inSt. Catharines, where he remained until his retirement in 2019; Lamb would join CHFI in February 2016, and remained until his departure in 2021.[13][14]
Also in 2008, CTVglobemedia announced they had sold 1331 Yonge Street to acondominium developer and had acquired a new property,250 Richmond Street West, to serve as the new home ofCHUM-AM and CHUM-FM.[15] On August 18, 2009, CHUM-FM left 1331 Yonge Street, ending 46 years at its historic home. The site would become home to a condominium complex. The new building is adjacent (and connected) toBell Media's headquarters at299 Queen Street West (which also formerly housed the studios ofCitytv).
Until late 2009, CHUM-FM continued to be the most listened to and most influential radio station in Canada with over 1,166,000 weekly listeners according to the BBM data released on December 3, 2007.[16] In December 2009, AC rivalCHFI-FM became the most-listened-to radio station in Toronto.[17] During the2005–2009 season, CHFI continued to usually beat CHUM-FM as the top-rated radio station in Toronto, although CHUM-FM had unseated CHFI in some books.[18][19]
On September 10, 2010, Bell Canada announced plans to re-acquire 100% of CTVglobemedia's broadcasting arm, including CHUM Radio.[20] When the deal was finalized on April 1, 2011, CTVglobemedia becameBell Media, and likewise CHUM Radio becameBell Media Radio, effectively retiring the last remaining piece of the former CHUM Limited company. CHUM Radio had been the only division of the company to retain the CHUM name following the acquisition of CHUM Limited by CTVglobemedia in 2007.[21]
On June 22, 2018, the station relaunched asCHUM 104.5. The rebranding was intended to appeal more strongly towards women 25–54, and accompanied by a stronger emphasis on social media content and community interaction.[22]
CHUM-FM's current host lineup includesMarilyn Denis, David Corey, Jamar "J. Niice" McNeil, Ashley Greco,Josie Dye, Ruby Carr, Taylor Kaye, Peter Kash, and Aiko Iwashita.[23]
CHUM-FM's morning show was hosted by Roger Ashby and Marilyn Denis for 32 years. The show originally featured Rick Hodge as an additional host until he resigned in 2008; after Hodge's resignation, Darren B. Lamb became a co-host, until he too resigned in September 2015. On July 16, 2018, the show returned to three people with the addition of Jamar "J. Niice" McNeil branded as "Roger and Marilyn with Jamar". On October 25, 2018, Ashby announced that he would retire from the morning show effective December 6, after 50 years with CHUM-AM and CHUM-FM.[24] In January 2019, the show would be rebranded as "Marilyn Denis and Jamar" (McNeil taking over Ashby's seat as co-host), and Marilyn Denis as host.[25] In June 2024, McNeil would move to afternoons, and the morning show would be renamed "The Marilyn Denis Show." After a summer of guest hosts, David Corey, the former program director of CHUM-FM, was introduced as Denis' new co-host in September.
On July 4, 2017, CHUM-FM launchedHD Radio multi-casting services. The HD1 sub-channel carried the same programming as the standard analog frequency, while the HD2 sub-channel carried a simulcast of sister stationCFRB, and the HD3 sub-channel carried a simulcast ofCHUM. As of Spring 2018, CHUM-FM is no longer broadcasting in HD, with the sub-channels moving to sister stationCKFM-FM.
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43°38′59″N79°23′26″W / 43.64975°N 79.39067°W /43.64975; -79.39067
