CFMJ (AM)

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CFMJ (AM)

City of license	Toronto, Ontario
Branding	AM640 Toronto Radio
Slogan	Home of the Leafs
First air date	1957
Frequency	640 kHz (AM)
Format	sports, talk
Power	50 kW
Former callsigns	CJRH, CFGM, CHOG, CFYI
Owner	Corus Entertainment
Website	AM640 Toronto Radio

CFMJ is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 640 on the AM dial in Toronto, Ontario.

Contents 1 Early years 2 1990s transitions 3 Mojo Radio 4 AM640 Toronto Radio 5 Programming Lineup 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] Early years

The station first launched in 1957 under the callsign CJRH, on the 1310 frequency. It changed its call letters to CFGM in 1961. The station adopted a country music format in 1964; a few years later they became Canada's first 24-hour country station. Don Daynard was a notable host with the station in the 1960s.

The station moved to 1320 in 1978, and to 640 in 1989.

[edit] 1990s transitions

On June 29, 1990, the station changed its format and call letters, broadcasting rock music as CHOG (branded 640 The Hog). The Hog format was short-lived, and evolved into contemporary hit radio as AM 640: The Beat Of Toronto. Several notable radio personalities were associated with the station during this era, including John Gallagher, Tarzan Dan, Kenny 'The Hitman' Koglan and the legendary Toronto radio team of Jesse Dylan and Gene Valaitis. After CFTR moved from contemporary hits to all-news in 1993, AM 640 (still with the calls CHOG) was the last contemporary hit radio station in Toronto proper until CISS adopted the format in 1999. Talk shows came to take up a substantial part of the station's schedule, particularly during midday periods when many of the station's hit music listeners might normally be in school.

On October 11, 1995, the station changed to a talk radio format. As Talk 640, the station aired syndicated programming such as the Joy Browne, Rhona Raskin and Dr. Laura shows, along with local programming hosted by personalities such as Valaitis, Jane Hawtin, Bill Carroll, Michael Coren, Dave Chalk and Spaceman Gary Bell. Despite regular adjustments, the station received low ratings. During this period, the station adopted the call letters CFYI.

[edit] Mojo Radio

On April 23, 2001, the station adjusted its programming, dumping most of its old hosts to create a male-oriented talk station as Mojo Radio, with programs hosted by Humble and Fred, John Derringer, Mike Stafford, Andrew Krystal and the syndicated Coast to Coast AM, among others. The station changed its call letters again, to the current CFMJ. John Oakley later replaced Humble and Fred in the morning show; the latter pair left for hot adult contemporary station CKFM. Krystal was eventually fired, and moved to part-time work at CFRB and CKTB. Derringer's Mojo show was discontinued as he concentrated on his marquee morning show on "brother station" Q107. Former Toronto Maple Leaf executive Bill Watters became the host of a noon to 2 p.m. hockey show called Leafs Lunch, which he co-hosts to this day with Sports Programming Director Jeff Marek.

[edit] AM640 Toronto Radio

In 2004, due to low ratings (MOJO was typically hovering around a 1.4 share) the station moved away from the male-oriented imaging to a more general news and talk format as AM640 Toronto Radio. Oakley and Stafford continue to host the major morning and afternoon drive programs. Craig Bromell joined the station as co-host of a new late morning program, The Beat (later rebranded as Bromell! in 2006), and in 2005, Charles Adler's nationally-syndicated radio show was added to mid-afternoons. Award-winning journalist Arlene Bynon was added to the ranks in 2006 to host the Saturday afternoon Toronto Weekend program.

To date, the station's biggest draw is that it is the radio broadcaster of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which it networks into other markets. Its play-by-play announcers are Joe Bowen, Dennis Beyak and Jim Ralph.

Other sport franchises it currently broadcasts are the AHL's Toronto Marlies, the OHL's Mississauga Ice Dogs, and CFL's Toronto Argonauts.

[edit] Programming Lineup

Timeslot	Show	Day
5:30am to 10:00am	The John Oakley Show	Mondays to Fridays
10:00am to 12:00pm	Bromell	Mondays to Fridays
12:00pm to 2:00pm	Leafs Lunch	Mondays to Fridays
2:00pm to 4:00pm	Adler Online	Mondays to Fridays
4:00pm to 7:00pm	The Stafford Show	Mondays to Fridays
7:00pm to 8:00pm	Hockey Tonight	Mondays to Fridays
8:00pm to 10:00pm	The Richard Syrett Show	Mondays to Fridays
10:00pm to 5:30am	Coast to Coast AM	Nightly
2:00pm to 5:00pm	Bynon's Toronto Weekend	Satudays
9:00pm to 1:00am	A View From Space	Saturdays
7:00pm to 1:00am	Toronto Maple Leafs	Varies

[edit] See also

• CHMJ, a radio station in Vancouver that also used the Mojo format

[edit] External links

• Official Site
• T.O. Talk - Toronto talk radio discussion forum