CFMJ

CFMJ is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 640 kHz on the AM dial. It is officially licensed to Richmond Hill, Ontario, but the studio is in the newly-constructed Corus Quay building, located at 125 Queens Quay East in Toronto. The station airs a talk radio and sports format targeted to the entire Greater Toronto Area.

History

The station began 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.^[1] 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' Caughlin, Roger Kelly and the Toronto radio team of Jesse and Gene. 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 (and the very last AM station in the area to broadcast Top 40 hits) 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.

Shift to Talk

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, Dr. Laura and Live Audio Wrestling, along with local programming hosted by personalities such as Gene Valaitis, Jane Hawtin, Bill Carroll, Shelley Klinck, Marsha Lederman, Karen Horsman, Michael Coren, Dave Chalk , Spaceman Gary Bell and Roger Kelly. Despite regular adjustments, the station received low ratings. During this period, the station adopted the call letters CFYI. The weekend programming was a hit with "The Touch of Health" a show that started with just a half hour in 1997 to a two hour nationally syndicated show airing coast to coast 2-4 Saturdays. Hosted, produced and managed by Christine McPhee, her other collection of weekend shows were the "Pet Show" with Mitch Levitsky, a "Cruise Show", a "Law Show", a "Beauty Show", and the "Small Canada Business Show".

Mojo Radio

On April 23, 2001, the station re-launched as Mojo Radio, a talk radio format aimed at the male demographic. The station also changed its call letters the same day to the current CFMJ. The new format featured programs hosted by Humble and Fred, John Derringer, Phil Hendrie, Mike Stafford, Andrew Krystal and the syndicated Coast to Coast AM, John Oakley replaced Scruff Connors who had taken over from Humble and Fred in the morning show; the latter pair left for hot adult contemporary station Mix 99.9. Krystal moved to part-time work at CFRB and CKTB before moving to Halifax. Derringer's Mojo show was discontinued as he concentrated on his marquee morning show on "brother station" Q107.

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, which has expanded to include a Sunday edition as well.

Near the end of July, 2007 the programming line-up was shuffled in response to the departure of Craig Bromell, whose show ran until the end of August 2007. Afternoon host Mike Stafford replaced "Bromell". The Bill Watters Show was added to the afternoon lineup. Just as the new show with co-host Jeff Marek expanded, Marek moved on to Sirius Satellite Radio. Greg Brady replaced Marek as Bill's co-host. Brady left AM640 in late June 2010 to host a Noon - 3pm program on The FAN 590. Bill Hayes, formerly of Q107, replaced Greg Brady as Watters' co-host. Hayes was fired in January 2011. Co-hosting duties then fell to his son, Brian Hayes. Brian left AM640 on Friday, April 8 to host his own mid-morning program on TSN Radio 1050. AM640's Leafs play-by-play colour analyst Jim Ralph is the current co-host of The Bill Watters Show, which runs from 4pm – 7pm covering hockey issues and other major sports news as well.

AM640 Toronto Radio is now known as "Talk Radio AM640". Veteran host and reporter John Downs was let go in early August, 2010. His 7pm - 9pm slot is now hosted by Bryan Hayes, who program is primarily sports-talk. Charles Adler hosted a Toronto-based hour from 1pm - 2pm during the summer of 2010. On Monday, August 30 Arlene Bynon took over hosting duties for the 1pm - 2pm hour, with news anchor Tina Trigiani guest-hosting Friday afternoons.

One of the station's biggest draws 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, Dan Dunleavy and Jim Ralph. Former Leafs announcer Dennis Beyak left in the fall of 2011 to do the play-by-play for the Winnipeg Jets on TSN regional television and on TSN radio 1290 (CFRW).

Programs

Leafs Lunch

Jeff Marek was offered a position with Sirius Satellite Radio and CBC's Hockey Night in Canada to host a new show. On September 7, 2007 Marek announced that he was leaving Leafs Lunch on AM 640 Toronto Radio to pursue a new route in radio broadcasting on the Hockey Night in Canada radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 122. Brian Duff from the NHL Network was the program's host for a period of time until he was replaced by TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger. On July 5, 2010, Leafs Lunch was canceled.^[2] Leafs Lunch returned to Talk Radio AM640's Saturday and Sunday lineups, filling the noon - 1pm timeslot.

The John Oakley Show

Airing weekdays between 5:30am and 10:00am, the John Oakley show offers opinion and discussion of the issues of the day. The Oakley show also includes economic and investment news and advice from financial expert Lou Schizas as well as a segment known as Leafs Breakfast detailing the latest news from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the National Hockey League. Often radio callers will greet Oakley with the phrase 'it's a great day for talk radio'.

The Stafford Show

Currently airing weekdays from 10am - 1pm, The Stafford Show show offers opinion and listener response to the issues of the day and various topics of interest. Host Mike Stafford often discusses topics that relate to "The Greatest Generation" (while Tom Brokaw's definition refers to the generation who grew up during the Great Depression and fought during World War II, Mike's definition covers the generation who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s). Stafford's program does not feature "guests", but instead relies on input from listeners.

Lineup

Monday to Friday

Weekends

Newsroom

See also

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

References

External links

• Talk Radio AM640
• CFMJ history at Canadian Communications Foundation
• Query the REC's Canadian station database for CFMJ