CFOM-FM

CFOM-FM
City of license Lévis, Quebec
Branding M FM
Slogan La meilleure musique !
Frequency 102.9 MHz (FM)
First air date December 1967 (on 1240 kHz)
1994 (move to FM)
Format Classic hits[1]
ERP 32,800 watts
Class C1
Former callsigns CFLS (1967-1994)
CFLS-FM (1994-1995)
Former frequencies 1240 kHz (1967-1976)
920kHz (1976-1994)
Owner Cogeco
(591991 B.C. Ltd.)
Sister stations CJMF-FM
Website m1029.com

CFOM-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Quebec City, Quebec. While the station's official city of license is and always has been Lévis, its studios are now in Quebec City, and it identifies itself as a Quebec City station. The station has a classic hits format. [1]

Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 102.9 MHz using a directional antenna with an average effective radiated power of 16,800 watts and a peak effective radiated power of 32,800 watts (class C1). The station's transmitter is located at Mount Bélair.

The station usually is the most popular station in Quebec City according to BBM ratings (using full coverage ratings). It used to be an AM station, broadcast at 1240 AM from its inception in December 1967 until 1976, then moved to 920 AM until 1994 and was originally known as CFLS.[2] In 1988, CFLS's then-owner, Radio Etchemin, planned to relocate CFLS from 920 kHz to the FM band at 106.3 MHz, with effective radiated power of 54,350 watts; this application would be denied by the CRTC.[3] (106.3 has since been occupied by the local Ici Radio-Canada Première outlet, CBV-FM.) CFLS's second application to relocate to FM, this time to 102.9 MHz, was successful, and the relocation was made in 1994. When the station switched to an oldies format in 1995, it changed its call sign to the current CFOM-FM.

Ironically, CFLS was Quebec City's Top 40 station in the 1970s and early 1980s and had to compete, until 1976, against an English-language Top 40 station known as CFOM, which was closed by order of the CRTC for failure to respect CBC Radio affiliation requirements. That station began operating in 1949 under the call letters CJNT until 1954 when the call letters were changed to CJQC and were again changed in 1964 to become CFOM, at 1340 on the dial.

In March 2009, then-owner Corus Entertainment expanded CFOM-FM's Souvenirs Garantis format (which was introduced on CFOM in 2005) to CHLT-FM in Sherbrooke, CJRC-FM in Gatineau, CHLN-FM in Trois-Rivières and CKRS-FM in Saguenay -- replacing their long-time news-talk formats on these stations.[4]

On April 30, 2010, it was announced that Cogeco will acquire all radio stations owned by Corus in Quebec for $80 million, pending CRTC approval.[5] However, Cogeco must either apply with the CRTC for an exemption from the common ownership policy, or sell off some of these (or Cogeco's own stations) to a third party as they will be over the maximum allowable number of stations in Montreal, Quebec City, and Sherbrooke. Corus is selling off their Quebec radio stations, as they are less profitable than Corus's stations in other parts of Canada.[6] The sale of CFOM-FM and most other Corus Québec stations has been approved by the CRTC on December 17, 2010, on the condition that Cogeco-owned CJEC-FM and Corus-owned CFEL-FM be sold to another party by December 2011;[7] these stations would be sold to Leclerc Communication Inc. in November 2011.[8]

By 2011, the station changed to a more classic hits-leaning AC format, even though the classic hits currents remain on the station.

By December 6, 2011, CFOM-FM was the remaining station in the Souvenirs Garantis group, following the closure of its sister station, CJTS-FM in Sherbrooke.[9]

On Sunday September 16, 2012, CFOM-FM discarded its longtime Souvenirs Garantis branding, becoming 102,9 Québec, retaining its classic hits format. The station would rebrand again in August 2014, becoming "M FM". With the re-branding, the station promised that it would focus on reducing the amount of unnecessary non-music content (such as jocks and contests) heard, in favor of increased music.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 Tom Taylor (May 27, 2011), "An outbreak of civility?", Taylor on Radio-Info, Radio-Info.com.
  2. ↑ Decision CRTC 92-698
  3. ↑ Decision CRTC 88-435, CRTC, June 28, 1988
  4. ↑ Francophone news-talk listeners across much of Quebec will be out of luck at month's end Scott Fybush/NERW, 2009-03-09
  5. ↑ "Canada's Corus Entertainment sells all its stations in Quebec, including Montreal". Radio-Info.com. April 30, 2010.
  6. ↑ St. Petersburg Times, "Canada Report" column, May 9, 2010.
  7. ↑ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-942: "Transfer of effective control of various commercial radio programming undertakings from Corus Entertainment Inc. to Cogeco inc.", issued December 17, 2010.
  8. ↑ Le Soleil: Rythme FM et CKOI vendues... ou presque, November 9, 2011.(French)
  9. ↑ Cogeco press release: "CJTS-FM to close its doors", December 6, 2011.
  10. ↑ Fagstein: "Radio stations rebranded in Cornwall, Quebec City", August 29, 2014.

External links

Coordinates: 46°49′17″N 71°29′46″W / 46.82139°N 71.49611°W / 46.82139; -71.49611

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