CFCA-FM

CFCA-FM is a Canadian radio station licensed to transmit from Kitchener, Ontario and serving the Waterloo Region area broadcasting at 105.3 FM. The station currently plays a Top 40/CHR format branded as 105.3 Virgin Radio and is owned by Bell Media.

For the defunct Toronto radio station, see CFCA (AM).
CFCA-FM
CityKitchener, Ontario
Broadcast areaWaterloo Region
Frequency105.3 MHz (FM)
Branding105.3 Virgin Radio
SloganKW's New #1 Hit Music Station (primary)
Kitchener's #1 Hit Music Station (secondary)
Programming
FormatTop 40/CHR
Ownership
OwnerBell Media
(Bell Media Radio)
Sister stationsCKKW-FM, CKCO-DT
History
First air date1949
Technical information
ClassC1
ERP100 kWs
HAAT250 meters (820 ft)
Links
WebcastListen live
Websitekitchener.virginradio.ca

CFCA's studios & offices are located in Waterloo, and their transmitter is on Baden Hill also known as the Baden Tower, just west of the Kitchener city limits.

Based on the current format, CFCA-FM competes with CKBT-FM.

History

CFCA was first launched on 106.1 FM in 1949 by local broadcaster Carl A. Pollock. It was the first FM radio station in Canada to operate independently, without an AM radio 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 station CKCO-TV in 1954 and AM radio station CKKW in 1959, and then relaunched CFCA in 1967 as an easy listening station. Pollock's broadcast holdings became part of Electrohome 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 stations CKGL and CHYM-FM, but the deal fell through and the stations were instead acquired by CHUM Radio in 1993. By then the station had migrated from its beautiful music/easy listening sound to a brighter adult contemporary format.

Kool FM (1994-2016)

On August 12, 1994 at Noon, CFCA flipped to classic rock as 105.3 Kool FM.

Former "Kool" logo (2012–2016)

During the early 2000s, the station added pop/rock songs into their playlist, and shifted towards Hot AC, but kept the "Kool FM" branding.

Former "Virgin" logo (2016–2019)

CTVglobemedia became the stations' owner when it acquired CHUM Radio in 2007, and is currently owned by Bell Media since 2011.

View of one of the Kool FM remote vehicles

In 2012, CFCA was slightly rebranded as Kool 105.3, with a new logo and a new slogan "Today's Best Variety".

Virgin Radio (2016-present)

On July 26, 2016, CFCA began stunting with Christmas music, while teasing a change to come that Friday (July 29) at Noon. At that time, CFCA flipped to Top 40/CHR, branded as 105.3 Virgin Radio, making CFCA the 8th station in Canada to utilize the "Virgin Radio" branding. (At the same time as CFCA's flip, CJCH-FM in Halifax rebranded to "Virgin".)[1][2][3][4][5] The first song on "Virgin" was "This Is What You Came For" by Calvin Harris (featuring Rihanna).

gollark: Ew, *qualia*?
gollark: I doubt it.
gollark: You can infer "touch" and "light" and "sound" and whatever else from its output.
gollark: It reads all information from all particles in the configured range.
gollark: Those sound inferior to GTech™ all particle information readers™.

References
  1. Davis, Brent. "Kool-FM lays off staff in advance of expected format change". Waterloo Region Record. Retrieved 18 September 2016. 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.
  2. "Kool Christmas Stunt In Kitchener ON – RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  3. "Virgin Radio Launches In Halifax & Kitchener – RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  4. "Bell Media PR on Twitter: "Bell Media Radio Extends Canada's #1 Hit Music Brand as 105.3 Becomes 105-3 Virgin Radio @VirginRadio_KW"". 29 July 2016. Archived from the original on 29 July 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  5. "CFCA Becomes 105.3 Virgin Radio – Format Change Archive". formatchange.com. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018.

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