CFMG-FM

CFMG-FM (104.9 MHz) is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting from Edmonton, Alberta. Branded as 104.9 Virgin Radio, the station airs a Top 40/CHR format. The station also broadcasts a Punjabi language format on a Subsidiary Communications Multiplex Operation frequency.

CFMG-FM
CityEdmonton, Alberta
Frequency104.9 MHz (FM)
Branding104.9 Virgin Radio
SloganEdmonton's #1 Hit Music Station
Programming
FormatTop 40/CHR
Ownership
OwnerBell Media
(Bell Media Radio G.P)
Sister stationsCFRN, CFBR-FM, CFRN-DT
History
First air date1978 (AM)
1994 (FM)
Former frequencies1070 kHz (AM) (1978-1988)
1200 kHz (1988-1994)
Technical information
ClassC1
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT200.5 meters (658 ft)
Transmitter coordinates53°27′47″N 113°20′6.5″W
Links
Website104.9 Virgin Radio

History

Early years and EZ Rock

The station launched in 1978 playing "oldies" from offices and studios just north of Edmonton in St. Albert. The original frequency was 1070 kHz with the callsign CKST.

In 1988, CKST received approval to move from to 1200 AM[1] and changed callsigns to CHMG the same year. CHMG received approval move from AM to FM in 1994.[2]

In 1995, CHMG changed to its current callsign, CFMG. At the same time, the station shifted to an adult contemporary format, branded as EZ Rock. Programmed by longtime broadcaster Tammy Cole, EZ Rock was a station designed to appeal to office work environments. Music was slanted towards female listeners 25–54 years old.

On September 28, 2007, the CRTC approved the sale of CFMG and all Standard Radio assets to Astral Media.[3]

CFMG's EZ Rock logo, used from September 2010 to February 2011.

Astral changed the logo of the station in September 2010; however, the adult contemporary format is unchanged while continuing to say the decimal point on the station ID. In addition, most of the classic hits were dropped.

104.9 Virgin Radio
Former "Virgin" logo (2011-2019)

On February 4, 2011, the station dropped adult contemporary and flipped to Top 40/CHR as 104.9 Virgin Radio. EZ Rock's last song was The Boys Of Summer by Don Henley, while the first song on "Virgin" was "Firework" by Katy Perry. This left Edmonton with no adult contemporary station for 51 days until CKEA-FM dropped adult album alternative for adult contemporary (which has since shifted to adult hits).

CFMG, during its final adult contemporary week, did list its contemporary hit radio adds on Mediabase's Canadian adult contemporary panel. A week after the station flipped formats, the station was delisted from Mediabase's station adds. As of March 2011, CFMG-FM joined CHBN-FM on the Mediabase contemporary hit radio panel.

CFMG is the third Virgin Radio station in Canada to have a mainstream top 40 format, the first being at Calgary's CIBK-FM the year before, and in Toronto at CKFM-FM in 2009.

Every year for one week, along with sister stations CFBR-FM and CFRN, CFMG-FM presents, Stollery Week, a week long fundraiser for the Stollery Children's Hospital. In past years all three stations had broadcast live for 2 days from the Stollery Children's Hospital. In year one, $300,000 was raised for the Pediatric Oncology Unit; in year two, EZ Rock and her sister stations raised $500,000 for Research.

Ratings

The last ratings period when CFMG was an adult contemporary station (October/10 - January/11) placed the station at #4 with a 7.4 share. In the first ratings period as Virgin Radio (February - May/11), the station plummeted to #14 and with a 2.6 share. The Fall 2011 BBM Canada ratings book has the station up to #11 with a 4.9 share.[4]

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References
  1. Decision CRTC 88-497
  2. Decision CRTC 94-436
  3. "CRTC approves Astral/Standard transaction". Archived from the original on 2007-12-24. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  4. "Fall 2011 Edmonton PPM Ratings". Archived from the original on 2012-05-06. Retrieved 2011-12-12.
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