CFMX-FM

CFMX-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts classical music at 103.1 FM in Cobourg, Ontario and serving the Peterborough area. The station is branded as Classical 103.1. It is a semi-satellite of Toronto's CFMZ-FM, repeating most of that station's programming as well as airing some local programming.

CFMX-FM
Semi-satellite of CFMZ-FM Toronto
CityCobourg, Ontario
Frequency103.1 MHz
BrandingClassical 103.1
SloganCobourg's classical music station
Programming
FormatClassical music
Ownership
OwnerZoomerMedia
(MZ Media Inc.)
Sister stationsCFMZ-FM, CFZM
History
First air date1979
Technical information
Licensing authorityCRTC
ClassC1
ERP86,700 watts
HAAT252 metres (827 ft)
Transmitter coordinates44°4′14.16″N 78°8′35.16″W
Links
Websitewww.classical1031fm.com

The station was launched in 1979 by D. B. Williamson, the owner of Cobourg's CHUC. The station was plagued with financial and technical problems in its early years, and in 1981 its license was briefly suspended by the CRTC. Williamson's company went into receivership in 1983, and the station was acquired by businessman Martin Rosenthal.

In 1988, the station added a transmitter in Mississauga on 96.3 FM,[1] which was moved to Toronto in 1993.[2] The station's operations eventually became centralized in Toronto by 1997, with a small sales office remaining in Cobourg. For all intents and purposes, the Toronto rebroadcaster was now the primary station.

In September 2006, Canadian broadcaster Moses Znaimer purchased the station,[3] changing the call sign to CFMZ to reflect his initials.[4] Toronto's CKFM-FM briefly attempted to change its call sign to CFMX (reflecting its branding as "Mix 99.9") after Znaimer adopted the CFMZ call sign, but was forced to revert to CKFM-FM because the Toronto transmitter had kept its original CFMX-FM-1 call sign.[5]

In September 2007, Znaimer also announced a deal to acquire CHWO, a pop standards station in Oakville.

In 2008, the CRTC also approved a license change that resulted in the Toronto rebroadcaster being upgraded to a full-fledged station. As part of the change, the CFMZ call sign moved to Toronto, while the Cobourg station reclaimed the original CFMX call sign.[6] All music programming on both stations originates from Toronto, although the Cobourg station originates 24 hours per week of locally oriented talk and spoken word programming.[7]

The station was originally owned by Znaimer's privately held MZ Media Inc., but as part of a reorganization of Znaimer's media assets, the station was transferred to the publicly traded ZoomerMedia in 2010.[8]

References
  1. Decision CRTC 88-292.
  2. Decision CRTC 93-654, Change in technical parameters of CFMX-FM-1, CRTC, October 21, 1993
  3. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2006-458, CFMX-FM-1 Toronto, CFMX-FM Cobourg and CFMX-DR-1 Toronto - Acquisition of assets, CRTC, August 31, 2006
  4. "Znaimer ready to reinvent classical radio", Toronto Star, September 18, 2007.
  5. Call sign search and Broadcasting database (ZIP file) Archived 2013-12-07 at the Wayback Machine (using the file fmstatio.dbf) from Industry Canada. Retrieved on November 14, 2007.
  6. NorthEast Radio Watch, June 23, 2008.
  7. CRTC Decision 2008-31.
  8. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-193
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