CFRW

CFRW (1290 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is owned by Bell Media and it carries a sports radio format branded as TSN Radio 1290. CFRW is co-located with its sister stations CKMM-FM and CFWM-FM on 1445 Pembina Highway. Its transmitter is located near Oak Bluff along Road 54 off McGillivray Boulevard.[1]

For the railroad, see Caney Fork and Western Railroad.
CFRW
CityWinnipeg, Manitoba
Broadcast areaWinnipeg Capital Region
Frequency1290 kHz (AM)
BrandingTSN 1290 Winnipeg
SloganHome of the Hockey Experts
Programming
FormatSports
AffiliationsTSN Radio
ESPN Radio
Ownership
OwnerBell Media
(Bell Media Regional Radio Partnership)
Sister stationsCFWM-FM, CKMM-FM, CKY-DT
History
First air dateNovember 1, 1963
Former call signsCJQM (1963-1969)
CIFX (1987-2000)
CFST (2000-2003)
Former frequencies1470 kHz (1963-1976)
Call sign meaningCF Radio Winnipeg
Technical information
ClassB
Power10,000 watts
Links
WebcastListen Live
WebsiteTSN 1290 Winnipeg

On weekdays, CFRW carries local sports shows as well as programming from the TSN Radio Network. Overnights and weekends, sports programming from ESPN Radio is heard. CFRW is the flagship station of the Winnipeg Jets in the National Hockey League. TSN 1290 is available nationally on Bell Satellite TV channel 984.[2]

History

Early Years

On November 1, 1963, the station first signed on as CJQM.[3] At the same time, FM sister station CJQM-FM also came on the air. The two stations simulcast an easy listening format. CJQM-AM-FM were owned by Winnipeg Broadcast Associates Ltd. (a division of Vancouver Broadcast Associates, the original owners of CHQM and CHQM-FM in Vancouver). CJQM originally broadcast at 1470 kHz, powered at 5,000 watts.

Winnipeg Broadcast Associates sold both stations in 1965 to QM Winnipeg Ltd., which was later purchased by Radio Winnipeg Ltd. The call signs changed to CFRW and CFRW-FM in 1969. Jim Pattison's CJOR Ltd. (the owner of Vancouver station CJOR) bought CFRW-AM-FM from the bankrupt Radio Winnipeg in 1970.

Top 40 CFRW

CFRW-AM-FM were purchased by CHUM Ltd. in 1974. CHUM got CFRW's frequency changed in 1977 to 1290 AM. The move provided a better signal, doubling the power to 10,000 watts. CHUM management also had the studios and office relocated. The station moved from the Confederation Building at 457 Main Street to the same studio across the street previously used by AM 580 CKY. Meanwhile, CKY relocated to new studios in Polo Park. CFRW (AM) re-branded itself as "13 CFRW," airing a Top 40 format.[4]

Some notable personalities during the CHUM ownership years include: Ron Able, Gary Christian, Dick Reeves, Tim "Trucker" Bradley, KC Foxxe, Ralph "Racoon" Carney, Franc Cappozolo, Lee Marshall, Stu Ferguson, Pat Cardinal and Steve Jackson. Al Gibson was News Director with notables such as Byron Scott, George Gordon (formerly at CFTR Toronto), Tom Mark (formerly at CKNW Vancouver) and Jeff Murray (Feldman) as Sports Director. Bob Laine (popular disc jockey in CHUM'S hey day, now deceased) was transferred to CFRW from CHUM to be station manager.

For several years in the early 1980s, CFRW broadcast Winnipeg Blue Bombers football, with play-by-play voice Ron Oakes and Robb Glazier.

1980s and 90s

CFRW played a contemporary music format until 1987, when it switched to soft rock, with a call sign and branding change to "1290 Fox" CIFX. The station changed formats several more times, including to talk radio on May 8, 1995, and to adult standards in 1999.

In 2001, the station flipped to an all-sports format. It was one of several CHUM Ltd. stations in the now-defunct network known as "The Team." But the sports radio network only lasted a year.

Oldies Music

The CFRW call sign and oldies format returned in August 2002, competing with 580 CKY in the format before that station moved to the FM dial and changed to a soft adult contemporary format in 2004 as CKY-FM. CFRW aired all games of the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team from 2005 to 2013.

In 2007, CFRW, along with the other CHUM stations, were sold to CTVglobemedia.

Return to Sports

CFRW returned to an all-sports format as Sports Radio 1290 on September 27, 2010. Much of its programming at the outset was provided by ESPN Radio, though it also carried the syndicated Jim Rome Show.[5][6] However, since the station's relaunch, the station has progressively added original programming, including shows that originated from other Canadian sports radio stations, such as the Illegal Curve Hockey Show and Hustler & Lawless.

Three months later, CTVglobemedia relaunched the oldies/classic hits format on co-owned 94.3 CHIQ-FM. CTVglobemedia was merged into Bell Media in 2011, which put CFRW under Bell Media ownership.

On July 21, 2011, the Winnipeg Free Press reported that Bell Media had reached a deal for broadcast rights with the Winnipeg Jets for both television and radio coverage of the NHL team. TSN became its television broadcaster and CFRW became the official flagship radio station of the Jets.[7] Since 2015, CFRW has also been the radio and online broadcaster for the Manitoba Moose, the Jets' American Hockey League affiliate.[8]

On October 5, 2011, CFRW was re-branded as part of the TSN Radio network, becoming TSN Radio 1290.[9]

Live sports

TSN Radio 1290 is the flagship station for the following teams' radio broadcasts:

TSN Radio 1290 also features live coverage of the following:

Brands
2002–2010 2010–2011
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gollark: Alas, such is life.
gollark: Yay, one of my nebulae grew up!
gollark: You may not want them, but would want a different thing; hence, trading.
gollark: CB rareishes which some don't like, misbreeds, etc.

References
  1. FCCdata.org/CFRW
  3. Broadcasting Yearbook 1966 page B-174
  4. Broadcasting Yearbook 1975 page C-221
  5. "Station switches to all-sports radio". Winnipeg Free Press. September 22, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  6. "All-sports radio set to hit airwaves next week". Winnipeg Sun. September 21, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  7. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/TSN-to-televiseJets-games-125961773.html
  8. http://moosehockey.com/news/moose-partner-with-tsn-1290-for-radio-and-online-broadcasts/
  9. Bell Media Launches TSN RADIO in Montreal and Winnipeg

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