CFXJ-FM

CFXJ-FM (93.5 FM, "Flow 93.5") is a radio station in Toronto. Owned by Stingray Group, it broadcasts an urban contemporary format, and was Canada's first station to adopt the format upon its launch in 2001.

This article is about the Canadian radio station named "Flow 93.5". For the Australian radio station of the same name, see Flow FM (Australia).
CFXJ-FM
CityToronto, Ontario
Broadcast areaGreater Toronto Area
Frequency93.5 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingFlow 93.5
SloganToronto's Hip Hop
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatUrban contemporary
Ownership
OwnerStingray Group
Sister stationsCHBM-FM
History
First air date2001
Technical information
ClassB
ERP1,058 watts average
3,706 watts peak
HAAT298.7 meters (980 ft)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websiteflow935.com

CFXJ's studios are located at Yonge and St. Clair in Toronto's Deer Park neighbourhood, while its transmitter is located at the top of First Canadian Place in Toronto's Financial District.

History

Launch

Milestone Radio, a company incorporated by Denham Jolly, first applied to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for an urban music station in 1989, but were passed over in favour of a country music station, CISS.[1][2] They applied again in 1997, and were passed over in favour of CBLA, the city's existing Radio One station, which the CBC wanted to move to FM for technical reasons.[3][4]

Both decisions sparked controversy in Toronto, as the CRTC's reasons for passing over an urban-format station (which Toronto did not have) in favour of existing radio services were believed to be racist in nature. The lack of an urban station also created immense difficulties for Canadian hip hop, reggae and R&B musicians, who had no radio outlets in Canada to play and promote their music.[5][6][7][8]

The original logo of Flow 93.5 (2001–2007)

As well, the 99.1 signal which was awarded to the CBC was believed to be the last available FM frequency in the city. However, in 1998, the CBC found that it was able to surrender two repeater transmitters outside of Toronto due to CBLA's superior coverage of the region.[9][10] In 2000, the CRTC opened applications for new services on these two frequencies, and on Milestone's third application, the CRTC awarded the 93.5 frequency to the company on June 16 of that year.[11]

CFXJ signed on the air on February 9, 2001, at 9:35 p.m., under the name Flow 93.5, with "Roots, Rock, Reggae" by Bob Marley being the first song played. Live programming launched on March 1.[12][13][14] Before the station became prominent in the Greater Toronto Area, many listeners would tune into Buffalo, New York's 93.7 WBLK, which has aired an urban contemporary format since the 1960s. Since CFXJ's debut, many Canadian hip hop and R&B musicians, including Jully Black, k-os, Kardinal Offishall and Jarvis Church, among others, have made the types of significant career breakthroughs that often eluded Canadian urban musicians in the 1990s.

Rhythmic top 40 era (2007–2014)
Logo used as The New Flow 93.5 until 2011.

In 2005, the station began to shift towards a more rhythmic direction. In 2007, the station re-branded as The New Flow 93.5, completing its shift to a rhythmic contemporary format. By 2009, with Rogers' launch of Top 40/CHR CKIS (Kiss 92.5), CFXJ shifted back towards an urban direction. However, this proved unsuccessful, and many of the adult urban tracks were dropped by March 2010.

On June 23, 2010, it was announced that CTVglobemedia's CHUM Radio would acquire the station, subject to CRTC approval; the transaction was approved on December 23.[15][16] CHUM previously joint ventured with Milestone with CHBN in Edmonton, which was sold to Rogers Radio along with CHST in London. The station's headquarters were relocated from their longtime home at 211 Yonge Street to CTV's 250 Richmond Street West (near 299 Queen Street West, where MuchMusic and other CTV specialty television stations are based). In February 2011, the sale to CTVglobemedia (which was acquired by shareholder Bell Canada and renamed Bell Media several months later) was completed. Upon the closure of the sale, nearly the entirety of its staff was laid off, all specialty programming was cancelled, and the station shifted back to a rhythmic contemporary format.[17]

CHUM's vice president of programming, David Corey, replaced Wayne Williams as PD and reshuffled the lineup, bringing in fellow ex-WJMN/Boston imaging director Scott Morello as APD, and re-teaming morning host Melanie Martin with her fellow CKIS alumni J.J. King. Midday personality Miss Ange, afternoon drive personality Jeni, swing personality (now evenings) Peter Kash, MD Justin Dumont, promotions coordinator Angelique Knights, morning show producer Johnny Michaels, creative writer John Shannon, and producer Korey Bray, along with former sales manager Byron Garby and some other account representatives, were all retained.[18] With the launch of urban AC competitor CKFG-FM, the station moved back to an urban direction once more. However, by December 2012, the station had moved back to a rhythmic CHR format.

Third logo (2011-2015)

In March 2013, the Competition Bureau approved a proposal by Bell Media to acquire Astral Media, under the condition that it divest itself of several television services and radio stations. Following the closure of the merger in July 2013, CFXJ was placed in a blind trust pending its eventual sale.[19][20][21] CFXJ, along with four other Astral Media radio stations, was sold to Newcap Radio for $112 million.[22] The deal was approved by the CRTC on March 19, 2014, and the sale closed on March 31, 2014.[23][24] With the sale, CFXJ moved their studios to the former CFRB and CKFM studios at 2 St. Clair West (at Yonge and St. Clair).

Classic hip hop era (2014-2016)
Fourth logo (2015-2016)

In late 2014, influenced by the popularity of The Back in the Day Buffet noon-hour mix-show, as well as the growing popularity of the classic hip-hop format in the United States, the station revamped its playlist to include classic hip-hop, R&B and reggae tracks from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, while still playing some currents. In addition, CFXJ added a secondary slogan: "The Best Throwbacks and Hottest Hits." By March 2015, the station's primary slogan was altered to "All The Best Throwbacks".[25][26]

The Move, return to Flow (2016-present)
Logo as The Move.

On February 25, 2016, CFXJ went jockless and began promoting a "big move" to take place at 8 a.m. the following Monday (February 29). At that time, the station flipped to rhythmic adult contemporary as 93.5 The Move, with a focus on rhythmic and hip-hop hits from the late 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.[27] CFXJ joined CKBE/Montreal as the only English-language rhythmic AC outlets in Canada.[28]

As part of the rebrand, the station also axed numerous on air hosts, including Melanie Martin of the JJ & Melanie morning show, midday host Miss Ange, and evening host Megan Coady. Weekend host J'ness moved to sister station CIHT in Ottawa prior to the rebrand. On November 6, 2017, CFXJ switched back to a rhythmic contemporary format once again, while maintaining the Move branding and a small amount of rhythmic recurrents.[29]

Newcap Radio was acquired by Stingray Digital in October 2018.[30][31] On February 11, 2019, CFXJ reverted to the Flow 93.5 branding and switched to an urban contemporary format.[32]

gollark: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/L5JSMZQvkBAx9MD5A/to-what-extent-is-gpt-3-capable-of-reasoning
gollark: PALM can even understand jokes and such.
gollark: It can deduce things sometimes. There's an example somewhere.
gollark: Would most *humans* actually know about the relevant foundations of arithmetic? I think that axiomatic set theory isn't that popular.
gollark: How can you tell what it doesn't understand except based on its inputs/outputs?

References
  1. CRTC Decision 90-993
  2. Twelve applicants dance for last local FM radio spot, Greg Quill, Toronto Star, November 23, 1989
  3. CRTC Decision 97-362
  4. CBC vs. 'dance' - who'll win 99.1 FM?, Peter Goddard, Toronto Star, April 12, 1997
  5. Wrong headed CRTC fails Black community Royson James, Toronto Star, August 30, 1997
  6. How the CRTC sold out Toronto decision to reject 'urban' format for 99.1 was power play, pure and simple, Peter Goddard, Toronto Star, August 2, 1997
  7. Seems Blacks denied FM voice for reasons other than ability, Toronto Star, September 19, 1997
  8. Canadian radio fails young urban musicians, Toronto Star, September 30, 1997
  9. CBC offers plan for new FM station; hopes to calm outrage at taking last spot, Tim Harper, Toronto Star, October 1, 1997
  10. Cabinet eyes a radio deal for black station and CBC, Tim Harper, Toronto Star, October 18, 1997
  11. Decision CRTC 2000-203
  12. Radio dream gives city its first black station: Flow 93.5 FM offers eclectic blend of music Greg Quill/Toronto Star, February 8, 2001
  13. "Flow" goes with Marley as new station hits the air Greg Quill/Toronto Star, February 10, 2001
  14. Two Mikes go with the "Flow 93.5"; Black culture radio station launched at party Ashante Infantry/Toronto Star, March 2, 2001
  15. Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2010-715
  16. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-964
  17. "Changes Flowing In Toronto". RadioInsight. 2011-02-03. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  18. "More Changes At Flow 93-5 In Toronto". All Access. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  19. Biblic, Mirko (27 June 2013). "Re: Voting Trust Agreement between BCE Inc. and Pierre Boivin, the trustee Application No. 2013-0243-9 – Approved". CRTC. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  20. "Competition Bureau OK's BCE-Astral deal, with conditions". CBC News. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  21. "Bell moves closer to Astral with sale of TV assets". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  22. "Newcap signs agreement with Bell Media to acquire five radio stations in Toronto and Vancouver". CNW. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  23. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2014-129
  24. "Newcap Radio receives CRTC approval to purchase stations in Toronto and Vancouver". Canada Newswire. March 19, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  25. "Flow Toronto The Best Throwbacks and Hottest Hits". 16 October 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-23.
  26. "classic rock and classic rap". 12 November 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
  27. "93.5 The Move Debuts In Toronto". RadioInsight. 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  28. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  29. "93.5 Toronto Moves Back To Currents". RadioInsight. 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  30. "CRTC Approves $506-Million Sale of Newcap Radio to Stingray". VOCM. Archived from the original on 2019-07-08. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  31. "CRTC Approves $506-Million Sale of Newcap Radio to Stingray". VOCM. Archived from the original on 2019-07-08. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  32. Slingerland, Calum. "Toronto Hip-Hop Radio Station Flow 93-5 Relaunches". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 12 February 2019.

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