[78-L] AM Radio (and the music) is now dead

[agp]

This is a bit of tangential to our normal topics, but I have to post 
it anyway -- a vent as it were. And besides, at least there is a 78 
connected to it. Details on that at the end.

Once again the music has died in Toronto. 1050 CHUM, Canada's pioneer 
Top 40 radio station has (IMHO gone all stupid and) dropped its 
oldies format for an all news format. In joining the radio graveyard 
in that vast wasteland the AM has become, CTV has turned it back on, 
and in fact, cleansed the world of one the greatest radio stations in 
North America. CHUM became a Top 40 station 27 May 1957, and 
dominated the airwaves during that golden era of top 40 radio. Just 
how famous was CHUM? Let the fact that I have an opinion about CHUM 
and its hostory even here in Pennsylvania, far outside the GTA speak 
to that. The CHUM chart music survey was the most influential survey 
in all of Canada. When music taste's changed, as did music radio from 
AM to FM, CHUM moved to all oldies, and keep the good feelings alive.

And then ...7 May 2001, bonehead move number 1. 1050 CHUM died and 
became sports talk Team 1050. And it flopped as the competition from 
The Fan 590 was too great. Of course, no one thought that even if 
Team 1050 captured a majority of The Fan 590's audience share, they 
still wouldn't have much more than the small share 1050 CHUM had, 
albeit a small one.

So, it was back to music, and on 27 August 2002, 1050 CHUM rose like 
a phoenix from the ashes, and celebrated 50 years of its Top 40 
programming in 2007.

But CTVglobalmedia has killed it. Citing the poor economy (whatever 
THAT has to do with it), and the fact that CHUM had a .6 share, they 
unceremoniously sold 1331 Yonge Street, the home of the station, and 
flipped the switch. With no warning and no goodbye, on 25 March 2009, 
they slapped loyal listeners and spit in the face of Canada's musical 
history by switching to all news -- and a phony all news format at 
that, for they are relaying the audio of their TV news service CP24.

As to wiping out history, even the 1050 CHUM website is gone. With it 
goes archives of CHUM charts, and audio clips. It reminds me of the 
way foes of the regime would be wiped out of history text books in the USSR.

What purpose can be served by this? Does CTV think that they can 
actually get a bigger share when the market has 2 all news/talk 
stations in CFTR (680) and CFRB (1010)? CFTR already gets a 6.5. The 
newbie whose content is a simulcast is not going to cut into that! 
Add CBC Radio One into the mix and ask if the new CHUM can beat Metro 
Morning, which itself beats CFRB. With the addition of the bad PR 
generated, I can't imagine any advertiser wanting to deal with these eejits!

AM radio is now truly dead. The lights are out and idiots like Jack, 
Bob, and Sam have been left to safeguard our musical history.

I feel that CHUM could have been saved if:

a) they used live talent all the time, and oldies in the real Top 40 
radio style
b) placed it on Sirius/ XM and made it available as a format to AMers 
in all Canada's major cities.
c) played lots of Canadian content
d) run it as a goodwill loss leader!

On the aspect of Canadian content, I can state that when I started 
listening to CHUM regularly in the mid 90s, I heard artists that I 
had never heard before. And I started buying stuff -- CDs, 45s, lps, 
and yes 78s -- of Canadian artists! There are people out there, even 
in Canada, who don't now of great musicians like Pat Hervey, Bobby 
Curtola, Shirley Matthews etc -- and think that Paul Anka is all they 
had on offer. Since he buggered off to the USA, I doubt that they 
even realise that he's Canadian!

Anyway -- as I mentioned 78s -- there is at least one 78 connected 
with CHUM. From October 1957 - Apex 76185 -- Billy Guitar and his 
Nighhhawks with Here Come the Night. Billy Guitar was CHUM dj Hank Noble.

I'm going to miss CHUM. It was my companion from Erie Pennsylvania 
through to the Niagara Falls region as I drove to visit my fiance 
every weekend in 2006 and 2007.

Radio has died.

Tony