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

[Kristjan Saag]

Hi, Chum,
Don't worry about AM - it's alive and well and, in a few years time, will 
feature Radio China International on all frequencies.
Kristjan


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "agp" <agp2176 at verizon.net>
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2009 11:48 PM
Subject: [78-L] AM Radio (and the music) is now dead


> 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
>
>
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