CFWM-FM

CFWM-FM

Winnipeg, Manitoba
Broadcast area	Winnipeg Capital Region
Frequency	99.9 MHz (FM)
Branding	99.9 Bob FM
Programming
Format	Adult hits
Ownership
Owner	Bell Media (Bell Media Regional Radio Partnership)
Sister stations	CFRW, CKMM-FM, CKY-DT
History
First air date	1928
Former call signs	CJRW (1928-1935) CJRC (1935-1943) CKRC (1943-1996)
Former frequencies	600 kHz (AM) (1928-1931) 665 kHz (1931-1933) 880 kHz (1933) 685 kHz (1933-1935) 630 kHz (1935-1996)
Call sign meaning	Canada F Winnipeg Manitoba
Technical information
Class	C1
ERP	100,000 watts
HAAT	111.5 meters (366 ft)
Links
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	iheartradio.ca/99-9-bob-fm

CFWM-FM (99.9 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It airs an adult hits radio format branded as 99.9 Bob FM. The station broadcasts from 1445 Pembina Highway, in Winnipeg, with sister stations CKMM-FM and CFRW. The transmitter is located on Road 54 Northeast, off McGillivrey Boulevard, near Oak Bluff.

History

AM Radio

The station signed on in 1928 as AM 600 CJRW. As with most early AM radio stations, it changed frequencies several times (see NARBA). It permanently settled at 630 in 1935 and adopting the call sign CKRC in 1943. The station was affiliated with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Dominion Network from 1944 until the network dissolved in 1962.

In 1993, CKRC was purchased by two of its employees, Sales Executive Terry O'Rourke and General Manager Bill Gorrie. They owned and ran the station for 3 years.

Switch to FM

O'Rourke and Gorrie got permission from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to move CKRC to the FM band in 1996. The new FM station adopted the current call letters, CFWM-FM. They branded the new station as Magic 99.9, airing a soft adult contemporary format.

In 1997, O'Rourke and Gorrie sold CFWM-FM to Standard Radio. Standard Radio later acquired CKMM-FM and CFQX-FM from Craig Media. (CKMM is now owned by Bell Media, while CFQX is now owned by the Jim Pattison Group.) CFWM had to be sold, as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) would not let one company own more than two AM or FM stations in the same radio market. CFWM was sold to CHUM Limited in 2001 in exchange for CHOM-FM Montreal.

Bob FM (2002-present)

On March 4, 2002, CFWM became the first radio station in Canada to adopt an adult hits format and gave birth to the "Bob FM" brand (which has been credited as one of the inspirations behind the more famous "Jack FM" branding). The "Bob FM" format was created by Howard Kroeger. The "voice" of "Bob FM" is Sean Caldwell.

In 2007, CFWM, along with the other CHUM Ltd. stations, were sold to CTVglobemedia (now Bell Media). Longtime Winnipeg morning show hosts Beau & Tom (since 1989) moved from CHIQ-FM to CFWM. On August 31, 2009, Frazier, who previously hosted the morning show on CHIQ with Beau & Tom from 1995 to 2000, rejoined Beau & Tom on CFWM.

On January 4, 2011, CFWM's morning show and CHIQ-FM's past morning show switched stations, putting Beau, Tom and Frazier back on CHIQ.

Past Personalities

Bob Washington, a personality on the station during the CKRC era, was well known outside of Winnipeg as the "voice" of K-tel, a Winnipeg-based direct response advertising company.

Bill Walker, who later became one of the most recognizable television hosts of the 1950s and 60s, was morning man of CKRC from 1951 to 1955.

Other notable personalities from the CKRC era include Doc Steen, Boyd Kozak, Jim Paulson, Scott Walker (Bill's son), Bernie Pascal, Billy Gorrie, Bryan Fustukian (as Vik Armen) and Buster Bodean.

External links

• 99.9 Bob FM
• CFWM-FM history - Canadian Communications Foundation
• CFWM-FM in the REC Canadian station database