CHUM Limited was a Canadian media company based in Toronto , Ontario in operation from 1945 to 2007. The company was founded in 1945 as York Broadcasters Limited when it launched CHUM-AM 1050 but was acquired by salesman Allan Waters in 1954. CHUM had expanded to and owned 33 radio stations across Canada under its CHUM Radio Network division (now Bell Media Radio ) and also owned other radio stations.
51-537: The company also operated full or joint control of 15 local television stations under the ATV , Citytv (acquired in 1981) and A-Channel (formerly NewNet, now CTV 2 ) brands, one CBC Television affiliate, one provincial educational channel, Atlantic Satellite Network in Atlantic Canada , and 20 branded specialty television channels , most notably MuchMusic and its various spin-offs that were launched under Moses Znaimer ,
102-562: A 15% interest. The deal is expected to close by mid-2011 pending CRTC approval. CTVglobemedia officially became Bell Media when the deal was finalized on April 1, 2011. At the same time, CHUM Limited / CTV Limited became CTV Inc. (now Bell Media Inc.). and CHUM Radio became Bell Media Radio. The last board of directors of CHUM Limited were: Gordon Craig, Denise Donlon , Lawrence Lamb, John Mattenley, Fred Sherratt, Robert Sutherland, Jay Switzer , Catherine Tait, James Waters (chairman), Marjorie Waters, and Ron Waters. Allan Waters retired from
153-597: A deal to acquire CHWO, a pop standards AM station in Toronto. The station had operated from the former transmitter of CBC Radio outlet CBL , allowing it to blanket most of the eastern half of North America at night and much of the Great Lakes region and northern United States during the day. Znaimer officially took control of the station in 2008 and rechristened it CFZM . In addition to pop standards, it also offers news and some public-service talk programming, primarily aimed at
204-409: A distinctive style of broadcasting, inspired in part by Marshall McLuhan , which emphasized a strongly local, hip and casual format aimed at young audiences. In 1981, Toronto-based media conglomerate CHUM Limited purchased Citytv, and Znaimer became vice-president of CHUM and executive producer for all of City's programming. By 1984 Znaimer's vision of a 24-hour music video station was realized with
255-410: A format typical of the late 1940s, with a combination of information, music, and sports. When CHUM was about to debut, Leary told the press that the new station would be known for community service and in-depth news, in addition to live talent and the most popular phonograph records. Allan Waters , a salesman from Part's patent medicine business took control of CHUM-AM in 1954. Waters' first major move
306-464: A number of changes. Between 2008 and 2009, Corus Entertainment acquired SexTV: The Channel, CLT, and Drive-In Classics from CTV Ltd. for an estimated worth of $ 73 million and $ 40 million each. However, it was announced that CTVglobemedia would be selling CKX-TV in Brandon, Manitoba to Bluepoint Investment Corporation for a dollar. But that station was closed down on October 2, 2009, after Bluepoint rejected
357-525: A pivotal role in the company's development. The company expanded into television holdings for the first time when it gained a one-third interest in CBC affiliate CKVR-TV , a station founded by Ralph Snelgrove (whose first initial and that of his wife, Valerie, form part of the station's callsign), in Barrie. It acquired a second one-third share in 1968, and eventually gained full control in 1970. On May 12, 1967, under
408-473: A subsidiary of Bell Media. Its Toronto radio stations TSN RADIO 1050 and CHUM 104.5 continue to use "CHUM" as their call signs . The headquarters were located at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, the famous CHUM-City Building, which currently serves as Bell Media's headquarters. With the sale of CTVglobemedia to Bell Canada as announced in September 2010, Bell took control of most of CHUM's former assets for
459-520: A third-floor flat on Montréal’s storied Saint Urbain Street . In his youth, Znamier attended United Talmud Torah and then Herzliah High School in the United Talmud Torahs of Montreal private school system, where he developed a reputation for the quality of his voice while performing Friday services. He has remarked that the young women flocking to hear him sing the prayers gave him a taste of what it
510-766: Is like to have groupies. He graduated from McGill University in Montreal with a B.A. in philosophy and politics (and served as president of the McGill Debating Union ), and from Harvard University with an M.A. in government in the mid-1960s. Znaimer's career in broadcasting began when he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in the mid-1960s in Montreal and Ottawa. He became well known for his work as host of CBC Radio's Cross Country Checkup , as well as co-host of CBC Television's Take 30 with Adrienne Clarkson . After being denied
561-716: The CHUM-City Building , a landmark media centre. Throughout the 1990s, Znaimer presided over a considerable expansion of the CHUM-City television empire. Bravo! was launched as a new style arts channel in 1995, and Space in 1997. He continued his original vision for television with the launching of Canada's first 24-hour local news station, CablePulse 24 in 1998. Further cable channels included Canadian Learning Television , Star! , Drive-In Classics , FashionTelevisionChannel , BookTelevision , CourtTV Canada , SexTV: The Channel , MuchLOUD and MuchVibe . Znaimer also oversaw
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#1732854899273612-666: The Citytv brand. At the same time, CHUM announced plans to consolidate the master control departments for CKVR, CFPL, CHRO, CHWI and CKNX at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, as well as the traffic and programming departments at CFPL, resulting in the loss of approximately nine staff members from CKVR. The switch occurred on June 3, 2005. Allan Waters stepped down from the CHUM Limited Board of Directors in October and became an honorary director. On December 3, 2005, Waters died in Toronto at
663-707: The Competition Bureau , which approved the transaction on March 2, and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which held a public hearing beginning April 30, 2007 in Gatineau . CTVgm's takeover bid was completed on October 30, although CHUM was immediately in a blind trust under lawyer John McKellar. Immediately following the announcement, CHUM separately announced 281 layoffs, primarily at its local stations in western Canada; local newscasts (other than Breakfast Television and
714-569: The IWK Telethon since 1995 (host by Steve Murphy) *Currently being sold to other owners pending approval of the CRTC. Moses Znaimer Moses Znaimer OOnt ( Russian : Мовсес Денид Знамиер ; born 1942) is a Tajik -born Canadian media executive of Jewish descent. He is the co-founder and former head of Citytv , the first independent television station in Toronto , Ontario , Canada , and
765-572: The Maritimes , owned and operated by the CTV Television Network , a division of Bell Media . Despite the name, it is not available on basic cable or analog in Newfoundland and Labrador even though that province is part of Atlantic Canada. The CTV Atlantic stations are: All four stations refer to themselves on air as CTV, not by their call letters. CJCB and CKCW simulcast CJCH for most of
816-1019: The Toronto Raptors , Toronto's then-new NBA franchise. The resulting station became known as The New VR . That same year, the CHUM Radio Network was established to deliver syndicated radio programs across Canada. The experiment was successful enough that CHUM replicated CKVR's format on several stations it had acquired from Baton Broadcasting in 1997, including CHRO in Pembroke , CFPL in London , CKNX in Wingham , and CHWI in Windsor . Most of these stations were also former CBC affiliates, and all were in markets where CKVR's sister station, CITY-TV, were already available on basic cable. CIVI in Victoria, British Columbia
867-402: The 1980s onward. Today, nearly all programming originates from Halifax. However, CJCB and CKCW break off from CJCH's signal to air separate commercials and locally produced telethons. As with many regional networks, this creates a balancing act where local stories in one community or province are of little interest in another area of CTV Atlantic's coverage area, and viewers in each province feel
918-472: The CBC after 30 years, and was re-launched as an independent station with a more youthful image in order to generate interest from viewers in the neighbouring Toronto market, where CKVR had long been available on basic cable. This included adopting a news format similar to the CityPulse newscasts on CITY, replacing its various classic TV shows with more contemporary series, and picking up a package of games for
969-662: The CBC opened a relay in Sydney, CHUM switched CJCB's affiliation to CTV and merged its four Maritimes CTV affiliates into the ATV system. Shortly afterward, CKCW opened a rebroadcaster in Charlottetown, making Prince Edward Island the last province to get CTV. On February 26, 1997 (with CRTC approval given on August 28, 1997 ), as part of a group deal, the ATV stations were sold to CTV. Although each station originally produced its own news and local programming, these were progressively cut back from
1020-647: The CHUM-City Christmas Wish, and currently, the CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish. CITY-TV – the Toronto UHF station launched with great flair and style in 1972 by Moses Znaimer – ran into financial debt by 1975. Multiple Access Ltd. (the owners of CFCF in Montreal ) purchased 45% of the station in 1977, and sold its stake to CHUM Limited three years later. CITY was purchased outright by CHUM in 1981 with
1071-412: The CRTC on September 28, 2007, and Rogers officially became Citytv's new owner on October 31. Rogers subsequently purchased 33 Dundas Street East, the former Olympic Spirit building, located at the edge of Dundas Square for the use of its Toronto television stations, and CITY-TV moved out from 299 Queen Street West into the new facility on September 8, 2009. In 2010, CP24 extended their 5:00pm newscast after
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#17328548992731122-494: The Citytv stations (including CITY and CKVU) are now owned by Rogers Media . In 2006, Moses Znaimer filed an application with the CRTC to acquire CFMX-FM , a commercial classical music radio station licensed to Cobourg with a rebroadcaster in Toronto. In 2008 he gained CRTC approval to relaunch the Toronto rebroadcaster as a full-fledged station, using the call sign CFMZ-FM to reflect his initials. In September 2007, he announced
1173-564: The Noon News in Calgary and Edmonton) at all Citytv stations in the region were immediately pulled. CHUM claims the layoffs were part of an ongoing process to streamline its operations and not directly related to the takeover. On June 8, 2007, the CRTC approved the CTV takeover of CHUM. However, the CRTC made the deal conditional on CTV divesting itself of Citytv rather than A-Channel. This consequently voided
1224-618: The Rogers deal; on June 11, 2007, Rogers announced that it has agreed to buy the Citytv stations. CTV said it would keep all other assets, except CHUM's interest in MusiquePlus/MusiMax, and potentially CKX-TV and CLT . The sale of the CHUM Limited properties to CTVglobemedia was completed on June 22, 2007 with CTVgm as the sole owner of CHUM. The Citytv stations remained under blind trust awaiting sale to Rogers Media (see below). Following
1275-565: The Toronto and southern Ontario market region, as well as a weeknight hour devoted to rebroadcasting classic radio dramatic and dramatic shows, usually programs first produced for the U.S. networks between the late 1930s and the late 1950s. He also announced a subsequent deal to acquire web developer Fifty-Plus Net International, with the intention of launching a social networking website similar to MySpace or Facebook but aimed at older adults. In 2008, Znaimer officially incorporated ZoomerMedia to operate his new media holdings. In June 2009,
1326-528: The age of 84. Following tributes from across Canada, more than 2,000 attended a celebration of his life at Toronto's Westin Harbour Castle Conference Centre. On July 12, 2006, CHUM announced that it had agreed to a takeover by Bell Globemedia, renamed CTVglobemedia and now Bell Media , (herein abbreviated "CTV" or "CTVgm" for brevity), in a transaction valuing CHUM at $ 1.7 billion CAD . The takeover required approval from two regulatory bodies,
1377-480: The announcement regarding their massive firings taking place at Rogers Media's Citytv stations across Canada including the cancellation of Citytv Toronto's CityNews at Five . That same year, Corus relaunched CLT as "Viva", then OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on March 1, 2011. As well, Star! will be relaunched as E! on November 29, 2010 after CTV announced it had signed a multi-year deal with Comcast. CHUM eventually acquired CFXJ-FM from Milestone Radio that same year since
1428-484: The authority for which expired on June 16, 2007 (two years after licensing). 43°38′59″N 79°23′25″W / 43.649701°N 79.390233°W / 43.649701; -79.390233 *Currently being sold to other owners pending approval of the CRTC. CTV Atlantic CTV Atlantic (formerly known as the Atlantic Television System , or ATV ) is a system of four television stations in
1479-468: The board on October 29, 2005. In November, 2004, CHUM and Astral Media filed an application with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for a subscription radio service in Canada. That application, along with two satellite radio services, were approved by the CRTC on June 16, 2005. While the two satellite services launched soon after the decision, CHUM did not implement its service,
1530-442: The co-founder of CITY-TV , targeting younger audiences. In July 2006, one year after the death of Waters, CHUM agreed to merge with CTVglobemedia (now Bell Media ), owner of the CTV Television Network . The merger was completed on June 22, 2007; regulatory approval was made conditional on the sale of CHUM's five Citytv stations to Rogers Communications . The company itself was renamed CTV Limited (now CTV Inc. ) and continues as
1581-406: The company announced a deal to acquire the media assets of S-VOX , which operated several channels of religiously -oriented television programming, for $ 25 million. In 2005, Znaimer received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, for his lifetime contributions to broadcasting. In 2006, he was made a member of
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1632-504: The company, before moving on to other ventures such as ZoomerMedia . On December 1, 2004, CHUM purchased Craig Media Inc., which owned five local TV stations, mainly in the Prairies, and three digital specialty services, for $ 265 million CAD . While Craig's three largest stations were integrated into Citytv, Craig's Toronto station CKXT-TV (then branded "Toronto 1", now Sun TV ) was sold to Quebecor . In addition to its own stations, CHUM
1683-630: The corporate name CHUM Limited , Allan Waters took the rapidly expanding company public. At the same time, Alex Forbes was appointed to the Board of Directors of CHUM Limited, while it received approval to acquire Ottawa's Radio CFRA Limited and control of two key stations in the market: CFRA-AM and CFMO-FM. CHUM-AM launched the CHUM Christmas Wish, evolving out of The CHUM Kids Crusade, and operating in conjunction with The CHUM Charitable Foundation. This would become an annual event for over forty years under
1734-523: The creation of MuchMusic . Much like City, MuchMusic emphasized the liveness and spontaneity of television, relying largely on hand-held cameras, and impromptu shots of VJs taken just about anywhere in the CHUM-City offices. MusiquePlus , a joint venture based in Montreal and catering to the French-speaking audiences of Canada, was launched in 1986. In 1987 CHUM-City purchased a former publishing building in Toronto's downtown west end and renovated it into
1785-631: The current head of ZoomerMedia . Znaimer was born to Jewish parents (Aron Znaimer and Chaya Znaimer née Epelsweig) from Latvia and Poland, who had fled the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union and relocated to Kulob in the Soviet republic of Tajikistan . Following the war, his family lived in a German Displaced Persons camp, arriving in Halifax before ultimately ending up in Montreal in 1948 where they settled in
1836-504: The day, but air separate commercials and local telethons. CKLT is a full repeater of CKCW. However, all four stations are separately licensed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Station information and history is discussed in each station's own article. CJCH was a charter CTV affiliate when that network began on October 1, 1961. CJCB and CKCW were established as CBC Television stations in 1954. CKCW affiliated with CTV in 1969, adding sister station CKLT
1887-410: The deal the day before. At the same time, they shut down CKNX-TV . For Citytv, the transaction was worth over $ 375 million. Media analysts have suggested that with a more powerful media conglomerate such as Rogers behind them the Citytv stations will effectively become Canada's fourth full-fledged commercial television network, in effect if not immediately in name. The Citytv transaction was approved by
1938-470: The first time. CTVglobemedia was subsequently renamed Bell Media on April 1, 2011, after the deal to purchase the stations was finalized and the CHUM name was completely phased out from its new entity, with the exception of radio stations CHUM-AM and CHUM-FM in Toronto. CHUM Limited began operations when CHUM-AM was founded in 1945 by four Toronto businessmen, including Al Leary, a former sportscaster, who had been
1989-458: The launch of Citytv Vancouver . Znaimer left Citytv and CHUM Limited in April 2003, but stayed on in certain production roles. He co-founded and for a time served as chairman of Cannasat Therapeutics , a publicly traded company pioneering a new class of drugs from marijuana; he continues as a shareholder and advisor to the company. Ultimately, CHUM Limited was acquired in 2007 by CTVglobemedia and
2040-481: The news division focuses too much on either New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, along with a lesser focus on Prince Edward Island. However, CTV Atlantic has had some of the highest ratings of any local newscasts in Canada, although its presence and viewing audience is somewhat less in PEI mainly as a result of competition from CBCT in Charlottetown, which provides the province's only PEI-specific newscast . On October 11, 2005, ATV
2091-454: The opportunity to pursue his creative vision at the CBC, Znaimer quit and went into private broadcasting. With all of the VHF television licences in Toronto taken, Znaimer and a partnership applied for and was awarded the city's first UHF commercial broadcasting licence, on channel 79. Citytv launched in 1972, and changed frequency to channel 57 in 1983. With Citytv, he gradually began to pioneer
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2142-672: The sale of Moses Znaimer's interest in the station. In 1987, CITY and the other CHUM-owned television stations moved to the CHUM-City Building at 299 Queen Street West , which became one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city. The CHUM Radio Building at 1331 Yonge Street remained CHUM Limited's corporate headquarters. Between 1984 and 1999, CHUM Limited expanded into many new television holdings such as MuchMusic , Star! , Space , Bravo !, CP24 , SexTV: The Channel , Fashion Television Channel , Canadian Learning Television , and many others. In September 1995, CKVR disaffiliated from
2193-531: The sale to CTVgm. As Shaw Communications purchasing the Global Television Network and the Canwest television properties, Vidéotron launching its wireless telephone network with video content as a key selling point, and the enormous popularity of wireless and Internet video and other media streams at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics , Bell once again sought to bring a content provider into its portfolio. It
2244-684: The same year. Between 1969 and 1976, CKCW's relay stations in Northern New Brunswick (Campbellton, Upsalquitch Lake and Newcastle [Miramichi], plus three relay stations in Quebec) carried a combined CBC/CTV schedule, becoming full relays of CKCW after CHSJ-TV in Saint John, the CBC affiliate in New Brunswick, established its own relays in the area. CHUM Limited , a Toronto broadcaster, bought CJCH in 1970, CJCB in 1971 and CKCW and CKLT in 1972. After
2295-469: The station manager at CKCL for 14 years. CHUM received its licence in late November 1944 to operate a station with 1000 watts. CHUM launched as a dawn-to-dusk radio station under York Broadcasters Limited on 28 October 1945, with John H.Q. "Jack" Part, an entrepreneur in the business of patent medicines, as its president. The station, then operating from studios in the Mutual Street Arena , broadcast
2346-515: The takeover less than a month, Richard Gray was named head of news for the A-Channel stations and CKX-TV (another station in the CHUM acquisition). Gray reports directly to the CTVgm corporate group instead of CTV News to preserve independent news presentation and management. Gray now oversees CKVR and the other news departments; CHRO, CFPL, CKNX, CHWI, CIVI and CKX-TV. With CHUM Limited dissolved, there were
2397-408: Was added into the system by CHUM at its launch in October 2001. A month prior, CHUM bought CKVU from CanWest Global and it became Citytv Vancouver on July 22, 2002. Prior to CHUM's acquisition of CKVU, some Citytv programming was syndicated to KVOS in nearby Bellingham, Washington . Moses Znaimer retired from active management at CHUM in April 2003, and briefly continued to work on projects with
2448-505: Was announced to re-acquire 100% of the company's broadcasting arm in September 2010, including CTV Limited. Under the deal, Woodbridge, Torstar, and Teachers' received $ 1.3 billion in either cash or equity in BCE, while BCE will also assume $ 1.7 billion in debt (BCE's existing equity interest is $ 200 million, for a total transaction value of $ 3.2 billion). Woodbridge will simultaneously regain majority control of The Globe and Mail , with Bell retaining
2499-680: Was one of several sources (alongside Canwest 's CH / E! and Global TV ) providing syndicated programming to independently owned CBC and CTV affiliates. CHUM announced in February 2005 that the NewNet stations would be relaunched under the A-Channel brand by that fall; the rebrand took place on August 2, 2005, the same date when the former A-Channel stations in Winnipeg , Edmonton and Calgary , recently acquired by CHUM from Craig Media, were relaunched under
2550-1029: Was renamed "CTV Atlantic". Most other CTV owned-and-operated stations had been renamed the prior week. Due to it being in the Atlantic Time Zone and ahead an hour of the Eastern Time Zone , some programming on CTV Atlantic airs at different times than on the master main Eastern/Central CTV feed and for programming from the United States, is actually carried ahead of its first airing on their original American networks. CTV Atlantic produces 25.5 hours of local programming each week. All news programs are produced in 16:9 high definition as of July 13, 2014 at CJCH's Robie Street studio in Halifax. CTV News also has news bureaus in Sydney, New Glasgow, Saint John, Fredericton and Moncton. CTV Atlantic has been airing
2601-583: Was to secure a licence for 24-hour-a-day broadcasting for CHUM, along with a power increase to 5,000 watts. On April 17, 1959, the name York Broadcasters was changed to CHUM 1050 Radio Ltd. . The CHUM studios were moved from 250 Adelaide Street West to 1331 Yonge Street, Toronto, where their iconic neon sign was erected for the first time. CHUM-FM would begin broadcasting in 1963 under a Classical Music/Fine Arts format. Alex Forbes, whose accounting firm Ewin & Forbes had been CHUM's auditor since 1952, joined CHUM 1050 Radio Ltd. as Secretary-Treasurer. He would play
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