CFCA-FM

For the defunct Toronto radio station see CFCA (AM)

CFCA-FM
City Kitchener, Ontario
Broadcast area Waterloo Region
Branding 105.3 Virgin Radio
Slogan Kitchener's #1 Hit Music Station
Frequency 105.3 MHz (FM)
First air date 1949
Format Top 40/CHR
ERP 100 kWs
HAAT 250 meters (820 ft)
Class C1
Owner Bell Media
(Bell Media Radio)
Sister stations CKKW-FM, CKCO-DT
Webcast Listen live
Website kitchener.virginradio.ca

CFCA-FM is a Canadian radio station licensed to transmit from Kitchener, Ontario and serving the Waterloo Region area broadcasting at 105.3 FM. The station currently plays a Top 40/CHR format branded as 105.3 Virgin Radio and is owned by Bell Media.

CFCA's studios & offices are located in Waterloo, and their transmitter is on Baden Hill also known as the Baden Tower, just west of the Kitchener city limits.

Based on the current format, CFCA-FM competes with CKBT-FM.

History

CFCA was first launched on 106.1 FM in 1949 by local broadcaster Carl A. Pollock. It was the first FM radio station in Canada to operate independently, without an AM radio sister station. Due to the limited audience reach of FM radio at the time, however, the station left the air in 1951. Pollock subsequently launched television station CKCO-TV in 1954 and AM radio station CKKW in 1959, and then relaunched CFCA in 1967 as an easy listening station. Pollock's broadcast holdings became part of Electrohome in 1970.

CFCA and CKKW were tentatively sold in 1992 to a local consortium consisting of Jack Schoone, a former local radio announcer, and Irving Zucker, a former owner of competing stations CKGL and CHYM-FM, but the deal fell through and the stations were instead acquired by CHUM Radio in 1993. By then the station had migrated from its beautiful music/easy listening sound to a brighter adult contemporary format. On August 12, 1994 at Noon, CFCA flipped to classic rock as 105.3 Kool FM.

During the early 2000s, the station added pop/rock songs into their playlist, and shifted towards Hot AC.

CTVglobemedia became the stations' owner when it acquired CHUM Radio in 2007, and is currently owned by Bell Media since 2011.

View of one of the Kool FM remote vehicles
Former "Kool" logo (2012-2016)

On July 26, 2016, CFCA began stunting with Christmas music, while teasing a change to come that Friday (July 29) at Noon. At that time, CFCA flipped to Top 40/CHR, branded as 105.3 Virgin Radio, making CFCA the 8th station in Canada to utilize the "Virgin Radio" branding. (At the same time as CFCA's flip, sister CJCH-FM in Halifax rebranded to "Virgin".)[1][2][3][4][5] The first song on "Virgin" was "This Is What You Came For" by Calvin Harris.

References

  1. ↑ Davis, Brent. "Kool-FM lays off staff in advance of expected format change". Waterloo Region Record. Retrieved 18 September 2016. Radio industry websites RadioInsight and Puget Sound Radio both reported that the station is expected to be reborn as a Virgin Radio "contemporary hit radio" station.
  2. ↑ "Kool Christmas Stunt In Kitchener ON - RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Virgin Radio Launches In Halifax & Kitchener - RadioInsight". radioinsight.com. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Bell Media PR on Twitter: "Bell Media Radio Extends Canada's #1 Hit Music Brand as 105.3 Becomes 105-3 Virgin Radio @VirginRadio_KW https://t.co/BsVeQZJqgr"". archive.org. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018. External link in |title= (help)
  5. ↑ "CFCA Becomes 105.3 Virgin Radio - Format Change Archive". formatchange.com. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018.

Coordinates: 43°24′15″N 80°38′04″W / 43.40417°N 80.63444°W / 43.40417; -80.63444


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