CHWK-FM

CHWK-FM is a Canadian radio station that broadcasts a classic hits format at 89.5 FM in Chilliwack, British Columbia. The station is branded as 89.5 The Drive.

Owned by FABMAR Communications Ltd. (formerly Radio CJVR Ltd.), the station was licensed in May, 2008.^[1] The station began testing on February 11, 2009 and launched at 12:05pm on February 20, 2009, as "89.5 The Hawk, Chilliwack's Rock Station", initially playing an active rock format, later adopting a more classic rock format. The station was also the radio home of the WHL Chilliwack Bruins from February 2009 until the team's relocation to Victoria following the 2011 season.

Glen Slingerland and Sadie Hesketh are the original morning team and as of 2018, remain there. Kevin Gemmell is the original Station Manager and as of 2018, remains there.

On June 28, 2013 at 10:00 am, after playing "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, the station adopted its current classic hits format, and rebranded as "89.5 The Drive", beginning with a weekend-long countdown of the 500 songs chosen by the listeners of the station. The first song heard was Fine Young Cannibals' "She Drives Me Crazy".

On August 14, 2018 it was announced that the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group had applied to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission to purchase Fabmar Communications and all four radio stations including CHWK-FM. The purchase is subject to CRTC approval anticipated to happen in September 2018.

CHWK was the former call sign of a radio station in Chilliwack from 1927 until it changed its call sign to CKSR-FM in 2000.^[2]

References

3. Jim Pattison Group to purchase Fabmar Comminications - https://jpbroadcast.com/1684-2/

External links

• 89.5 The Drive
• CHWK-FM history – Canadian Communications Foundation
• Query the REC's Canadian station database for CHWK-FM

Coordinates: 49°06′35″N 121°50′52″W / 49.10972°N 121.84778°W / 49.10972; -121.84778