CIQM-FM

CIQM-FM is an FM radio station broadcasting at 97.5 FM in London, Ontario, Canada, branded as 97.5 Virgin Radio. The station airs a CHR format. CIQM is owned by Bell Media and its sister stations include CJBX-FM and CJBK. CIQM's studios are at 743 Wellington Road while its transmitter is located near Byron in West London.

CIQM-FM
CityLondon, Ontario
Branding97.5 Virgin Radio
SloganLondon's #1 Hit Music Station
Frequency97.5 MHz (FM)
First air date1986 (at 103.1 FM)
FormatCHR
ERP50,000 watts
HAAT141 meters (463 ft)
ClassB
Former frequencies103.1 MHz (1986-1993)
OwnerBell Media
(Bell Media Radio)
Sister stationsCJBK, CJBX-FM
WebcastListen Live
Websitelondon.virginradio.ca

CIQM operates on a frequency once occupied by CKO from 1977 to 1989.

History

CIQM originally operated as Q103 at 103.1 FM (now the home of CFHK-FM in St. Thomas) from its sign-on in 1986[1] until moving to the 97.5 frequency vacated by CKO in 1993.[2] For many years, the station was known as Q97.5, even after taking on the "EZ Rock" trademark; in 2006, the "Q" was dropped and the station became known as simply 97.5, London's EZ Rock.

On September 6, 2010, CIQM underwent several changes, including a tweak in branding (as The New Sound of EZ Rock), a new logo and new on-air staff. The station moved from its 24-year-old adult contemporary format to hot adult contemporary. The switch was due to rival CKOT-FM switching from easy listening to a gold-based Soft AC mix, and also because of rimshot rivals CIHR-FM and CHGK-FM, both mainstream AC stations, also being heard in London. The station also dropped the decimal point from the station ID after flipping to Hot AC. Just after the format tweak, Astral switched CIQM's jingles from the adult hits jingles to the Hot AC jingles. Despite all of the changes, CIQM, which once dominated the market, suffered from ratings erosion, and had the lowest share in the London CMA, and was a distant second place behind CKOT.

On August 13, 2012, CIQM began stunting with jockless music, as well as their website being replaced by a countdown clock, informing listeners to tune in August 17 at 8 AM. At that time, the station flipped to CHR, becoming the 5th station in Canada (10th overall, including CKQB-FM in Ottawa, although that station reverted to its previous "Bear" branding (and has since flipped to CHR), CKZZ-FM in Vancouver (though they are considered Hot AC, and has since reverted to its former "Z95.3" branding), and CFBT in Vancouver) using the "Virgin Radio" branding. The final song on EZ Rock was "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse, while the first song on Virgin was "Pound The Alarm" by Nicki Minaj.[3][4] The station has a full-time air staff, as well as the London affiliate for On Air with Ryan Seacrest. Longtime rival CFHK-FM became once again the market's only hot adult contemporary station. CIQM-FM's flip to contemporary hit radio filled the Top 40 void in London for the first time since 2004, when CFHK dropped it in favour of its current Hot AC format.

As part of Astral's merger with Bell Media on June 27, 2013, CIQM is now owned by Bell Media.

  • Final EZ Rock logo from 2010-2012

References
  1. Decision CRTC 86-19
  2. Decision CRTC 93-20
  3. https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/69607/ez-rock-stunting-in-london/
  4. http://formatchange.com/ezrock-becomes-virgin-radio/

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