Editing CFTR (AM)

{{short description|News radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = CFTR
| logo = 680 NewsRadio Toronto logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| city = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]]
| area = [[Greater Toronto Area]]
| branding = 680 NewsRadio Toronto
| frequency = {{Frequency|680|[[Hertz#SI multiples|kHz]]}}
| coordinates = {{coord|43|12|51|N|79|36|31|W|name=CFTR}}
| repeater = {{Radio Relay|92.5|[[CKIS-FM|CKIS-FM HD2]]|Toronto}}
| airdate = {{start date and age|1962|8|8|p=y|br=yes}}
| language = [[English language|English]]
| format = [[All-news radio]]
| licensing_authority = [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|CRTC]]
| power = 50,000 [[watt]]s
| class = B
| callsign_meaning = Canada's First, [[Edward S. Rogers, Sr.|Ted Rogers]]<ref name="CanadasFirstTedRogers" />
| former_callsigns = CHFI (1962&ndash;71)
| former_frequencies = 1540 kHz (1962&ndash;66)
| former_names = 680 News, CityNews 680
| affiliations = {{ubl|[[Canadian Press]]|[[ABC News Radio]]|[[Bloomberg Radio]]|[[CITY-DT]]}}
| owner = [[Rogers Radio]]
| licensee = Rogers Media Inc.
| sister_stations = {{hlist|[[CHFI-FM]]|[[CJCL]]|[[CKIS-FM]]|[[CFMT-DT]]|[[CITY-DT]]|[[CJMT-DT]]}}
| webcast = {{listenlive|https://toronto.citynews.ca/audio/}}
| website = {{URL|https://toronto.citynews.ca/audio/}}
}}

'''CFTR''' (680 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]; “680 NewsRadio Toronto”) is a commercial [[All-news radio|all-news]] radio station licensed to [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], serving the [[Greater Toronto Area]]. Owned by [[Rogers Radio]], a division of the [[Rogers Sports & Media]] subsidiary of [[Rogers Communications]], the station became Canada's first solo station to broadcast an all-news radio format, following in the footsteps of the [[CKO]] national all-news radio network, a format that has since been replicated in major markets across the country. The CFTR studios are located at the [[Rogers Building (Toronto)|Rogers Building]] at [[Bloor Street|Bloor]] and [[Jarvis Street]]s in [[downtown Toronto]], while the station transmitter is located on the southern edge of [[Lake Ontario]] at Oakes and Winston Road (near the [[Queen Elizabeth Way|QEW]] and Casablanca Blvd) in nearby [[Grimsby, Ontario|Grimsby]].<ref>{{cite magazine | last= Rossiter | first= Eric | date= September 3, 1979 | title = CFTR Move Gets Approval | url= https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-DX/NRC-DX-News/V46-1978/DXN46_1978-1979_29.pdf | magazine= DX News }}</ref>

While CFTR broadcasts at the maximum power for Canadian AM stations, 50,000 [[watt]]s, it must use a complicated [[directional antenna]] system to avoid interfering with other stations on [[680 AM]]. In addition to a standard [[analog transmission]], CFTR is [[simulcast]] on the second [[HD Radio|HD]] [[digital subchannel]] of [[CKIS-FM]], and is available online. Its audio simulcasts on [[Bell Satellite TV]] channel 958.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bell.ca/Styles/tv/all_languages/all_regions/pdfs/U3753%20WHS%20Prog%20Channel-DTH%20ON%20FEB%202016%20E.pdf|title=None}}</ref>

The station's studios and offices are located in the [[Rogers Building (Toronto)|Rogers Building]] at 1 [[Ted Rogers Way]] (also known as 1 Mount Pleasant Road) in Toronto.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/contact/|title=Contact CityNews Toronto}}</ref>

==History==
=== Early years ===
The station launched on August 8, 1962.<ref>[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-249]]</ref> Its original frequency was 1540&nbsp;kHz, using the [[call sign]] CHFI, simulcasting the [[beautiful music]] of [[sister station]] [[CHFI-FM]], one of Canada's first [[FM radio]] stations. Because 1540 is a [[clear-channel station|clear-channel]] frequency assigned to stations in the [[United States]] and the [[Bahamas]], CHFI was authorized to broadcast only during the [[daytimer|daytime]]. In 1963, it sought to pay [[CFHK-FM|CHLO]] in [[St. Thomas, Ontario]] to move from 680 to another frequency, to free up 680 for CHFI's use. No deal was finalized, but, by 1966, the stations reached an agreement to share 680, and CHFI moved to 24-hour operation at that frequency.<ref name="cftr">{{Cite web|url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/radio/cftr-am|title=CFTR-AM &#124; History of Canadian Broadcasting|website=www.broadcasting-history.ca|access-date=2021-01-28|archive-date=2021-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118015429/http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/radio/cftr-am|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:CFTR-AM broadcast towers, Grimsby, Ontario.jpg|thumb|Broadcast towers in [[Grimsby, Ontario]]]]

In 1971, so as to distinguish itself from CHFI-FM, the station changed its callsign to CFTR; the "TR" being a tribute to [[Edward S. Rogers, Sr.|Ted Rogers, Sr.]], radio pioneer and father of controlling shareholder [[Edward S. Rogers|Ted Rogers]].<ref name="CanadasFirstTedRogers">{{Cite book|last=Van Hasselt|first=Caroline|title=High Wire Act: Ted Rogers and the Empire that Debt Built|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2010|isbn=9780470739747|location=[[Mississauga, Ontario]]|pages=99}}</ref>

In 1972, CFTR abandoned the beautiful music simulcast of CHFI and adopted a [[Top 40]] format. For many years, it was the primary competition to Toronto's original Top 40 station, [[CHUM (AM)|CHUM]].<ref name="cftr"/>
[[File:Cftr logo.jpg|thumb|First CFTR logo as a top 40 station.]]
In 1973, programmer Chuck Camroux upped the ante in the Toronto radio "Rock and Roll Wars" by tweaking CFTR's notoriously bad signal, adding some [[reverb]], and hiring new morning man Jim Brady to rival CHUM's Jay Nelson. Both stations hovered near one million listeners per week. Although Brady finally topped Nelson in the ratings in 1979, over-all, CFTR didn't surpass CHUM in the Toronto BBM ratings until 1984. Once CFTR gained ratings supremacy, CHUM dropped Top 40 in favour of an [[adult contemporary music]] format in 1986.<ref>Henry Mietkiewicz, "Rock image fades as CHUM goes upmarket," ''The Toronto Star'', June 6, 1986.</ref><ref>Henry Mietkiewicz, "CHUM ends teen rock image to woo baby boomers," ''The Toronto Star'', June 7, 1986.</ref><ref>http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1986/RR-1986-06-13.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

CFTR also hired [[John Records Landecker]] from [[WLS (AM)|WLS]] in Chicago in 1981. Landecker spent two years at the station before returning to Chicago to work at [[WCKL (FM)|WLUP]].<ref name="cftr"/> In 1983, CFTR began broadcasting in [[AM stereo]] using the [[AM stereo#Kahn-Hazeltine|Kahn-Hazeltine]] [[C-QUAM]] system, and then switched to the [[AM stereo#Motorola C-QUAM|Motorola]] system.<ref>{{cite web|title=Offenders of the Faith|url=http://users.hfx.eastlink.ca:80/~amstereo/offenders.htmwebsite=eastlink.ca|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010109103400/http://users.hfx.eastlink.ca:80/~amstereo/offenders.htm|archive-date=January 9, 2001}}</ref>

===All-news era===
[[File:680News 2015 Logo.png|thumb|150px|680 News logo until 2021.]]
Through the 1980s and 1990s, music listeners switched to FM, prompting AM stations like CFTR to find non-music formats. On June 1, 1993, at 10&nbsp;am, CFTR announced it would be discontinuing the [[Top 40]] format, and began broadcasting a countdown of "the top 500 songs of the (then) past 25 years" titled "The CFTR Story". At 6&nbsp;am on June 7, after playing [[Phil Collins]]' "[[Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)|Against All Odds]]" (which was the #1 song in the countdown) and [[Starship (band)|Starship]]'s "[[We Built This City]]" (which also ended CHUM's Top 40 era in 1986), and the station stopped broadcasting in AM stereo, CFTR adopted its present [[all-news radio]] format as "680 News". It was the first all-news radio station in Canada since the end of the former [[CKO]] network in 1989.<ref>Greg Quill, "CFTR dumps pop music to launch day-long news," ''The Toronto Star'', June 2, 1993.</ref><ref>Tony Van Alphen, "CKO forced to close due to red ink," ''The Toronto Star'', November 11, 1989.</ref><ref>Greg Quill, "Writing had been on the wall for closedown of CKO Radio," ''The Toronto Star'', November 11, 1989.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=1994-BC-YB|url=https://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1994/1994-BC-YB.pdf#page=595|magazine=[[Broadcasting Yearbook]]|date=1994|page=B-441}}</ref>

[[File:CityNews 680 logo.png|thumb|150px|CityNews branding (2021–2024).]]

The station offers listeners a "weather guarantee" jackpot, which is drawn from a pool of listeners who enter the contest.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

In June 2021, Rogers announced that it would rebrand its news radio stations under the ''[[CityNews]]'' brand to create a shared identity with local news on [[Citytv]] television stations and their corresponding smartphone app and website.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/06/04/rogers-extends-citynews-brand-to-five-more-of-its-news-radio-stations/|title=Rogers extends CityNews brand to five more of its news radio stations|agency=[[The Canadian Press]]|author=<!-- uncredited -->|work=CityNews|date=June 4, 2021|access-date=June 5, 2021|archive-date=June 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604213625/https://medicinehatnews.com/business/2021/06/04/rogers-extends-citynews-brand-to-five-more-of-its-news-radio-stations/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The rebranding took effect on October 18, 2021, with the station rebranding as ''CityNews 680''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/exciting-changes-ahead-for-citynews-this-fall/|title=CityNews|website=toronto.citynews.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/10/13/680-news-citynews-toronto/|title=CityNews|website=toronto.citynews.ca}}</ref>

On March 25, 2024, as part of a reimaging of the ''CityNews'' brand, CFTR rebranded as ''680 NewsRadio Toronto''.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Weekly Briefing |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/twb-rsa-032824/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |work=Broadcast Dialogue |date=March 28, 2024}}</ref>

==Notable staff==
*[[Bob McAdorey]] (1970–1976), formerly CHUM, later [[Global News]] entertainment editor and co-anchor<ref name="cftr"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com/Obituary/HtoM/article/107998|title=TheStar.com &#124; HtoM &#124; Bob McAdorey, 69: DJ led heady days at CHUM|website=[[Toronto Star]]|date=February 24, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080224145117/http://www.thestar.com/Obituary/HtoM/article/107998|archive-date=2008-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/radio/cfmj-am|title=CFMJ-AM &#124; History of Canadian Broadcasting|website=www.broadcasting-history.ca|access-date=2021-03-25|archive-date=2018-04-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420135650/http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/radio/cfmj-am|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Arlene Bynon]] - news (1980–1984) hosted ''Sunday, Sunday'' newsmagazine, moved to CHFI-FM and later hosted talk shows on the [[Global Television Network]], [[CFMJ|AM 640]], and [[Sirius XM Canada]]'s [[Canada Talks]] channel<ref name="cftr"/>
*[[John Records Landecker]] - morning man (1981–1983)<ref name="cftr"/>
*[[Jesse and Gene]] - (Jesse Dylan and Gene Valaitis) (1989–1993), first in afternoon drive, moved to morning drive in 1991<ref name="cftr"/>
* [[Chris Mavridis]] - reporter (1997–2000)<ref name="cftr"/>
* [[Rick Moranis]] (using the [[stage name]] Rick Allen) - (ca. 1973)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/rick-moranis|title = Rick Moranis &#124; the Canadian Encyclopedia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/radio/cftr-am|title=CFTR-AM &#124; History of Canadian Broadcasting|access-date=2021-10-23|archive-date=2021-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023160048/https://www.broadcasting-history.ca/listing_and_histories/radio/cftr-am|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Stephanie Smyth]] - news director and anchor (1993–2005), now a Liberal MPP in the Ontario legislature

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://toronto.citynews.ca/|CityNews 680}}
* [https://broadcasting-history.ca/radio/radio-stations/ontario/ontario-city-of-toronto/CFTR-AM CFTR-AM] at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the [[Canadian Communications Foundation]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030724065432/http://www.galbraithcommunications.com/cftr/ CFTR: The Legend 1978-1982 tribute page]
* {{RecnetCanada|CFTR}}
* [http://radio-locator.com/info/CFTR-AM Radio-Locator information on CFTR]
{{Rogers Communications}}
{{Toronto AM}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cftr}}
[[Category:Radio stations in Toronto|FTR]]
[[Category:Rogers Communications radio stations|FTR]]
[[Category:News and talk radio stations in Canada|FTR]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1962]]
[[Category:1962 establishments in Ontario]]