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EULOGY
Born: October 28, 1945, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
After a few reincarnations 1050 CHUM quietly passed away on March 26, 2009
1050 CHUM was a legendary Top 40 powerhouse from the late 1950s through to the early 1980s.
The station had a formula no other station has been able to duplicate.
Through the formative ‘50s, the unforgettable ‘60s and the interesting ‘70s, 1050 CHUM played a major role in shaping the radio landscape in Toronto. Recording acts from Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Guess Who, Elton John, The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers and Bob Seger not only graced the airwaves but walked the halls of 1050 CHUM.
The radio station was famous for the CHUM Chart. From 1957 to 1986, 1,512 consecutive weekly charts were published, making it the longest-running chart of its kind in the world.
Also, 1050 CHUM was noteworthy for hosting many famous rock concerts including, among others, visits to Maple Leaf Gardens by Elvis Presley (1957) and The Beatles (1964, '65, and '66).
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RECENT POSTS
Sunday, July 18, 2010
1978 CHUM'S PLAYLIST INCLUDED....
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CHUM CHARTS TOP 1OO 1978
Source: Craig's M. Smith's 1050 CHUM Chart fan site
1 Staying Alive Bee Gees
2 Night Fever Bee Gees
3 Whenever I Call You "Friend" Kenny Loggins
4 Miss You Rolling Stones
5 Three Times A Lady Commodores
6 You're In My Heart Rod Stewart
7 Hot Child In The City Nick Gilder
8 Running On Empty Jackson Browne
9 Shadow Dancing Andy Gibb
10 Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad Meatloaf
11 Just The Way You Are Billy Joel
12 Kiss You All Over Exile
13 Grease Frankie Valli
14 Baker Street Gerry Rafferty
15 You're The One That I Want Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta
16 Turn To Stone Electric Light Orchestra
17 Reminiscing Little River Band
18 How Deep Is Your Love Bee Gees
19 Lay Down Sally Eric Clapton
20 Blue Bayou Linda Ronstadt
21 Emotion Samatha Sang
22 With A Litte Luck Wings
23 Baby Come Back Player
24 The Closer I Get To You Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
25 Paradise By The Dashboard Light Meatloaf
26 (Love Is) Thicker Than Water Andy Gibb
27 The Load Out/Stay (LP Cut) Jackson Browne
28 If I Can Have You Yvonne Elliman
29 You Make Lovin' Fun Fleetwood Mac
30 You Needed Me Anne Murray
31 It's A Heartache Bonnie Tyler
32 Dust In The Wind Kansas
33 Sometimes When We Touch Dan Hill
34 Life's Been Good Joe Walsh
35 Love Will Find A Way Pablo Cruise
36 Hopelessly Devoted To You Olivia Newton-John
37 Beast Of Burden Rolling Stones
38 Right Down The Line Gerry Rafferty
39 We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions Queen
40 Break It To Them Gently Burton Cummings
41 Goodbye Girl David Gates
42 Short People Randy Newman
43 Here You Come Again Dolly Parton
44 Hot Blooded Foreigner
45 Swingtown Steve Miller Band
46 What A Wonderful World Art Garfunkel w/James Taylor & Paul Simon
47 Fool (If Think It's Over) Chris Rea
48 Still The Same Bob Seger
49 You Light Up My Life Debby Boone
50 Only The Good Die Young Billy Joel
51 The Circle Is Small Gordon Lightfoot
52 Come Together Aerosmith
53 Desiree Neil Diamond
54 Ebony Eyes Bob Welsh
55 How Much I Feel Ambrosia
56 Coming Home Ian Thomas
57 Come Sail Away Styx
58 You Don't Bring Me Flowers Streisand & Diamond
59 Sweet Talking Woman Electric Light Orchestra
60 I Was Only Joking Rod Stewart
61 Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue Crystal Gayle
62 An Everlasting Love Andy Gibb
63 Slip Slidin' Away Paul Simon
64 Feels So Good Chuck Mangione
65 You Belong To Me Carly Simon
66 Thank You For Being A Friend Andrew Gold
67 Double Vision Foreigner
68 Baby, What A Big Surprise Chicago
69 Just Remember I Love You Firefall
70 Ready To Take A Chance Again Barry Manilow
71 Time Passages Al Stewart
72 MacArthur Park Donna Summer
73 Hollywood Nights Bob Seger
74 Count On Me Jefferson Starship
75 More Than A Woman (LP Cut) Bee Gees
76 Werewolves Of London Warren Zevon
77 Follow You Follow Me Genesis
78 Who Are You Who
79 Runaway Jefferson Starship
80 Closer To The Heart Rush
81 Hot Legs Rod Stewart
82 Peg Steely Dan
83 Don't Look Back Boston
84 We Just Disagree Dave Mason
85 Too Much Heaven Bee Gees
86 Theme From "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind" Meco
87 Baby Hold On Eddie Money
88 Josie Steely Dan
89 I Just Wanna Stop Gino Vanelli
90 Love Is In The Air John Paul Young
91 Magnet & Steel Walter Egan
92 Girl's School Wings
93 Prove It All Night Bruce Springsteen
94 Out Of The Blue Band
95 You Never Done It Like That Captain & Tennille
96 Oh Pretty Lady Trooper
97 She's Always A Woman Billy Joel
98 Rock & Roll Is A Vicious Game April Wine
99 Imaginary Lover Atlanta Rhythm Section
100 Back In The U.S.A. Linda Ronstadt
Source: Craig's M. Smith's 1050 CHUM Chart fan site
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CHUM HISTORY
"1050 CHUM" was a legendary Top 40 powerhouse during the late 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.
Early history and Top 40 format
CHUM AM was launched as a dawn-to-dusk radio station on October 28, 1945 by Jack Q'Part, an entrepreneur in the business of patent medicines. The station, then operating from studios in the Mutual Street Arena, was taken over in December 1954 by Allan Waters, a salesman from Q'Parts' patent medicine business. Waters' first major move was to secure a license for 24-hour-a-day broadcasting for CHUM, along with a power increase to 5,000 watts. Less than three years after Waters acquired the station, and soon after bringing the new fulltime transmitter online, a major programming change was made. On May 27 1957, Waters switched to a "Top 50" format that had proven itself popular in some U.S. cities; Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" was the first song played. "1050 CHUM" pioneered rock and roll radio in Toronto, and was noteworthy for hosting many noteworthy rock concerts including, among others, visits to Maple Leaf Gardens by Elvis Presley (1957) and The Beatles (1964, '65, and '66). While the station was rising to the top of the popularity ratings in Toronto in the early 1960s, it also built yet another new transmitter in Mississauga, Ontario (a few miles west of the current Toronto city line) along the Lake Ontario shoreline, and raised its power once again to its current 50,000 watts around the clock.
CHUM DJs of the 1960s were zany morning man Al Boliska, who quit in late 1963 to go 'across the street' to CKEY.He was replaced by WKBW, Buffalo radio & TV personality Jay Nelson, popularly known as "Jungle Jay" from his role as host of a children's show on Buffalo's Channel 7 which was also popular among Toronto youngsters. He would be followed by housewives' jock John Spragge; singer/DJ Mike Darow; Pete Nordheimer, replaced in 1961 by witty Bob McAdorey; teen DJ Dave Johnson; and all night maven Bob Laine. Later additions to the CHUM DJ lineup included Duff Roman and Brian Skinner, both of whom came over from CKEY (then owned by Jack Kent Cooke). In the late 1960s, early 1970s, CHUM DJ's included Duke Roberts (also known as Gary Duke for a time), Johnny Mitchell (better known today as Sonny Fox), J. Michael Wilson, Tom Rivers, Scott Carpenter, Jim Van Horne, John Rode, Don Reagan, Terry Steele and Roger Ashby. Among their later mighttime hosts was John D. Roberts, who joined CHUM in 1977 and would eventually become known across North America as White House correspondent for CBS-TV and host of CNN's morning program "American Morning."
CHUM was also well known for its contests, like the 1970s' "I Listen to CHUM" promotion, in which DJs would dial phone numbers at random and award $1,000 to anyone who answered the phone with that phrase.
From gold-based to oldies
By the mid-1980s, CHUM had lost ground in the Toronto ratings to competitor Top 40 station CFTR and FM-based music stations. On June 6, 1986, CHUM dropped its Top 40 format for a heavily gold-based adult contemporary format ("Favourites of Yesterday and Today"). By 1989, CHUM adopted an oldies format, drawing heavily on its previous Top 40 reputation to cater to the fans of that era's music.
Chart #1 - Monday, May 27, 1957 - TOP 50
CHART NUMBER 1 |
Monday, May 27, 1957 |
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1050 CHUM ORIGINAL AUDIO
John Gilbert "No Charge"
Mike Cooper's April Fools Joke
80's PROMO
Bob Sam Robbie - 1050 CHUM Morning Show - 1992
Tom Rivers 1982