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CFNY 102.1 was a very unique and special radio station in the Toronto area that had become alive in July 1977. Before CFNY, the radio station was called CHIC-AM/FM. CHIC was a small ethnic, talk-oriented community station broadcasting 857 watts out of small, yellow brick house in Brampton, Ontario. A pair of brothers, Leslie and Harry Allen Jr had bought the station in the seventies. They were playing rock during the nights in the FM part. During the day they would simulcast CHIC-AM's programming.
In July of that year, the Allen brothers were ready to create CFNY. They gave the station an identity of it's own. It went from CHIC-FM to CFNY-FM. A past time CFNY announcer had pointed out that the "NY" was short for NY. In the begining, anyone who was working there at the time was fired. Then a whole new team was brought in. CFNY's very first program director had given the radio station a little more structure. Specialty programs such as reggae, blues music and a nationally syndicated Beatles show. Unfortunately the Allen brothers and Pritchard did clash. The Allens did end up having to fire Pritchard. Then came David Marsden. He had started as an announcer, then became the program director of CFNY in 1978.
Marsden was already very popular and well known since 1963 from another radio station. From the way the story had gone, one night he became tired of easy listening. He was playing and brought in a stack of 45's. Marsden became a raving lunatic on the air and "Dave Mickie" was born. Unfortunately the next day he was fired. However, it was discovered that the ratings had suddenly jumped that night. He was in an instant hired elsewhere where his popularity as "Dave Mickie" was strong but brief. Later, as David Marsden, ended up at CBC radio, CKGM (Montrael) and CHUM-FM which was an alternative radio station at the time. When CHUMF became too commercial for him, he ended up having to leave. His 3 year experience there was more than likely the greatest influence on his vision for CFNY.
CFNY had started going through many upheavals. In April of 1979, the Allen brothers were charged with stock price manipulation and conspiracy to defraud, and CFNY-FM and its AM relative CHIC were put up for sale. In November 1979, the CRTC approved a take-over bid by Montrael's Civitas Corporation. The president of Civitas Corporation had applied to move CFNY's transmitter to the CN Tower due to the poor signal delivery. Civitas had spent $300,000 for new facilities and equipment, and the station moved out of the yellow brick house to modern studios in February 1981. Civitas expected that CFNY would make some income in about 3 to 4 years. The move to the CN Tower did not occur until late 1983 then soon after that it was sold to Selkirk Communications. Because of high interest rates and the recession in 1982, Civitas ended up running out of money and had no other choice than to sell. When Selkirk came in, there were rumours the format would become all talk, but David Marsden convinced them to keep the format and the money started rolling in.
At that time, according to sales manager Jim Fonger, CFNY was "positioned in the marketplace for the 25- to 34-year-old who "can't stand the heavy metal and rock sounds generated by CHUM-FM, CHUM-AM and Q107, and who isn't ready for the "easy listening" sound. . . . Forty per cent of the music played on CFNY you won't hear on any other Toronto station. That's who we'll market it to, perhaps a smaller but a more exclusive audience."
However more and more chaos and upheavals had continued to occur and in the late 80's and early 90's. CFNY was in a crisis. The ratings were down and drastic measures had to be made to improve the situation. The station ended up becoming strictly alternative. There were many protesters who had expressed their anger in many ways. Not only had its name and logo changed to "Modern Rock FM102," all the best personalities began to leave or were fired. Although CFNY gained about 100,000 listeners in BBM's winter 1989 survey as a result of joining the mainstream, its overall market share was down quite a bit. Today CFNY is now Edge 102.1 . Unfortunately the "spirit of radio" is no longer around. The old CFNY will always be badly missed. Many announcers such as Don Berns, Jim Duff or "the Duffer", Andre Tilk, Pete and Geets, Humble and Fred, Skot Turner, Dani Elwell, Maie Pauts and many others will be greatly missed. Special credit goes out to a well written essay on the spiritofradio.ca page. Various articles about the CFNY's history has been posted in the blog section. In 2003, a special CFNY reunion was held. It was a nice surprise. The "spirit of radio" may no longer be around. However the spirit will always hold a special place in my and many past listener's hearts.
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