CFXJ-FM

CFXJ (FM)
Toronto, Canada;
Frequency	93.5 MHz (FM)
Branding	Flow 93.5
Programming
Format	Urban music (2001-2005); Rhythmic top 40 (2005-present)
Ownership
Owner	Milestone Radio
History
First air date	2001
Technical information
Power	1.17 kW
Links
Website	Flow 93.5

CFXJ-FM is a Canadian radio station in Toronto, Ontario, which uses the on-air brand Flow 93.5. It first aired in 2001 as Canada's first urban music station.

History

Milestone Radio, the station's owner, first applied to the CRTC for an urban music station in 1991, but were passed over in favour of a country music station (CISS). They applied again in 1997, and were passed over in favour of the city's existing Radio One station, which the CBC wanted to move to FM for technical reasons.

Both decisions sparked controversy in Toronto, as the CRTC's reasons for passing over an urban-format station (which Toronto did not have) in favour of existing radio services were widely believed to be racist in nature. The lack of an urban station also created immense difficulties for Canadian hip hop, reggae and R&B musicians, who had no radio outlets in Canada to play and promote their music.

As well, the 99.1 signal which was awarded to the CBC was believed to be the last available FM frequency in the city. However, in 1998, the CBC found that it was able to surrender two repeater transmitters outside of Toronto due to CBLA's superior coverage of the region. In 2000, the CRTC opened applications for new services on these two frequencies, and on Milestone's third application, the CRTC awarded the 93.5 frequency to the company.

CFXJ officially debuted on March 1, 2001 after airing as a testing signal for several days in February of that year.

Flow's effect on R&B/Hip-Hop in Canada

Urban-format stations quickly followed in several other Canadian cities as well. However since then CIBK in Calgary, CFBT in Vancouver, CKEY in Niagara Falls, CKBT in Kitchener and CIHT in Ottawa has evolved to mainstream Top 40 due to the lack of R&B, hip hop and/or dance product by Canadian acts being released and the pressure to follow the CRTC's guideline on Canadian content music quotas.

Since CFXJ's debut, many Canadian hip hop and R&B musicians -- including Nelly Furtado, k-os, Swollen Members and Jarvis Church, among others -- have made the types of significant career breakthroughs that often eluded Canadian urban musicians in the 1990s. Today, CFXJ is now focusing on Rhythmic Top 40, by adding artists such as Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani and Pussycat Dolls.

Ownership

Standard Broadcasting is a minority owner of the station. Milestone Radio Inc. is the majority owner. With CHUM Limited, Milestone co-owns Rhythmic Top 40 91.7 The Bounce in Edmonton, Alberta.

People

Denham Jolly, president and CEO of Milestone Radio
Farley Flex, founding music director
Kenny Robinson, former morning host
David Marsden, former program director on short-term contract
Zanana Akande, investor in Milestone

External link

Official Site