CFBT-FM

CFBT-FM
Vancouver, British Columbia;
Broadcast area	Greater Vancouver
Frequency	94.5 MHz (FM)
Branding	94.5 Virgin Radio
Programming
Format	Top 40/CHR
Affiliations	Premiere Networks
Ownership
Owner	Bell Media; (Bell Media Radio, G.P.);
Sister stations	CHQM-FM, CIVT-DT
History
First air date	February 15, 2002
Call sign meaning	CF The BeaT (former branding)
Technical information
Class	C
ERP	46,500 watts average; 90,000 watts peak; horizontal polarization only
HAAT	617.6 metres (2,026 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	49°21′15″N 122°57′30″W / 49.354252°N 122.958308°W
Links
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	iheartradio.ca/virginradio/vancouver

CFBT-FM (94.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Bell Media, the station broadcasts a Top 40/CHR format branded as 94.5 Virgin Radio. The radio studios and offices are at Robson and Burrard Street in Downtown Vancouver. CFBT is also the default top 40 station for nearby Bellingham, Washington, as there are no top 40 stations targeting that area.

CFBT has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 45,000 watts (90,000 watts peak, horizontal polarization only).^[1] The transmitter is on Mount Seymour in the District of North Vancouver.

History

Urban and Rhythmic

The 94.5 frequency was originally assigned as a low-power temporary travelers' information station to provide reports on traffic conditions between Vancouver and Coquitlam, which received approval in 1998.^[2] The CRTC began the application process for a new full-power FM station on the 94.5 frequency in the fall of 2000. There were eleven prospective applicants, reflecting the fact that the 94.5 frequency was the last remaining high-power FM slot in the Vancouver market.

On June 5, 2001, Focus Communications was granted a licence to operate an urban contemporary format.^[3] Focus chose the call sign CFBT-FM to reflect the station's moniker, "The Beat". The call letters were assigned in November of the same year. Test transmissions began in mid-February 2002.^[4] An official launch date was set for March 4, making CFBT-FM the second urban station in Canada. The station adopted a "soft start" launch wherein announcers and programming were gradually introduced over a period of several weeks. By mid-2003, the station changed to more of a rhythmic contemporary format.

Switch to Top 40

In September 2004, CFBT changed to a Top 40/CHR format, significantly decreasing the amount of hip hop and R&B on the station's playlist. This change was prompted by the shift of CKZZ-FM to its current Hot AC format earlier that year.

CFBT became the only Top 40 station in British Columbia until 2007. The station continued to lean rhythmic for about a year, before adopting a more mainstream direction. More rhythmic tracks were phased in by 2007, when CTVglobemedia acquired the station.

Ownership changes

On February 26, 2007, CHUM Limited, which also owned CHQM-FM, CFUN and CKST, announced that it would acquire CFBT-FM from the Focus Entertainment Group.^[5] The CRTC approved the sale in October, and CTVglobemedia (CHUM's successor) assumed ownership on November 2, 2007.

The station was sold to Bell Canada in 2011, along with most CTVglobemedia stations/channels. The CHUM Radio Network subsidiary became Bell Media Radio.

On April 25, 2012, Bell Media announced a new morning show, The Beat Mornings with Holly Conway, Jonny Staub, Nira Arora and Amy Beeman, to start on April 30. Former morning show host Kid Carson left the station and joined CKKS-FM in September after his non-compete contract expired.

Virgin Radio

On February 20, 2015, Bell announced that CFBT would rebrand as 94.5 Virgin Radio on March 5. The rebranding returned the "Virgin" brand to the market for the first time since March 2014, when CKZZ-FM rebranded back to its former "Z" moniker due to Bell's merger with CKZZ's then-owner Astral Media, with Bell retaining the rights to the "Virgin" branding in Canada.^[6]^[7]

On March 5, at 9 a.m., the official rebranding to 94.5 Virgin Radio took place. The last song on "The Beat" was "Jealous" by Chromeo, while the first song on "Virgin" was "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.

Previous logos

References

^ FCCdata.org/CFBT-FM
^ Decision CRTC 98-228
^ Decision CRTC 2001-312.
^ Maurice Bridge, "The Beat plans to be a life partner to its urban music demographic," The Vancouver Sun, January 30, 2002.
^ "CHUM Buys The Beat". Milkman Unlimited. Archived from the original on March 17, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
^ "Virgin Radio Returns to Vancouver".
^ "CHR Rebrandings Reach Vancouver".

External links

94.5 Virgin Radio
CFBT-FM at The History of Canadian Broadcasting by the Canadian Communications Foundation
CFBT-FM in the REC Canadian station database

[1] FCCdata.org/CFBT-FM

[2] Decision CRTC 98-228

[3] Decision CRTC 2001-312.

[4] Maurice Bridge, "The Beat plans to be a life partner to its urban music demographic," The Vancouver Sun, January 30, 2002.

[5] "CHUM Buys The Beat". Milkman Unlimited. Archived from the original on March 17, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2007.

[6] "Virgin Radio Returns to Vancouver".

[7] "CHR Rebrandings Reach Vancouver".

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