New radio station reaches back in City history for iconic call letters

In its heyday in the '60s and '70s, its personalities dominated the airwaves with listeners waking to Bob Wood as the morning man, Clancy MacDonald reading the news, and Peter Handley (A good sport is good for sports) chipping in with sports

CFCH was a major force in the community, participating in many charity events like this hockey game in Sturgeon Falls. The iconic call letters re being revived by a new station coming to town.

The new oldies station proposed for North Bay will have a nostalgic, much-loved name, drawn from the rich history of radio in the city.

Vista, the company which this week gained approval for the new FM station, will use the call letters CFCH. immediately recognizable to those most likely to listen to their music.

General Manager Peter Hobbs told BayToday that he thought about resurrecting the nickname last fall, after growing up listening to the iconic AM station.

"Sure enough, it was available so we snapped it up."

Rogers Radio had rights to the name, but gave it up when it launched The Fox CFXN and wanted to start fresh with a new call sign.

"It was actually picked up by a community organization out in B.C. but they couldn't make any money with it so they turned the calls back in. It's pretty cool," said Hobbs.

CFCH was the first radio station owned by Lord Roy Thomson, and launched in March 1931 after Thomson began selling radios in northern Ontario for De Forest Crosley Radios. He quickly became frustrated selling radios in an area that had spotty reception.

Deciding to put a radio station on the air himself he bought an unused licence from the Abitibi Paper Company for $1 and an old transmitter for $200, and the temporary use of a technician to install it.

CFCH was housed upstairs in what is now the Capitol Centre, just three doors down from Vista Radio’s 106.3 Moose FM on Main Street.

In another twist, Vista Radio is owned by Sherry Brydson, a granddaughter of Lord Roy Thomson, who says, “Building a radio station that honours my grandfather’s legacy with the same call letters in the same city is a privilege.”

The new CFCH has two years to get back on the air, but Hobbs isn't sure of a date.

"I honestly don't know. One of the issues will be specific equipment we need to order and that could take up to 14 months, but as soon as we can get it up we will. I don't think we'll take the full two years. Technical issues will dictate when we get it up."

Hobbs is unsure if the company will need to move from its tiny Main St. location, and concedes it will mean a few new jobs can't put a number on it.