CFCY-FM

Infobox Radio station
name = CFCY-FM


area = Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
branding = 95.1 FM CFCY
slogan = The Island's Country
airdate = August 15, 1924 as 10AS
frequency = 95.1 MHz (FM)
format = Country music
erp =
class =
owner = Maritime Broadcasting System
website = [http://www.951fmcfcy.com/ CFCY-FM]
callsign_meaning =

CFCY is a country music radio station in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, broadcasting at 95.1 FM. The station is owned by Maritime Broadcasting System. It was first launched by radio pioneer Keith Rogers on August 15, 1924 as 10AS on 250 meters. In 1925, 10AS became CFCY and broadcasted at 960 kHz. In 1931, it moved to 580 kHz, and then to 630 in 1933.

Known as "The Friendly Voice of the Maritime", the location in the centre of the Gulf of St. Lawrence allowed the AM signal to reach portions of Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and New England as well as most of the Maritimes. Two years after the founder's death, his family fulfilled his dream of bringing television to the Island, when CFCY-TV launched on July 1, 1956.

CFCY-TV and CFCY radio were both CBC affiliates but the sale of the television operation in 1969 to CBC, resulted in CBCT-TV becoming a corporate operation of the national network. Shortly after CFCY radio became part of the Maritime Broadcasting System and in 1977, when the CBC opened CBCT-FM in Charlottetown, CFCY radio disaffiliated from the network.

The station has deep roots in traditional country music, bringing "Don Messer and His Islanders" to national recognition through the 1940's and 1950's. National broadcasts over the CBC network from CFCY lead to the Messer group gaining stature as the "most popular group in Canada during the mid-20th century", eventually helping the group make the successful jump from radio to television. The station's varied mix of music saw little competition until the arrival of FM radio which led to rebranding in a country music format since 1996.

Loman McAulay was one of many who had lengthy careers with the station. Canadian broadcaster Mike Duffy, launched his TV career through hosting "Teen Hop" on CFCY TV. Betty (Rogers) Large, daughter of the founder, had one of the longest career in Canadian broadcasting spanning over 60 years, beginning on-air in 1925 at age 12. Her history of broadcasting on PEI, "Out of Thin Air", was published in 1989.

On March 24, 2006, approval was given for CFCY to switch over to the FM band. In September, CFCY made its switch to FM with permission to simulcast the new station on the old 630 AM signal for 90 days and cease operation of the AM signal afterwards.

In December 2006 the audio feed for CFCY-AM on 630 kHz ceased. However, an open carrier remained on the air on 630 kHz which had some wondering if it was CFCY-AM or a pirate taking over the frequency. No link was established between this open carrier on 630 kHz and the mysterious "tone" stations widely heard throughout North America on the MW [standard broadcast band] in late November 2006. In January of 2007 it was realized that MBS had simply forgotten to shut down the transmitter.

ee also

* CHLQ-FM

References

* Large, Betty Rogers and Crothers, Tom "Out of Thin Air", Applecross Press, Charlottetown, PEI, 1989.
* Television Comes to P.E.I. CFCY-TV, The Guardian, Charlottetown, PEI, August 14, 1956
* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0002357 Encyclopedia of Music in Canada - article on Don Messer and His Islanders, author Richard Green]
* [http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/networks/networks_CBC_Television.html History of Canadian Broadcasting website]

External links

* [http://www.951fmcfcy.com/ CFCY-FM]
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