CFSR-FM

CFSR-FM , Todays Country Favourites, Hope

Rogers Media

StationYearFreq.PowerOwner/Info
CFSR-FM2005100.5157Rogers Broadcasting Ltd.
CKGO-AM197712401,000/250Fraser Valley Broadcasters Ltd.
CKGO-AM19721490250Fraser Valley Broadcasters Ltd.

1971

On November 4, Fraser Valley Broadcasters Ltd. was granted a licence for a new AM station at Hope, broadcasting on 1490 kHz with power of 250 watts, non-directional.  It would receive its programming from CHWK in Chilliwack.  At this time, Fraser Valley Broadcasters was owned by Dennis Barkman, Gerry Pash, Gene Ross, Ken Davis, Bob Singleton and Harold Roberts. 

1972

CKGO 1490 started operations on May 8.  CKGO rebroadcast the programming of CHWK Chilliwack, except for two hours per day. 

1975

On June 9, approval was granted for the transfer of 27.8% of Fraser Valley Broadcasters Ltd. from K. L. Davis, Dennis C. Barkman, and G.W. Pash to William Joseph Coombes and John Robert Singleton.

1976

Bill Coombes succeeded Barkman as President of the company.

1977

CKGO moved from 1490 to 1240 kHz and increased power from 250 watts to 1,000 watts day and 250 watts at night.  1240 had been used by sister station CFVR Abbotsford.

1980

The CRTC approved the addition of a rebroadcast transmitter at Boston Bar (CKGO-FM-1) with an effective radiated power of 91 watts non-directional.

1985

CKGO was now operating with 1000 watts day and night at 1240 kHz. 

1987

CHWK general manager Bill Coombes was promoted to president and general manager of Fraser Valley Broadcasters. Dennis Barkman remained as a director of the company. Gary Milne took over as general manager of CHWK.

1988

Milne, who had taken over management of CHWK/CFSR-FM earlier in the year, left to become sales VP at CKWX in Vancouver.

1997

On September 8, CHWK and CKGO joined CKMA (former CFVR Abbotsford) with “The Greatest Rock & Roll Hits of all Time” as Radio MAX.

1999

Rogers Broadcasting moved to acquire Bill Coombes’ Fraser Valley Radio Group (CHWK/CKSR-FM Chilliwack, CKGO Hope, and CKMA Abbotsford). While the AM’s were geared to a local presence, STAR-FM (CKSR) had three transmitters that had the potential of reaching two million people in the lower mainland. Coombes said he was delighted with the sale and that Rogers was a perfect fit. 

On August 30 the CRTC approved application by Rogers Radio (British Columbia) Ltd. (division of Rogers Broadcasting Ltd.) to acquire the assets of Star-FM Radio Inc. and Fraser Valley Broadcasters Ltd.

2000

In September CKGO changed call letters to CKIS and sister stations CHWK Chilliwack became CKSR and CKMA Abbotsford became CFSR.  On December 15, the CRTC approved the conversion of CKIS to the FM dial. The new station would offer a gold-based adult contemporary music format similar to the existing “oldies” format on the AM station, and broadcast at 100.5 MHz non-directional with an effective radiated power of 157 watts.

2001

On August 31 at 5 p.m., “Star FM – The Valley’s Light Rock” was born.  (This name was used in the past by the original CKSR-FM Chilliwack.)  CKSR-FM 98.3 Chilliwack, CFSR-FM 107.1 Abbotsford and CKIS-FM 100.5 Hope replaced CHWK 1270, CFSR 850 and CKGO 1240 respectively (collectively known as “Radio MAX”).  On December 3, after several days of running announcements that their Fraser Valley stations had moved to the FM dial, the old AM frequencies went silent after three months of simulcasting their FM replacements.  By this time, CKIS-FM Hope was operating as a full-time rebroadcast station of CKSR-FM Chilliwack.

2002

The corporate name changed from Rogers Radio (British Columbia) Ltd. to Rogers Broadcasting Ltd.

2005

On April 11, the call letters CFSR-FM, previously used by Rogers’ Abbotsford station were transferred to the Hope station.  Accordingly, the Boston Bar rebroadcast transmitter became CFSR-FM-1.

2008

On December 2nd, the Rogers family announced that Ted Rogers had died at home in the early hours of the morning at the age of 75, after having suffered from congestive heart failure for several months.

2012

Rogers Radio in the Fraser Valley saw the appointment of two program directors, Curtis Pope at Country 107.1 (CKQC-FM) Abbotsford and Teresa Laynes at STAR FM (CFSR-FM) Chilliwack. Pope moved up from his two-year gig as assistant PD. He remained the afternoon drive host at Country 107.1. Laynes, the promotion director at STAR, added PD to her duties. 

2018

CFSR-FM-1 Boston Bar was deleted from the ISEDC database.

The story continues elsewhere…
Effective September 1st 2019, we will only be adding new material to these station histories in exceptional circumstances. Our intent to chronicle the early days of these radio and television stations has been achieved, and many new sources and technologies, from the CRTC website to Wikipedia, and others, are now regularly providing new information in these areas.

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