CHMY-FM

CHMY-FM, my FM, Renfrew

My Broadcasting Corporation

StationYearFreq.PowerOwner/Info
CHMY-FM201196.17100Jon Pole & Andrew Dickson
CHMY-FM200496.11,660Jon Pole & Andrew Dickson

2004

Jon Pole & Andrew Dickson were awarded a licence for a new FM station at Renfrew on April 16. The new station would operate with an adult contemporary / middle of the road format on 96.1 MHz with effective radiated power of 1,660 watts. They had originally planned to use 98.7 MHz but changed to 96.1 because of a competing application. The change of frequency saved a lot of time during the licensing process.
 
On July 5, CHMY “MY FM” began on-air testing and officially signed on the air on August 2. Studios and offices were at 321 Raglan Street South. The antenna was 128.5 metres (EHAAT) and located on the Time Mobile Communications tower on Pinnacle Hill.

Dickson had been active in the Renfrew community for years and was the owner of Custom Printers. Pole, a native of Renfrew, spent 15 years in the radio business (programming and sales), including at the former CKOB-AM in Renfrew. His father had owned the old CKOB, along with CKOA-AM in Arnprior. Dickson and Pole named their company My Broadcasting Corp.

2005

My Broadcasting Corp. launched CIMY-FM 104.9 Pembroke on August 26. Twenty percent of its programming originated with CHMY Renfrew.

On September 1, CHMY-FM was authorized to add a rebroadcast transmitter at Arnprior, operating on 104.7 MHz with effective radiated power of 50 watts. It would be a full rebroadcaster of Renfrew and would fill signal gaps in the Arnprior area.

CHMY-FM-1 Arnprior signed on the air on in December. The antenna was 52 metres high (EHAAT) and located on the Arnprior water tower.

2007

On January 29, My Broadcasting Corporation received approval to change the frequency of CHMY-FM-1 Arnprior, from 104.7 MHz to 107.7 MHz, increase effective radiated power from 50 watts to 1,000 watts, and decrease the antenna height. The change was needed to respond to a recent decision authorizing CJRC Gatineau, Quebec to operate at 104.7 MHz.

2008

On April 15, My Broadcasting Corp. received approval to decrease the effective radiated power of CHMY-FM-1 Arnprior from 1,000 watts to an average ERP of 790 watts, increase the effective antenna height and relocate the transmitter. The Town of Arnprior indicated that future use of the current site for the station’s antenna system was uncertain, and suggested that a new site be found. MBC found a suitable existing tower structure, of a height that would provide proper coverage to the community, on Mount Packenham, which is located about ten kilometres south of Arnprior. MBC also indicated that it wished to increase service to Arnprior with more local news, weather and sports. 

2009

Peter DeWolf moved from part-time to full-time news at CHMY.

2010

On November 30, the CRTC renewed the licence for CHMY-FM Renfrew and its transmitter CHMY-FM-1 Arnprior until August 31, 2017.

2011

On January 12, the CRTC approved the application by My Broadcasting Corporation to change the authorized contours of CHMY-FM Renfrew by increasing the effective radiated power from 1,660 to 7,100 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 128.5 metres). The licensee stated that it wished to increase the quality of the station’s signal to the outlying communities of Renfrew and to make appropriate use of the FM broadcasting spectrum.

The CRTC approved the change to the ownership of My Broadcasting Corporation, for estate planning purposes, through the transfer of Andrew Dickson and Jon Pole’s voting interest in My Broadcasting (35.05% each) to their respective family trusts. The transaction did not affect the effective control of the licensee, which continued to be exercised jointly by Andrew Dickson and Jon Pole. My Broadcasting was the licensee of various radio programming undertakings in Ontario.

In August, Peter DeWolf was appointed assistant news director of all three myFM Valley stations to provide more consistent news coverage of the Ottawa Valley. DeWolf also took over drive newscasts on all three stations.

In September, Cindy Clyne was appointed network news director to oversee all myFM news policies and procedures on all 12 myFM stations across Ontario.

2013

96.1 myFM aired a special tribute to long-time Ottawa Valley morning man Bob Rose on January 16. Bob passed away due to a short illness the previous month. In the 80’s and 90’s Bob was the Program Director/Morning man at 1400 CKOB and 1490 CKOA as well as a morning man at the AVR Network on the east coast. In 2004, he returned to the valley as the first morning man at the very first “myFM” in Renfrew. He would also host mornings at CJHR-FM and at the Shoreline’s Classic Hits – myFM in Kincardine.

2014

On April 2, the CRTC denied the application by My Broadcasting Corp. for a licence to operate an FM station in Carleton Place. The proposed station would operate at 107.7 MHz with an ERP of 362 watts. MBC used 107.7 MHz for CHMY-FM-1 Arnprior, a transmitter of CHMY-FM. In another decision released on this date, the Commission addressed MBC’s plans for a Carleton Place station that would have had the Arnprior station operate at 97.5 MHz, making 107.7 MHz available for Carleton Place. 

The Commission did approve MBC’s application to operate an FM station in Arnprior. The new station would operate at the parameters already authorized for CHMY-FM-1 Arnprior. The station would offer a gold-based Adult Contemporary music format for adults aged 25 to 54. 

2015

CHMY-FM-1 Arnprior changed call letters to CFMP-FM.

2016

Peter DeWolf died October 4 at age 63. He was assistant news director of myFM Renfrew, Pembroke and Arnprior stations. Prior to his seven years at MBC, he worked with Metroland Media for 13 years, was station manager at CKOA in Arnprior, and also served as a reporter with both the BBC and CBC.

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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