CHAM
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| City | Hamilton, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Hamilton and Southern Ontario |
| Branding | Funny 820 |
| Slogan | Your #2 Favourite Radio Station |
| Frequency | 820 kHz (AM) |
| First air date | 1959 |
| Format | comedy |
| Power | 50,000 watts daytime 10,000 watts nighttime |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | HAMilton |
| Affiliations | 24/7 Comedy |
| Owner |
Bell Media (Bell Media Radio, G.P.) |
| Sister stations | CKLH-FM, CKOC |
| Webcast | CHAM Webstream |
| Website | Funny820.com |
CHAM is a Canadian radio station in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Bell Media, the station broadcasts Premiere Radio Networks' 24/7 Comedy radio network under the brand "Funny 820". CHAM's studios are located on Upper Wentworth Street near Lime Ridge Mall in Hamilton, while its 6-tower array is located near Binbrook.
CHAM began operations in November 1959 as a 5,000 watt station at the 1280 AM frequency under the CHIQ call letters. Initially the station broadcast a classical music format but rock and roll was featured later in the 1960s, with Canadian radio personality David Marsden among the station's DJ roster. In 1965, the power was increased to 10,000 watts day / 5,000 watts night (the station went full-time 10 kW in 1968). The station was purchased from CHIQ, Ltd. in 1967 by (Ted) Rogers Broadcasting Ltd., which received approval from the CRTC to change the call letters from CHIQ to CHAM. Under Rogers' ownership and management by Dancy Broadcasting, Ltd., CHAM launched a "Middle of the road" music format on November 1, 1967.
By 1970, CHAM switched to Top 40 format, directly competing with CKOC (a future sister station of CHAM's in the 2000s) and including in its playlist many records that didn't receive exposure elsewhere in the market. Some of the personalities who worked at CHAM during this time period included Paul Godfrey, Dick Joseph (who worked there twice - the second time under their next call letters), Gil Harris, Rockin' Ron Baptist, Ravin' Dave Mitchell, Don Collins, Bob Wood (later program/operations manager of WBEN AM/FM in Buffalo), Ike Isaac, Ken Packham, Skip Dewling, Wayne Dion, J.J.Clarke, Don West, Len Robinson, Dave Fisher Ted Michaels, and newscaster Glen Darling. CHAM published a weekly Top 40 poster approximately between 1971 and 1974. In an unusual move, CHAM's broadcasting facilities were located inside a shopping mall called Terminal Towers, from which passers by could peer into the station's glass walls and watch the announcers work.
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