The New Classical 96.3 FM is part of ZoomerMedia Limited.
George H. Grant
President and CEO
MZ Media Inc.
John van Driel
Vice-President, Programming and Operations
Classical 96.3 FM
Dan Hamilton
Vice-President, National Sales
MZ Media Inc.
STATION HISTORY: THE STORY SO FAR
CLASSICAL 96.3 FM, home of Toronto’s Classical Favourites, started its life more than a quarter century ago as a humble classical music station in beautiful Cobourg, Ontario. Here’s a look at some of the highlights of our history, so far:
- 1979:
- CLASSICAL 96.3 FM debuts on May 28 as CFMX-FM, broadcasting at 103.1 FM from Cobourg, Ontario. The station shares studio and office space with CHUC-AM, in a building halfway between Cobourg and Port Hope.
- 1983:
- After a rocky start, the station is purchased by Truus and Martin Rosenthal on June 24. The CRTC approves the ownership transfer on November 30.
- 1984:
- On September 1, CFMX-FM begins broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- 1985:
- The station moves out of the CHUC building on November 30 and into its own facilities at 884 Division Street in Cobourg.
- 1988:
- The CRTC awards the station use of the 96.3 FM frequency in Mississauga as a repeater for its Cobourg signal. At 10:45am on October 7, Truus and Martin Rosenthal pull the switch and launch CLASSICAL 96.3 FM onto the Greater Toronto Area airwaves. The station opens a sales office and small recording studio in Toronto, while continuing to broadcast from Cobourg.
- 1993:
- The 96.3 FM frequency moves from Mississauga to a new tower atop First Canadian Place (the BMO building) in downtown Toronto.
- 1997:
- As its popularity grows in Canada’s largest city, the station decides to centralize all operations in Toronto — including its on-air broadcast. CLASSICAL 96.3 FM officially opens its new studios at Queen and River in downtown Toronto on November 26. A small sales office remains open in Cobourg.
- 2005:
- CLASSICAL 96.3 FM receives approval on July 22 to double the power of its Toronto signal.
- 2006:
- MZMedia Inc. applies to the CRTC in May to buy CLASSICAL 96.3 FM, and officially takes ownership of the station on Friday, September 22nd.
- 2007:
- THE NEW CLASSICAL 96.3 FM is officially relaunched on September 18, and its call letters are changed to CFMZ-FM.
