CKGM-FM, as the station was originally known, was founded by Geoff Stirling as a sister station to AM stationCKGM, and opened on July 16, 1963. After a few weeks as a simulcast of CKGM, CKGM-FM launched a beautiful music format on September 1, 1963. On October 28, 1969 CKGM-FM changed its format to album-oriented rock. On-air advertising was kept at a minimum. The first song played by Doug Pringle after the format switch was Richard Strauss' "Also sprach Zarathustra", followed by The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun". The station would change its call sign to CHOM-FM almost two years later, on October 19, 1971.
In 1974, CHOM-FM proposed to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission a plan in which the station would become bilingual. The CRTC accepted this plan but only on an experimental basis that would last three years; it also blocked a plan to implement quadraphonic broadcasting. In 1977, the station was forced by the CRTC to opt between the two languages, and after considering becoming a French-language station, it finally reverted to English full-time. On-air advertising steadily increased during the late 1970s. Furthermore, CHOM's original format of AOR and "underground" rock tunes changed to include the playing of more top 40-type hits. Undoubtedly, record companies also began to complain that the playing of entire albums on air cut into their revenue as more and more listeners had access to cassette recorders.
CHOM-FM became increasingly popular, and in 1979 surpassed sister station CKGM in Bureau of Broadcast Measurement ratings. Both stations were sold to CHUM Limited on August 20, 1985. The station acquired the rights to the syndicated show by Howard Stern which made its debut on CHOM-FM on September 2, 1997 amid much controversy as he launched himself on his very first show heard in Montreal in an anti-Francophone/anti-French tirade. His show was cancelled a year later, on August 27, 1998, after numerous complaints to the CRTC about politically incorrect remarks interpreted by complainants as sexist and homophobic.
Ownership changed hands again when on October 29, 2007, Astral Media took control of Standard Broadcasting and its assets. On October 19, 2010, CHOM-FM celebrated its 40th anniversary as a radio station. On June 22, 2011, it was announced that Terry DiMonte will be making a return to the station, however it is unlikely that he and Ted Bird will reunite on air.
Bell Media
On July 2013, Astral Media was acquired and dissolved by Bell Media. CHOM-FM has been reunited with its original AM station CKGM which CTVglobemedia acquired from CHUM in 2007. On September 22, 2017, longtime radio personality TooTall retired from his mid-day show after over 40 years at CHOM-FM. His replacement is Randy Renaud, a 30 year veteran of the radio station.
Branding history
1963-1971: CKGM-FM 1971-1980s: CHOM-FM MONTREAL 1980s: chom 98 ROCK 1990s-2002: Montreal's Home for Classic Rock: CHOM 97.7 fm 2002–Present: CHOM 97-7
Location
When first launched in 1963, CHOM-FM was originally based at 1455 Drummond Street in Montreal, along with the AM CKGM. Like CKGM, it moved to 1310 Greene Avenue in Westmount in the late 1960s. In 1972, CHOM relocated across the street to 1355 Greene Avenue, while CKGM opted to stay at 1310 Greene. CHOM eventually returned to the CKGM building a few years later and remained located there until its acquisition by Standard Broadcasting in 2002. At this point, CHOM-FM was moved to 1411 Fort Street in Montreal. In September 2012, Astral Media relocated its local English-language radio stations to its French-language radio studios at 1717 René Lévesque Boulevard East in Montreal.
