AM 560 CFOS flipped to FM this morning.
It had been on the AM radio waves for 85 years, starting back in 1940.
The station flipped just after the 8 o’clock news, with special programming and visits from local representatives, organizations, government and clubs.
Lots of community members and representatives stopped by the celebrate the change including Alice Wannan from the Owen Sound Salvation Army, Greg Hoddinott, Manager, Marketing & Communications for the Owen Sound Attack, former longtime General Manager Ross Kentner, former Managing Director Kevin Brown, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Alex Ruff, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Paul Vickers, Saugeen First Nation Chief Conrad Ritchie, Georgian Bluffs Mayor Sue Carleton, Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy, Darren Jones from Owen Sound Audiology, McDonald’s Owen Sound, Meaford & Port Elgin Owner Steve Sgro, and others.
Katie Graham from Sound Lifestyles Retirement Communities chose the first song to play on the FM dial, kicking it off with New Sensation by INXS.
The musical era will largely be from about the 1960s to 2001.
Many of your favourite programs will continue on the FM dial, including Dial A Deal, bingo, funerals, birthdays and anniversaries, Open Line, the food and ag report and Community Connection.
The FM station with bring higher quality sound to listeners, with a focus on ‘Putting Grey Bruce First.’
Owen Sound Attack home and away Games will be broadcast on CFOS starting this season. Previously the station broadcast the away games.
New to CFOS, the old Black Clawson-Kennedy factory whistle that can be heard throughout Owen Sound can also be heard on the radio at noon and 5 p.m.
Saugeen First Nation Chief Conrad Ritchie says, “I think we, as leaders, or as stations, or anybody that’s in these sorts of positions— gives an opportunity to educate just the general public around the people here. That we’re all people here…we should all be communicating that we’re one.”
Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy says decades ago, there were two TV stations, CFOS was the radio station and the Owen Sound Sun Times was next door, and that’s where people got their local news, noting, “It’s still really important, I think for anyone sitting in a car, sitting in perhaps a tractor on a farm being able to get the news and information from around them and listen to the stories that are going on in their greater community.”
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Conservative MP Alex Ruff talked about the sense of community the station brings through its locally focused programming and advertising, noting, “This is really, I think almost a niche thing that this station has done for 85 years, but in particular– is communicating that way. So it’s such a unique privilege to partake in that, to have this radio station locally here in Bruce Grey, and to me it’s just important.”
Georgian Bluffs Mayor Sue Carleton says, “There are so many areas where the municipality makes use of the local radio stations and we appreciate having that venue, if you will, to get the message out about everything that we’re doing within the Township.”
Farmer by trade, and Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Progressive Conservative MPP Paul Vickers says he grew up listening to CFOS in his family, noting, “560 was always on in the house in the morning to get the news, the weather. The weather back then was super important and the ag news.”
CFOS thanks the community for tuning in over the years. We hope you’ll tune in for the next 85 years, at 89.3 The New CFOS FM.
Watch the livestream:
https://www.facebook.com/893cfos/videos/1252674336869779
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