1954: Allan Waters, founder of CHUM Limited, acquires Toronto radio station CHUM-AM (1050 chum) from Jack Q’Part.

1957: CHUM-AM is reformatted, becoming Canada’s first Top 40 24-hour rock-and-roll station.

1962: CKPT-AM (1420 Memories) in Peterborough, ON, is acquired. Throughout the decade, CHUM will also pick up CJCH-AM (AM 920 CJCH) in Halifax and CFRA-AM (580 CFRA) and CFMO-FM (which becomes CKKL-FM in 1996 and today is 93.9 BOB-FM) in Ottawa.

1963: CHUM-FM Toronto (104.5 CHUM-FM) goes to air as a classical music station. In 1969, it will change over to a ‘progressive rock’ format.

1967: Radio CHUM-1050 becomes CHUM Limited. The company also becomes publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

1968: CHUM becomes the majority owner of privately owned CBC affiliate CKVR-TV in Barrie, ON.

1969: CHUM becomes the Canadian franchise holder for environmental music service Muzak, with the purchase of Associated Broadcasting Corporation, now known as CHUM Satellite Services.

1971: CHUM acquires local television stations CJCH-TV in Halifax, CJCB-TV in Sydney and CKCW-TV in Moncton.

1972: CHUM acquires CFUN-AM (1410 C-FUN) in Vancouver. Other radio acquisitions in the 1970s include Winnipeg’s CFRW-AM (Oldies 1290) and CHIQ-FM (Q94 FM). Also, it launches CKQM-FM (Country 105) in Peterborough and C100-FM (C One Hundred FM) in Halifax.

Citytv is launched in Toronto, owned by Channel Seventy-Nine Ltd., a group including Phyllis Switzer, Moses Znaimer, Jerry Grafstein and Edgar Cowan. It is Canada’s first commercial station on the UHF dial.

1977: CHUM acquires the CFL’s Ottawa Rough Riders, which it owns and operates until 1987.

1978: CHUM buys a controlling 45% stake in City from Multiple Access.

1981: Znaimer sells his stake in City to CHUM, but remains on as the station’s creative force.

1984: Twenty-four-hour music TV specialty MuchMusic launches nationwide by satellite and cable.

1985: CHUM Radio acquires CKGM-AM (Team 990) and CHOM-FM in Montreal, and CKWW-AM (580 Memories CKWW) and CJOM-FM (now CIMX-FM 89X) in Windsor, ON.

1987: CHUM Television moves to its present headquarters, the CHUMCity Building at 299 Queen Street West in downtown Toronto, which is reengineered into an innovative open-concept media environment.

1988: MusiquePlus, MuchMusic’s French-language counterpart, launches out of Montreal with 50% CHUM ownership.

1990: City introduces its Speakers Corner program, which becomes a foundation of the station’s interactive relationship with viewers.

CHUM acquires CHQM-FM (103.5 QM FM) inVancouver.

1993: CHUM acquires Windsor radio stations CKLW-AM (AM 800 CKLW) and CKLW-FM (now CIDR-FM Lite Rock 93.9 FM), adding to its stations CKWW-AM (580 Memories CKWW) and CJOM-FM (CIMX-FM 89X) in the same market. It then purchases Kitchener, ON’s CKKW-AM (Oldies 1090) and CFCA-FM (105.3 KOOL-FM).

Later in the 1990s, CHUM will acquire CKLC-AM (1380 CKLC All Time Favourites) and CFLY-FM (FLY-FM) in Kingston, ON, and CFJR-AM (104.9 JR FM Hometown Radio) and CHXL-FM (now CJPT-FM 103.7 BOB.FM) in Brockville, ON. In Ottawa, it picks up CFGO-AM (Team 1200) and CJMJ-FM (Majic 100).

1994: CHUM Television Interactive launches, providing online and, subsequently, wireless content in the entertainment and information realms.

CHUM Television International emerges, distributing originally produced CHUM programming and formats worldwide.

Learning and Skills Television of Alberta, majority owned by CHUM (60%), purchases Alberta’s privatized public-sector educational broadcaster, ACCESS Network.

1995: CHUM launches specialty channel Bravo!, covering all aspects of the arts.

CKVR ends its CBC affiliation and becomes a regional independent station. CHUM relaunches it as The New VR – reflecting life and culture from Muskoka to Toronto.

1997: French-language adult contemporary music TV specialty MusiMax (50% CHUM ownership) launches in Montreal.

Sci-fi TV specialty SPACE: The Imagination Station launches.

CTV and CHUM enter an agreement whereby CTV gets CHUM’s Maritime TV properties. In return, CHUM acquires CFPL-TV (The New PL) in London, ON; CKNX-TV (The New NX) in Wingham, ON; CHWI-TV (The New WI) in Windsor; and CHRO-TV (The New RO) in Ottawa/Pembroke.

1998: Specialty CablePulse24, providing regional 24-hour English-language news and information to southern Ontario, launches.

Specialty MuchMoreMusic launches, offering adult contemporary music videos, documentaries, movies and original programming.

1999: CHUM Radio launches Canada’s first commercial Digital Audio Broadcasting radio stations in Toronto and Montreal. It will open similar stations in Vancouver and Windsor the following year.

Educational specialty Canadian Learning Television launches with 60% CHUM ownership. The specialty Star!, dedicated to showbiz news and information, launches.

2000: CHUM Radio launches CHST-FM (103.2 BOB-FM) in London. Its radio expansion in the new millennium will also include the acquisition of CKLY-FM (Y92) in Lindsay, ON, CFWM-FM (BOB-FM) in Winnipeg and CKST-AM (Team 1040) in Vancouver.

2001: CHUM Television launches seven digital channels. FashionTelevisionChannel and BookTelevision: The Channel (60% CHUM ownership) are licensed as Category 1 services, while CourtTV Canada (60% CHUM ownership), Drive-In Classics, SexTV: The Channel, MuchVibe and MuchLoud are licensed as Category 2 services.

CHUM Radio launches The Team Sports Radio Network. Its local all-sports format will include Team 990 in Montreal, Team 1200 in Ottawa and Team 1040 in Vancouver.

CIVI-TV (The New VI) launches on Vancouver Island.

CHUM purchases Vancouver’s CKVU-TV from CanWest Global. The next year, it relaunches the station as Citytv Vancouver.

2002: Allan Waters steps down as head of CHUM but remains on the board; Jay Switzer is appointed president and CEO.

2003: Citytv Toronto offers Canada’s first digital over-the-air signal.

MuchMoreRetro, a new digital TV channel dedicated to the music videos of the ’80s and ’90s, launches.

Znaimer steps down as CHUM’s VP corporate development and president and executive producer of its TV stations, but remains on as a consultant.

2004: CHUM purchases Craig Media, bringing it the A Channel conventional TV stations in Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg; CKX, a CBC-affiliate station in Brandon; the newly launched Toronto 1 station in Toronto; and the MTV, MTV2 and TV Land digis. It then sells Toronto 1 to Quebecor Media.

CHUM purchases the radio assets of Seacoast Communications Group, which include Victoria stations C-FAX AM and CHBE FM.

Going the Distance, CHUM’s first wholly owned and produced theatrical feature film, is released.

CHUM joins with Astral Media to apply to the CRTC for the operation of CHUM Subscription Radio Canada, a multi-station subscription digital radio programming service.