Early years

CFRB first signed on the air on February 19, 1927 (1927-02-19). It is not Toronto's very first radio station, but it is the city's oldest broadcaster still operating today. It was founded by the Rogers Vacuum Tube Company. The station was used to promote Edward S. Rogers Sr.'s invention of a batteryless radio receiver that could be operated using alternating current and therefore did not need the cumbersome battery that had previously been required. The station itself was a demonstration of Rogers' application of his invention to radio transmitters as well as receivers, a development that allowed for a signal that reproduced voices and music more clearly. The new type of transmitter also made CFRB the world's first all-electric radio station.^[3] The letters "RB" in the station's callsign stand for "Rogers' Batteryless".

The station began transmitting on an experimental basis in January 1927 as 9RB, before being converted to commercial operation a few weeks later, as CFRB. Those call letters have been used continuously since then. On February 19, the inaugural broadcast was a live symphony orchestra concert conducted by Jack Arthur.^[4] During its first years, CFRB leased time to two phantom stations: CNRX, owned by Canadian National Railways and providing programs of Canada's first radio network, and CPRY, owned by the CNR's rival, the Canadian Pacific Railway. The CNR's network was discontinued in 1933, with many of its assets eventually passing to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and the CPR's radio service was discontinued in 1935.^[5]

CFRB's first studios were in a mansion on Jarvis Street north of Wellesley Street, built by the family of Hart Massey. In 1929, the station moved to purpose-built studios at 37 Bloor Street West. In the same year, the station became a network affiliate of the Columbia Broadcasting System.^[5]

In 1932, CFRB began airing the General Motors Hockey Broadcast, which had originated on the CNR's network. This program eventually became Hockey Night in Canada, and continued to be aired by CFRB for many years, despite also airing on the CBC's flagship station CBL, and continues to this day on CBC Television and Rogers Sportsnet.^[5]

From the 1930s to the 1950s, CFRB was the radio broadcaster for the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

In 1937, CFRB began to simulcast on shortwave station CFRX at 6070 kHz.^[5]

Following the sudden death of Edward S. Rogers, Sr. in 1939, Rogers Majestic Corporation Limited was sold in 1941 and became Standard Radio Limited. In turn, the company was acquired by Argus Corporation in 1946.^[5]

On November 1, 1946, Wally Crouter joined CFRB. He eventually became its morning drive time host, a position he would hold until his retirement on November 1, 1996, after exactly fifty years at the station.^[5]

Changing frequencies and studios

CFRB and CJBC, owned by the CBC, made a frequency switch on September 1, 1948. CFRB moved to 1010 while CJBC took over the Class I-A clear-channel frequency at 860, previously used by CFRB.^[6] The CBC wanted its stations in major cities to be on Class I-A frequencies. But CFRB, which had been running at 20,000 watts, was boosted to 50,000 watts, giving it wide coverage over Southern Ontario.

Beginning in 1948, through until the early 1970's, CFRB made several unsuccessful bids for a licence to operate a television station in Toronto.

In 1965, CFRB moved its studios from 37 Bloor Street West to 2 St. Clair Avenue West (at Yonge Street). At around the same time, Standard Radio Limited was renamed Standard Broadcasting.^[5]

A long-lasting show, Calling All Britons featuring news, sports scores and music from Britain, began in 1965. It was hosted by Ray Sonin until his death in 1991.

The station's former downtown Toronto studios, shared with CHBM-FM (now owned by Newcap) and CKFM-FM.

New ownership

In 1978, Argus Corporation was acquired by Conrad Black and his brother Montegu, thus also giving them ownership of Standard Broadcasting. In November 1985, Slaight Broadcasting acquired Standard from the Blacks.^[5] In October 2007, Slaight sold Standard to Astral Media.^[7]

Ted Rogers, the communications mogul and son of CFRB's founder, had vowed to re-acquire the station that his family had lost after his father's death, and considered his failure to do so his greatest disappointment. Reports indicate that he continued to attempt to re-acquire CFRB right up until his death in December 2008.^[8]

In July 2013, with a buyout of Astral Media, CFRB was acquired by Bell Media, a subsidiary of Bell Canada which already owns the CTV Television Network and rival competitor to Rogers Communications founded by Ted Rogers.^[9] Shortly after the purchase, Bell announced that it would move the studios and offices of CFRB and sister station CKFM-FM from their long-time location at St. Clair Avenue and Yonge Street, to 250 Richmond Street West at Richmond and Duncan (which already houses the operations of sister radio stations, CHUM and CHUM-FM). The building is adjacent to 299 Queen Street West located at Queen Street and John Street (which already houses the operations of several Bell Media specialty television channels including CP24 and MuchMusic).^[10] The move took place on May 10, 2014.^[11]

Shortwave relay

CFRX is the international shortwave relay of CFRB. It transmits with a power of 1 kW on 6.07 MHz in the 49-meter shortwave band. CFRX signed on the air on February 11, 1937, 10 years after CFRB began. It is operated on the north end of the same site as CFRB's main transmitter building.

The shortwave signal was originally directed to the northwest in order to provide service towards northern Ontario and western Canada. When a new transmitter was installed in the 2000s, it was made non-directional with the intention of providing availability to Canadians travelling to or vacationing in the United States, particularly snowbirds.^[13]