CHOO Radio Recollections

An on line scrapbook of images & text for former staff and listeners alike

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(LEFT) Advertising card seemingly from CHOO's pre-country era, possibly late 1960s or early to mid 1970s. Anybody know for sure? CHOO was licensed to serve the Durham Region, geographically just east of the major Canadian city of Toronto but time and time again there were attempts made to attract listeners in Toronto. At the time, CFGM was Toronto's only AM country station, although Hamilton's CHAM to the west also competed for the same audience from time to time. "Double O Radio" sounds very sixties - like something out of a James Bond novel!

(RIGHT) Close up view of paint-smeared "CHOO Country Radio 14" promotional t-shirt from the very late 1970s and/or very early 1980s. I kept it for ages in perfect condition as a souvenir but years and years later needed a t-shirt to do some house painting and my souvenir t-shirt suddenly became my painting t-shirt! I will be happy to replace this photo if anybody can send me one of their old CHOO t-shirt in better shape.

(LEFT) Local news was always an important part of CHOO's appeal for Durham Region listeners. Regional retail stores were proud to display signs like this to indicate their connection to "The Country Heart of Ontario".

(BELOW) CHOO promotional card, early 1980s. I know it's barely readable but that's Olivia Newton-John (in a photo from the cover of one of her LPs. Remember LPs?). We played a lot of ON-J back then. Not only did we like her a whole lot but her song "Dancing Round and Round" was written by a Canadian (if memory serves me correctly) and therefore bizarrely qualified under CanCon regs as Canadian Content!

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CHOO 1390 AM - ON AIR: November 21st, 1967. OFF-AIR: February 20th, 1995

Evolved into KX96 FM 95.9 - on air Nov. 1st, 1994 - simulcast until 20/2/95 on 1390 AM

"CHOO Radio Recollections" is an ongoing work in progress originally created and first put on line on January 16th, 2009. It has no official status nor direct connection with CHOO AM Radio - which no longer exists anyway. It also has absolutely nothing to do with the long defunct CHOO-FM community station in Tofino, BC, nor the new CHOO-FM station in Drumheller, Alberta launched April 28th, 2009 and known as "99.5 Drum FM". All original artwork reproduced herein is for educational, historical, non-profit purposes only and presumed to be in public domain. Any legitimate copyright holder objecting to the use of an image of their work may request its removal. Thanks to Dave Hughes, Dave Cole, James Ashbridge, Gary McMahon, and all the others at the CHOO reunion lunch held on January 9th, 2009 in Toronto for their encouragement.

I need to hear from you if you have any photos or images or anecdotes you'd like to share. I want to add more photos and text, memories from both former staff and listeners. Don't send me any files yet - just send me an e mail to let me know what you've got. And no audio files please - they're too big for this site to handle. Note: All e mails sent to this site may be posted on this site unless otherwise explicitly proscribed. My e mail address is on the INDEX page. - "John Richards" (CHOO 1979-81) - your CHOO Radio Recollections webmaster.