CHOM - FM

I grew up on WGRQ-FM (97 Rock) in Buffalo, NY.  The original program director, John McCann, allowed a very free format, allowing the jocks to play whatever they felt like.  It was through them that I was introduced to some great groups like Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Pink Floyd, etc.  Sadly, they changed formats in 1984.  I remember it well.  At 10AM, they segued from Guess Who's "American Woman" into Barry Manilow's "Copacabana".  They came back in 1988, but have been a classic rock station since.

Does anybody else remember Gary Storm's "Oil of Dog" radio show in the mid to late 70's?  Or was it a Buffalo thing?  I always thought it was a syndicated show.  Anyway, he always opened his 10PM show with some sort of an epic.  Half the time, I didn't know who they were, but there was always a 15 minute (or longer) song to open the show. 

wow, you guys take me back...coming from upstate NY, I've heard both CHOM and 97 Rock (though only when the weather was perfect, and even then only late at night).

Most of the time I tuned to 95X from Syracuse, which (in the 70s and 80s) featured both the King Biscuit Flower Hour and Dr. Demento on Sunday nights, Rockline on Tuesdays (where I heard Rush interviewed, with advance cuts from Power Windows, and classic Joe Walsh-on-helium guest spots)...as well as after-midnight album-length tracks (probably from DJs who needed some extra time for various reasons ).

In Detroit we had WRIF and WWWW (W4) that played a very eclectic selection of tunes. From the Allman's Bros 20+ minute version of Whipping Post, the side length Pusher from Steppenwolf to the Beatles Revolution #9. In the latter 70's they even wagged war against disco. Great FM days indeed.

 

"White Nipples? I've never seen white nipples before." (Martin Mull in the movie FM)

When Rush was doing their 30th Anniversary tour, my local classic rock station played EVERY SINGLE RUSH SONG EVER RECORDED (studio-wise) and they called it 'From A to YYZ'. It was the best thing that ever happened at that station.

Yep, that wonderful dream I had while sleeping with the headphones on back in 1973 (the one I mention in my bio) was the direct result of hearing “The Cinema Show” on CHOM-FM, one cold November night.  Man, I fell for prog right then and there!

 

In fact, I’ve since had the pleasure to work with one of their rare female DJ’s (she’s into PR at Concordia University). Every time I meet her, I remember those days when CHOM would actually let their DJs play whatever they liked. You could tell they loved their prog, TooTall, Beverley and the whole gang.

Oooo, you guys aren't making me feel any younger...

James Lee wrote: wow, you guys take me back...coming from upstate NY, I've heard both CHOM and 97 Rock (though only when the weather was perfect, and even then only late at night). Most of the time I tuned to 95X from Syracuse, which (in the 70s and 80s) featured both the King Biscuit Flower Hour and Dr. Demento on Sunday nights, Rockline on Tuesdays (where I heard Rush interviewed, with advance cuts from Power Windows, and classic Joe Walsh-on-helium guest spots)...as well as after-midnight album-length tracks (probably from DJs who needed some extra time for various reasons ).

Then James, you are probably familiar with WCMF (I think?) from Rochester? Brother Wheeze and Sister Sleeze?

I remember a number of trips to the Great House of Guitars, looking through their thousands of albums, and usually leaving with one or two gems!

Hibou wrote: Yep, that wonderful dream I had while sleeping with the headphones on back in 1973 (the one I mention in my bio) was the direct result of hearing “The Cinema Show” on CHOM-FM, one cold November night.  Man, I fell for prog right then and there! In fact, I’ve since had the pleasure to work with one of their rare female DJ’s (she’s into PR at Concordia University). Every time I meet her, I remember those days when CHOM would actually let their DJs play whatever they liked. You could tell they loved their prog, TooTall, Beverley and the whole gang. Oooo, you guys aren't making me feel any younger...

Just one question before I comment on CHOM. Did Mr, Hauskins get back to you regarding the biography you wrote on his band Flame Dream? Anyway, I grew up with CHOM and it is definitely not what it used to be back in the 70`s. It wasn`t unusual for them to play Close To The Edge, Thick As a Brick or a whole side of The Lamb Lies Down. I even remember Benoit Dufesne ( who was a big Gentle Giant Freak like myself) playing Eruption by Focus one night. I can`t remember her name but she was on late at night or early in the morning and she would always say on the air it`s around that time, for Ian (my real name) to be calling in for a request for something that we`re not allowed to play. I would request stuff like The Ace Of Spades By Motorhead, Saints in Hell by Judas Preist or The Gates Of Delirium by Yes and she would always play them. Yeah CHOM used to be real cool. I also used to like Chris Michaels doing the drive at five in the early eighties.

In Ottawa we have CHEZ, which fueld my love for old blues more than anything, with Little Stevie and the Underground Garage, but they payed some prog there too, and of course LEd Zeppelin. I think CHEZ is a sister station to CHOM, but everytime I visit my relatives in the Montreal area, I listen to CHOM. Best FM station I've ever heard.

Edited by Rob The Plant

There was a fantastic radio station in Rio called Radio Eldorado (FM 98.1 MHz) from 1972 to 1978. The station used to play a wide variety of Prog stuff: Genesis, Crimson, Yes, Tull, ELP, VDGG, Triumvirat, Camel, Greenslade, Gentle Giant, PFM, Banco, Museo Rosenbach, and so on.

The only thing was, (at least until 1975 - I don't know after that, because I went to the UK to study) there was no DJ talking, and I mean no talking at all, so if it was a track you had never heard before you often had absolutely no idea who the band was! About once every half hour or more, there would be an announcement of the radio station's name and the frequency, and that was it! I suppose the station was subsidised by the military government of the time. But it was fantastic - I used to listen to it for hours sometimes.

 

Man I wish I could have been around when radio was like that. The radio nowadays just grates on my nerves. Thank god for my cds though.