On November 1, 1963, the station first signed on as CJQM. At the same time, FM sister station CJQM-FM also came on the air. The two stations simulcast an easy listening format. CJQM-AM-FM were owned by Winnipeg Broadcast Associates Ltd.. CJQM originally broadcast at 1470 kHz, powered at 5,000 watts. Winnipeg Broadcast Associates sold both stations in 1965 to QM Winnipeg Ltd., which was later purchased by Radio Winnipeg Ltd. The call signs changed to CFRW and CFRW-FM in 1969. Jim Pattison's CJOR Ltd. bought CFRW-AM-FM from the bankrupt Radio Winnipeg in 1970.
CFRW-AM-FM were purchased by CHUM Ltd. in 1974. CHUM got CFRW's frequency changed in 1977 to 1290 AM. The move provided a better signal, doubling the power to 10,000 watts. CHUM management also had the studios and office relocated. The station moved from the Confederation Building at 457 Main Street to the same studio across the street previously used by AM 580 CKY. Meanwhile, CKY relocated to new studios in Polo Park. CFRW re-branded itself as "13 CFRW," airing a Top 40 format. Some notable personalities during the CHUM ownership years include: Ron Able, Gary Christian, Dick Reeves, Tim "Trucker" Bradley, KC Foxxe, Ralph "Racoon" Carney, Franc Cappozolo, Lee Marshall, Stu Ferguson, Pat Cardinal and Steve Jackson. Al Gibson was News Director with notables such as Byron Scott, George Gordon, Tom Mark and Jeff Murray as Sports Director. Bob Laine was transferred to CFRW from CHUM to be station manager. For several years in the early 1980s, CFRW broadcast Winnipeg Blue Bombers football, with play-by-play voice Ron Oakes and Robb Glazier.
1980s and 90s
CFRW played a contemporary music format until 1987, when it switched to soft rock, with a call sign and branding change to "1290 Fox" CIFX. The station changed formats several more times, including to talk radio on May 8, 1995, and to adult standards in 1999. In 2001, the station flipped to an all-sports format. It was one of several CHUM Ltd. stations in the now-defunct network known as "The Team." But the sports radio network only lasted a year.
Oldies Music
The CFRW call sign and oldies format returned in August 2002, competing with 580 CKY in the format before that station moved to the FM dial and changed to a soft adult contemporary format in 2004 as CKY-FM. CFRW aired all games of the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team from 2005 to 2013. In 2007, CFRW, along with the other CHUM stations, were sold to CTVglobemedia.
Return to Sports
CFRW returned to an all-sports format as Sports Radio 1290 on September 27, 2010. Much of its programming at the outset was provided by ESPN Radio, though it also carried the syndicatedJim Rome Show. However, since the station's relaunch, the station has progressively added original programming, including shows that originated from other Canadian sports radio stations, such as the Illegal Curve Hockey Show and Hustler & Lawless. Three months later, CTVglobemedia relaunched the oldies/classic hits format on co-owned 94.3 CHIQ-FM. CTVglobemedia was merged into Bell Media in 2011, which put CFRW under Bell Media ownership. On July 21, 2011, the Winnipeg Free Press reported that Bell Media had reached a deal for broadcast rights with the Winnipeg Jets for both television and radio coverage of the NHL team. TSN became its television broadcaster and CFRW became the official flagship radio station of the Jets. Since 2015, CFRW has also been the radio and online broadcaster for the Manitoba Moose, the Jets' American Hockey League affiliate. On October 5, 2011, CFRW was re-branded as part of the TSN Radio network, becoming TSN Radio 1290.
Live sports
TSN Radio 1290 is the flagship station for the following teams' radio broadcasts:
Winnipeg Jets
Manitoba Moose
TSN Radio 1290 also features live coverage of the following:
