CHGB-FM

Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation, owner of stations in Owen Sound and Port Elgin applied for a licence to operate a station at Wasaga Beach. The application was denied on October 13. 

Bayshore proposed to operate the station on 97.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 1,800 watts, and offer a Classic Adult Contemporary format. 

Bayshore tried for a Wasaga Beach licence again and received approval from the CRTC on September 13. The station would broadcast with an average effective radiated power of 200 watts on a frequency of 97.7 MHz. Bayshore proposed to serve listeners aged 35 to 64 with a Classic Adult Contemporary format that would feature a variety of pop, soft rock and oldies musical selections with a focus on songs from the 1960s to the 1980s. Programming would also include a number of thematic programs showcasing a variety of musical genres including show-tunes, jazz, blues, big band, oldies and classical. The station would offer 18 live newscasts and 5 news updates each weekday and a further 13 live newscasts and 5 news updates on Saturdays and Sundays. 

CHGB-FM began testing over the air on April 5. 97-7

CHGB – The Beach – signed on the air on May 18 at 7:00 p.m. Studios and offices were located at 1383 Mosley Street. The antenna tower was at Klondike Park Road and Power Line Road. The “Beach” slogan was also used by the company’s Port Elgin station – CFPS-FM. CHGB-FM had a classic hits format.

Jeremy John was the winner of the sweepstakes to be the new morning host on 97.7 The Beach. Jeremy had worked at Rogers Radio in Toronto, A Channel in London and most recently, BOB-FM in London. He started at The Beach in December.

Rick Ringer, the Operations Manager at 97-7 The Beach Wasaga Beach, was promoted to Operations Manager for Bayshore East. He would work with General Manager/General Sales Manager Ron Funnell at Sunshine 89.1 Orillia on the station’s build and launch. Ringer’s background included 18 years on-air at CHUM-FM Toronto.

Kevin MacDonald became the newest member of the 97.7 The Beach team on January 18. He had been with Bayshore Broadcasting for nearly 10 years, starting off as a cruiser reporter for CFOS/CIXK Owen Sound. He then worked his way onto the air with Mix 106.5 then headed off to Port Elgin, to be part of the 98 The Beach team. Kevin was ready when the call came to help launch the third Bayshore “Beach” station, 104.9 The Beach in Goderich, in October, 2007. Kevin would now be working with news director Mariane McLeod, waking up the Georgian Triangle, on the Beach Breakfast. 

Bayshore Broadcasting announced that Ron Funnell was now GM/GSM of 97-7 the Beach in Wasaga Beach. This was in addition to his role as GM/GSM for Sunshine 89.1 in Orillia. In making the announcement, Bayshore president, Ross Kentner, said that with Sunshine 89.1 approaching the final quarter of its first year of operation, Ron had demonstrated the capacity to manage and supervise both of our Simcoe County stations. He added, “There is already a template as Rick Ringer handles operations for both properties”. Ron followed Deb Shaw who left Bayshore at the end of the summer after 16 years with the company. 

Ron Funnell, general manager and general sales manager at Sunshine 89.1 Orillia and 97.7 The Beach Wasaga Beach left the stations. He moved to Bell Media’s KOOL FM 105.3/ KFUN 99.5 Kitchener-Waterloo as senior account manager. 

Rockin’ Rod (Weymark) left 949 The Rock in Durham/GTA to become program director and morning host at 977 the Beach. Kevin MacDonald, the morning show co-host at 97.7 the Beach, moved to join Mix 100 Yellowknife as morning host/assistant program director in mid-March. 

On January 14, the CRTC denied CHGB-FM’s application to increase the ERP from 200 to 20,000 watts (max. ERP from 347 to 75,000 watts), increase antenna height and to make a minor correction to the transmission site coordinates.

On January 15, the CRTC approved CHGB-FM’s application to increase the average effective radiated power from 200 to 700 watts (maximum ERP from 347 to 700 watts) and change the antenna’s radiation pattern from directional to non-directional. 

In October, CHGB changed format from Adult Contemporary (The Beach) to Classic Hits (Max FM).