CHEZ-FM
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CHEZ is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts classic rock at 106.1 FM in Ottawa. The station uses the brand name CHEZ 106 ("chez" is pronounced "shay", like the French word.)
CHEZ was launched at 6pm on March 25th 1977 by CHEZ-FM Inc., a company owned and operated by Harvey Glatt and based at 126 York Street in the Market. Harvey Glatt owned Treble Clef music stores and was a concert promoter at the time.
The initial signal strength was 100,000 watts, and the first song was "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder. The original morning show host was Mike O'Reilly, better known at the time as frontman in the rock group Bolt Upright and the Erections.
The station focused on the 18-34 year old by playing english progressive rock music. CHEZ also ran children's programming, talk programming and even some french programming when it first launched on air. Shows like CHEZ Ottawa, The Source, Jazz 106, Medium Rare, and In the City distinguished the station from others in the Ottawa market.
During the first few years on air, CHEZ FM competed with AM station CFRA, then a pop leaning music station, and after less than 10 years on the air CHEZ attained the number one position in the Ottawa Market with nearly 300,000 weekly listeners.
CHEZ had 2 sister stations, 101.1 FM (Q-101) and 630 AM CJET, under the umbrella of Rideau Broadcasting, located in Smiths Falls Ontario.
The station and its' holdings ( Rideau Broadcasting ), Canada's last major independent radio station, was sold to Rogers Communications in 1999, joining CKBYFM (Y105) and CIWW AM (Oldies 1310)in the Ottawa market. CHEZ quickly went on to hire their main competition, CKQB's morning show of Doc & Woody in late 1999.
In 2000, Rogers Communications moved its operations out of the market, and are currently located at 2001 Thurston Drive.
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