When exactly did CFNY turn into the EDGE?

Natallica · Post by **Natallica** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 2:06 am

That's exactly my question...

I know most of the history of CFNY, but when did the station finally change its name over to 102.1 the EDGE?
please help!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Nov 04, 2003 3:27 pm

It was either late 1992 or early 1993 that the station started to use the moniker The Leading Edge which was later shortened to The Edge.

DAHB Music · Post by **DAHB Music** » Tue Nov 11, 2003 10:52 am

Didn't they steal it (The Edge) from a college station in Windsor?

Spirit Admin (Admin) · Tue Nov 11, 2003 11:26 am

"The Edge" is actually a format conceived and marketed by demographics researchers. There are many "Edge" stations all across North America.

Calculon · Post by **Calculon** » Tue Nov 11, 2003 3:03 pm

Sad but true
89X the cutting "edge" in windsor detroit succumbed to the same marketing forces as CFNY although even at it's best it was a distant third to CFNY after WFNX in Boston

Metal Mike · Post by **Metal Mike** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 1:16 am

There was a theory that CFNY took the name Edge from Radio Erindale "Music on the Edge", a college station at U of T Mississauga that I had a show on. Our program director was convinced that his friends at CFNY liked our slogan so much they decided to use the Edge name. I always doubted that story but there you go - another theory.

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 11:04 am

It actually became The Edge by stealth.

The big changes happenned at the station in the Fall of 1992, when PD Reiner Schwartz was fired.

At first they kept the call letters CFNY but changed the slogan from "Toronto's Best New Music" to "The Leading Edge" (or the leaning hedge as a friend of mine used to say) and then after a few months just "The Edge" followed quickly by dropping the call letters.

The Administrator is quite right. You'll find a Edge in every city across the U.S. Just like a Sears.

Spirit Admin (Admin) · Thu Nov 20, 2003 9:44 pm

They didn't just "become" the Edge - the Edge is actually a franchised format that they had to purchase, just like every other "Edge" station across Canada and the US.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 9:53 pm

Prefab alternative, What will they think of next?!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 10:59 pm

"The Edge" is not a franchised format that they need to pay for. I'd be interested to see some evidence in order to believe that.

pledge · Post by **pledge** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 10:54 am

"Franchised" as a figure of speech, yes. Does anyone own the rights to the name? No. But almost nothing has gotten airplay on 102.1 in the past decade without being run through the U.S. alternative rock radio mill first. (Besides some CanCon, of course.)

Metal Mike · Post by **Metal Mike** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 12:14 am

Well it's not a figure of speech if they had to purchase the Edge name as the Spirit Admin suggested. I would be curious to get a confirmation of this.

kenf · Post by **kenf** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 4:23 pm

Whoooo, does 'Edge' still mean anything?
Maybe it's just time for a corporate division rebranding!

Seeing tv ads for a K-W radio station called the Beat, when will T.O. be given a new & exciting copycat name such as: the Song, the Bass, the Cuts, the Hitz , the Mix, the Fan, the Team, Dave, Jack, oops, ...

Rawbie · Post by **Rawbie** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 4:25 am

Before there was an edge in Toronto, there were a dozen or so edge stations already in the states prior to 1995. Now there is even more. It's a brand name, a mission and positioning statement within the marketplace. Come to think about it, so was the "Spirit of Radio". Both were/are just carving out their niche in the marketplace. Both have more in common then you think.

pledge · Post by **pledge** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 1:10 am

Sorry, conspiracy theorists, but the admin is wrong. The name wasn't purchased from anywhere. If it was, there wouldn't have been an Edge 103.3 in Buffalo launched around the same time 102.1 took on the positioner. What they did register a copyright for at the time was the use of the term "new rock alternative" in Canada, back when the grunge format was a hot thing and they feared a direct competitor.