Private company

Bell Media Radio

Logo: BCE Inc., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Canadian radio broadcaster

Bell Media Radio, G.P. (formerly CHUM Radio), operating publicly as iHeartRadio Canada, is the radio broadcasting and audio division of Bell Media, a subsidiary of BCE Inc. The company owns AM and FM radio stations in markets across Canada, distributes programming to other stations through Orbyt Media, and operates the Canadian version of iHeartRadio under licence from iHeartMedia. The business originated with the radio assets of CHUM Limited, which were acquired by CTVglobemedia in 2007 and later became part of Bell Media.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

1945Founded1

Bell Media Radio, G.P. (formerly CHUM Radio), operating publicly as iHeartRadio Canada, is the radio broadcasting and audio division of Bell Media, a subsidiary of BCE Inc.. The company owns AM and FM radio stations in markets across Canada, distributes programming to other stations through Orbyt Media, and operates the Canadian version of iHeartRadio under licence from iHeartMedia.2

The story

The company has its origins in CHUM Limited, which was acquired by CTVglobemedia in 2006. Through subsequent acquisitions, it also subsumed the radio properties of Astral Media in 2013; many of these were former Standard Radio stations that were acquired by Astral in 2007.

In 2016, Bell Media reached a licensing agreement with U.S. radio conglomerate iHeartMedia to operate a localized version of its internet radio platform iHeartRadio, and organize Canadian versions of its event franchises (such as the Jingle Ball). Since this agreement, Bell has primarily promoted its audio content, including radio stations and podcasts, under the public-facing brand iHeartRadio Canada.

In 2023, Bell Media laid off 6% of its workforce and closed nine of its radio stations and sold three as part of a restructuring plan and consolidated newsrooms across its platforms, resulting in its news/talk stations laying off most of their news staff and relying instead on the local and national newsrooms of CTV News. Stations closed included Winnipeg's CFRW, Calgary's CKMX, Edmonton's CFRN, Vancouver's CFTE and CKST and London's CJBK while Hamilton's CKOC and CHAM and Windsor's CKWW were sold to CINA Radio Group for $455,000.

On February 8, 2024, parent company BCE announced a total of cuts across the company, including 4,800 layoffs—with approximately 10% of those jobs being at Bell Media specifically, and the sale of 45 of its 103 radio stations to Vista Radio, Whiteoaks Communications Group, Durham Radio, My Broadcasting Corporation, ZoomerMedia, Arsenal Media and Maritime Broadcasting, pending approval by the CRTC. Bell executive Robert Malcolmson told Canadian Press that the "significant divestiture" of Bell's radio assets occurred "because it's not a viable business anymore".

From Wikipedia’s article on Bell Media Radio, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

Its head office is currently located at 250 Richmond Street West in Toronto, where the studios of its Toronto flagship stations CHUM-FM, CKFM-FM, CFRB and CHUM-AM are located. CHUM-AM and CHUM-FM moved from their historic location, 1331 Yonge Street, after the property was sold to Aspen Ridge Homes for $21.5 million. Former Standard Radio stations CFRB and CKFM were previously located at the intersection of Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue West until 2013.

CHUM Radio also previously operated CHUM Satellite Services, a multimedia division which provided programming and production services for corporate clients. This operation was acquired in 2009 by Stingray Digital, which eventually renamed it Stingray360.

On January 6, 2016, iHeartMedia announced that Bell Media would enter into a licensing deal to launch a Canadian version of its radio streaming service iHeartRadio. Bell will handle Canadian licensing, marketing, and distribution of the service, contribute its content to the venture, and also gain rights to produce iHeartRadio-branded events. The service launched in October 2016.

Since then, Bell has downplayed the branding "Bell Media Radio" in reference to its stations, and has referred to the collective platform, including the terrestrial stations, online outlets (which were all consolidated under iHeartRadio.ca) and podcasts from Bell Media properties that are distributed under the platform, under the name iHeartRadio Canada. The MuchMusic Video Awards were also re-branded as the iHeartRadio MMVAs.

From Wikipedia’s article on Bell Media Radio, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Owners

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1945Founded Founded1

Sources

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