CHWE-FM


CHWE-FM is a commercial radio station in Winnipeg, Manitoba owned by Evanov Radio Group. The station broadcasts a CHR/Top 40 format branded as Energy 106.
CHWE-FM's studios and offices are at 520 Corydon Avenue in Winnipeg, with sister stations CKJS and CFJL-FM. The transmitter is located at Duff Roblin Provincial Park.
Based on the current format, CHWE-FM competes with CKMM-FM.

History

On May 8, 2009, Evanov Radio Group was granted approval by the CRTC to launch a new Winnipeg radio station on the 106.1 FM frequency. At first it was rumored that the company was going to launch another "Jewel" radio station, similar to CKDX-FM and various other stations around Ontario, as the Winnipeg station was registered as CFJL-FM.
On June 8, 2011, the station began testing its signal by playing non-stop commercial free music with a new music genre each week. Listeners could email the radio station to report any signal interruptions and suggest the genre of music that they wanted it to play before it launched on July 29th.
On July 29, 2011, at 12 p.m., CFJL-FM launched with a CHR/Top 40 format as Energy 106, Winnipeg's New #1 Hit Music Station. It pledged to play 10,000 commercial free songs in a row. The first song played on "Energy" was "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull. Starting on October 14th, the station began broadcasting live club music from local Winnipeg nightclubs Friday and Saturday nights. On October 19th, the station added a full-time airstaff. Due to CFJL's success, Evanov Radio Group renamed struggling sister station CKHZ-FM in Halifax as Energy 103.5 on January 6, 2012.
On November 26, 2011, CFJL-FM changed its call sign to CHWE-FM, to match the "Energy" moniker. The CFJL-FM call sign would move to its sister station, 100.7 The Breeze, which dropped its classic rock format that same day. That station became Jewel 101 FM in January 2014, and then Hot 100.5 in February 2017.
CHWE-FM's Top 40 format leaned toward dance music at first. The strategy paid off in the BBM ratings, where in its first book it took a 6.9% share of the audience. The station has since moved to a more mainstream Top 40 direction.