CHIN-FM first signed on in 1967; 57 years ago (1967). The previous year, CHIN 1540 began broadcasting ethnic programming, one of the first multilingual stations in Canada. Its owners were granted a construction permit to add an FM station in Toronto with separate ethnic programming.
CHIN-AM-FM were started by Toronto broadcaster Johnny Lombardi and his then-partner James Ditson Service, a former mayor of North York.[4][5] They saw a need for multilingual radio for Toronto's growing ethnic communities.