CJPR-FM

On April 28, Lethbridge Broadcasting Ltd. was licenced to operate a new AM station at Blairmore on 1490 kHz with power of 1,000 watts day and 250 watts night (non-directional). Programming would originate part-time from CJOC Lethbridge.

CJPR signed on the air later in the year, providing a signal to the Crowsnest Pass area of Alberta where no consistent Canadian radio service was available due to the terrain. CJPR originated five hours of local service daily, with the rest of the schedule filled in by CJOC.

CJPR received approval to operate a rebroadcast transmitter at Elkford, B. C. It would broadcast on a frequency of 1340 kHz and have a full-time power of 50 watts.

CJEV Elkford signed on as a satellite of CJPR.

On July 21, approval was granted for the transfer of 200 Class B voting shares of Selkirk Communications Ltd. from Southam Inc. to John T. Ferguson, and subsequently, the transfer of these shares from Mr. Ferguson, together with 200 Class B shares from each of seven other individual shareholders, to the Canada Trust Co., pursuant to a voting trust agreement. Southam held 20% of the voting shares and approximately 28% of the non-voting shares of Selkirk Communi-cations. Selkirk owned the following broadcast companies: Selkirk Broadcasting Ltd., Lethbridge Television Ltd., Calgary Television Ltd., and Niagara Television Ltd.

On January 17, CJPR was granted an increase in night-time power from 250 to 1,000 watts.

On September 24, Selkirk Broadcasting Ltd. had the licences for CJPR and its rebroadcaster CJEV renewed. The CRTC noted that CJPR provided 62 hours per week of local programming and that the remainder of its programming originated with CJOC Lethbridge. CJPR was the program source for CJEV.

On September 28, Maclean-Hunter Limited’s purchase of Selkirk Communications and the subsequent transfer of several stations to Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. was approved by the CRTC. Included in the transfer to Rogers: CJPR Blairmore and its rebroadcasting station CJEV Elkford, B.C.

When CJPR and CJEV had their licences renewed June 30, the CRTC noted their plans to reduce the amount of local programming originating from CJPR from 62 hours a week to a minimum of 20 hours and 45 minutes a week. The licensee would also decrease the amount of programming rebroadcast from CJOC Lethbridge, from 64 hours a week to 24 hours and 15 minutes a week. For the remainder of the broadcast week, CJPR would rebroadcast 81 hours of programming from the SRN Country Music Network.

Nornet Broadcasting Ltd. received permission December 1 to acquire CJPR Blairmore and its transmitter CJEV Elkford, from Rogers Broadcasting Ltd.

On November 18, Okanagan Skeena Group Ltd. received approval to acquire Nornet Broadcasting Ltd. (including CJPR and CJEV).

On October 7, approval was given for Okanagan Skeena Group Ltd. to effect an intra-corporate reorganization. OKS would transfer the assets of its television and radio stations in British Columbia and Alberta to 3537412 Canada Ltd., one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries.

On October 18, approval was granted for the transfer of ownership and control of Okanagan Skeena Group Ltd. through the transfer of all of its issued and outstanding shares to Telemedia Radio Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Telemedia Communications Inc. Initially, Okanagan had applied for the transfer of its shares to TCI Acquisition Corporation. However, on August 31, by letter of authority, the CRTC approved the merger of Okanagan with TCI. The resulting company kept Okanagan’s name. Also, Telemedia advised the Commission that, effective September 1, 3581713 Canada Inc. amalgamated with Telemedia Radio. As a result of these mergers, Telemedia Radio was now the company that acquired the shares of Okanagan.

On April 19, the CRTC approved the sale of a number of radio and television stations in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia by Telemedia Radio Inc. and Telemedia Radio (West) Inc. to Standard Radio Inc. Standard was then allowed to sell certain of these stations to Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. and 3937844 Canada Inc. (subsidary of Newcap Inc.). Newcap acquired 15 Alberta radio stations and related transmitters (Newcap 76.34%, Standard 23.66%). CJPR was one of the 15 stations that would now be owned by Newcap.

3937844 Canada Inc. received approval on November 21 to convert CJPR to the FM band. The new station would offer a contemporary country music format. It would operate at 94.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 760 watts. The AM had operated on 1490 kHz with 1,000 watts.

With CJPR-FM on the air, the CJPR-AM licence was revoked September 29.

On December 13, CJPR-FM was authorized to continue the operation of its AM transmitter at Elkford, on 1340 kHz with a power of 50 watts. The Elkford transmitter had rebroadcast the former CJPR-AM.

On July 28, Newcap Inc. was authorized to add an FM transmitter at Pincher Creek for CJPR-FM. The new transmitter would operate at 92.7 MHz with an average effective radiated power of 3,300 watts.

In February CJPV 92.7 Pincher Creek signed on the air, simulcasting CJPR Blairmore (Country format, known as Mountain Radio).

On May 28, the CRTC renewed the licence of CJPR-FM until August 31, 2016. The renewal included CJEV Elkford and CJPV-FM Pincher Creek.

Newcap New Brunswick General Manager Hilary Montbourquette, who ran FRED-FM Fredericton and CJMO-FM/CJXL-FM Moncton, became General Manager/General Sales Manager at Newcap’s Alberta Radio South Group of stations (CKGY-FM and CIZZ-FM Red Deer, CIBQ and CIXF-FM Brooks, CJPR-FM Blairmore, CKDQ Drumheller and CKSQ Stettler), based at Z99/KG Country Red Deer. He succeeded Ron Thompson who retired September 30 (2009). As a result of Montbourquette’s move, completed mid-January (2010), Dan Fagan was promoted to GM/GSM of the Moncton stations and Dan Gallant was promoted to GM/GSM of the Fredericton station. Brad Muir was promoted to Operations Manager of Moncton and would continue to program FREDFM.

CHNK Winnipeg Program Director Abbey White left that position to become PD at sister Newcap stations KG Country Red Deer and the Newcap stations in Brooks, Drumheller, Stettler and Blairmore. Also at Newcap’s Southern Alberta Group, Al Tompson, Music Director and Morning Show Host at Zed 99 Red Deer added PD to his responsibilities. Former PD Brent Young was no longer with the organization.

Chad Tabish moved from General Sales Manager at Newcap’s Alberta North East Hub to become GSM at Newcap Radio Red Deer and the Alberta South Radio Group (Stettler, Drumheller, Brooks and Blairmore). He had also been Station Manager at Lloyd FM Lloydminster. He began December 15.

Newcap Alberta South general sales manager Rick Colliou was no longer with the company. He had been based at KG Country/ZED 99 Red Deer and was responsible for sales there and at Q91 Drumheller, Q14 Stettler and Mountain Radio Blairmore/Crowsnest Pass.

Al Lucas was promoted to General Sales Manager for Newcap’s Alberta Radio Group (South): KG Country/ZED 99 Red Deer, Q91Drumheller, Q14 Stettler, Mountain Radio Blairmore/Crowsnest Pass and Q105/The One Brooks. He moved up from Retail Sales Manager and Sales Manager at the Red Deer stations.

Daryl “Fergie” Ferguson’s last day as morning host was October 31. All of his 40 years in the radio business was at this station. He started out on the same day in 1972 that the station went on the air. Courtney Potts succeeded him as Mountain Radio morning host.

Newcap rebranded eight of its Alberta country music stations to the Real Country Network. CKGY Red Deer was the flagship. CKSQ rebranded from Q93.3 to Real Country 93.3. All stations would still air local programming but off-peak shows would be centralized from Red Deer. Seven on-air jobs were lost as a result of the change.

On October 23, the CRTC approved an application by Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited, on behalf of Newcap Inc. and its licensed broadcasting subsidiaries, for authorization to effect a change in the ownership and effective control of various radio and television broadcasting undertakings in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, so that effective control of the undertakings would be exercised by Eric Boyko (Stingray Digital Group Inc.). Stingray took ownership of the stations just a few days later.

In January, Stingray began syndicating the Real Country 95.5 Red Deer morning show across its Real Country and boom-branded radio stations in rural Alberta, leading to the elimination of 14 on-air positions. Real Country 94.9 was among the stations to add the show.