CKBZ-FM

CFJC started in a curtained off area on the second floor of N. S. Dalgleish & Son department store, who were partners with Weller & Weller Electric, one, to promote the sale of receivers, and the other, the sale and service of batteries. With just 15 watts of power, CFJC was assigned 1120 on the kHz dial. Operations began on May 1.

The power was increased to 100 watts. After a couple of years of this joint venture, the station was transferred to the Dalgliesh investment firm.

During the depression the Kamloops Sentinel took over because they felt radio might have an effect on the newspaper business.

CFJC moved to 1310 kHz with 100 watts.

A frequency change to 800 kHz took place. Power was still 100 watts.

CFJC changed frequency again – this time to 880 kHz. Power remained 100 watts.

A new 1,000 watt transmitter was installed with the staff (3) working all night between sign-off (11:00pm) and sign on (7:00 am).

Ian Clark joined, becoming Manager in 1943. He persuaded Ralph White, owner of the Sentinel, to purchase all new equipment. 

Under the Havana Treaty, CFJC moved from 880 to 910 kHz (Class III-A) with 1,000 watts on March 29.

R.J. Tate became CFJC’s chief engineer after holding the same position for the past four years at CFAR in Flin Flon. He took up his new posting as of April 1.

On August 8, municipal and community leaders participated in the ceremony and program marking the inauguration of CFJC’s new 1,000 watt transmitter and associated equipment. Mayor George H. Williams signed the station off on the old equipment after a national news commentary at 7 o’clock. The new equipment was turned on and the mayor spoke the first words. Manager Ian clark spoke briefly in response to the messages and then introduced a dramatized program – The Story of CFJC – prepared by program director Jack Garbutt. The new Northern Electric equipment included everything from microphone to antenna. The studio console was designed for FM which was expected to be in general use after the war.

Ron White took over the Sentinel after his father’s death and allowed Ian Clark to lease the station. Shortly after that, Clark was allowed to buy into the station, eventually taking complete ownership. 

CBC Trans-Canada Basic stations: CJCB, CBH, CBA, CHSJ, CFNB, CBO, CKWS, CBL, CKSO, CFCH, CJKL, CKGB, CKPR, CBM, CKY, CBK, CJCA, CFAC, CJOC, CFJC, CKOV, CJAT, CBR.

Ralph White was manager and Ian Clark was commercial manager.

Slogan: The Voice of Central British Columbia. 

CFJC’s application for a power increase to 5,000 watts deferred. 

Ted Reynolds left CFJC to become announcer/operator at CJVI Victoria.

CFJC applied for an emergency transmitter licence. Permission was granted.

CFJC applied for an FM licence. The CBC recommended this for approval. The applicant was the Kamloops Sentinal Ltd., operator of CFJC.

Ian Clark was manager and Walter Harwood was commercial manager.

Emmett Cronin did sports and Gordon Rye was a newscaster. 

Kamloops Sentinal Ltd. was granted approval to sell CFJC to Inland Broadcasters Ltd. (Ian Clarke).

CFJC received approval to increase daytime power from 1,000 to 10,000 watts. Night-time power would remain 1,000 watts.

CFJC increased power to 10,000 watts day and 1,000 watts night.

CFJC launched an FM station on 98.3 MHz. 

On December 18 approval was granted for a transfer of shares of Twin Cities Radio Ltd. as follows: 51 Class A shares from Ian George Clark to David S. Clark and 20 Class A and 2,000 Class B from Jean Ross to John William Richard Pollard.

Twin Cities Radio Ltd. applied for a change of frequency for CFJC from 910 kHz to 550 kHz. The station would also relocate the antenna site and increase night-time power to 5,000 watts. Daytime power would remain 10,000 watts. CFJC would also disaffiliate from the CBC network when local CBC rebroadcaster CBYK-FM commenced operations.

The technical changes were approved, as was the disaffiliation. The CBC’s own repeater was now on the air. 

By this time, CFJC had moved from 910 to 550 kHz and power had increased to  25,000 watts day and 5,000 watts night. 

The Jim Pattison Group (CJOR/CJJR Vancouver) agreed to purchase CFJC, CFFM-FM and CFJC-TV Kamloops. Dave Clark, who was the major shareholder, would remain with the group. No programming changes were planned, but technical improvements would be made, and Pattison would follow through on an application for an FM station in the Cariboo.

Twin Cities Radio Ltd. (CFJC and its rebroadcaster CFJC-FM Merritt, along with several other stations) were sold by D.S. Clark, J.W.R. Pollard and Diane Edgell to Jim Pattison Industries Ltd.

On January 8, the CRTC approved the application for a licence for an English-language FM radio broadcasting transmitting undertaking at Clearwater on the frequency 102.9 MHz, channel 275, with an effective radiated power of 163.4 watts to rebroadcast the programs of CFJC Kamloops. The licence would expire August 31, 1991. This term would enable the Commission to consider the renewal of this licence at the same time as that of CFJC, the originating station.
 

Twin Cities Radio and Inland Broadcasters, retired at the end of May. Clark had sold his holdings to Jim Pattison last year. Rick Arnish took over as general manager of the operations. Arnish had been operations manager for JC55 and I-98. News director Doug Collins also took over the role of operations manager for the two stations.

The corporate name changed to Jim Pattison Enterprises Ltd.

The corporate name changed to Great Pacific Industries Inc.

The corporate name changed to Jim Pattison Industries Ltd. 

Rick Arnish, president and general manager at CFJC-AM/CIFM-FM/CFJC-TV Kamloops, was promoted to president of The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, responsible for radio and TV stations at Vancouver, Kamloops and Kelowna. 

Three full-time employees were laid off and hours were cut for two part-time staff members at CFJC-AM and TV. Three other employees were given notice that their jobs would disappear in the fall because of technical change. General Manager Rick Arnish blamed the drop in national and local sales along with the downturn in the B.C. economy for the cuts. 

On August 1, CFJC was given approval to convert to the FM band, operating on 100.1 MHz, with an effective radiated power of 3,500 watts; with transmitters at  Pritchard on 104.5 MHz with ERP of 19 watts, and Chase – on 101.1 MHz with ERP of 140 watts.

On September 1, CFJC 550 AM “JC-55” became CKBZ-FM 100.1 “B-100”. The format changed from “Young Country and More” to “Kamloops Best Music Variety”.

CKBZ was given approval to add a transmitter at Sun Peaks, operating on 91.5 MHz with an ERP of 40 watts. 

On December 23, the CRTC approved the application by Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Ltd. (the general partner) and Jim Pattison Industries Ltd. (the limited partner) carrying on business as Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Limited Partnership, owned by James A. Pattison (the Pattison Group), for the authority to acquire the assets of all of the radio television undertakings (and their respective transmitters) currently licensed to corporate entities owned by James A. Pattison. This transaction was part of a corporate reorganization that would not affect the ultimate control of the broadcasting undertakings. The ultimate control would continue to be exercised by James A. Pattison, the sole shareholder of Jim Pattison Ltd.

At this time CKBZ-FM operated the following transmitters: CKBZ-FM-1 Pritchard, CKBZ-FM-2 Chase, CKBZ-FM-3 Merritt, CKBZ-FM-4 Clearwater and CKBZ-FM-5 Sun Peaks Resort. 

Dave Somerton, the Operations Manager at CFJC-TV/CIFM-FM/CKBZ-FM – who had been with the operation for 40 years – retired at the end of April. Doug Collins took on the responsibilities of TV operations at the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group facility. Collins continued in news and information at all three stations as Director of News, Information & Television Operations. 

Leo Baggio, Program Director for CIFM and CKBZ and a host on CIFM, gave up his on-on gig after being promoted to Director of Radio Programming & Operations at the two stations. 

Jim Pattison, Managing Director and CEO, the Jim Pattison Group announced the 
promotion of two key executives of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group LP, effective July 1. Rick Arnish was promoted to Chairman of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group LP, following a very successful 14 years as President. Rod Schween was promoted to assume the role of President of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group LP. He had been general manager/general sales manager for the Pattison Lethbridge/Cranbrook division with 6 stations in 3 different communities. He would move to the Kamloops, B.C. Head Office of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, where he would be responsible as General Manager of Broadcast Centre – CFJC TV, CIFM FM & CKBZ FM.

Gordon Rye passed away at age 90. Rye was employed at what was now the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group’s Kamloops operation for over 50 years, from 1939 through to the ’90s. After his official retirement, the newsman still contributed stories.

Niki Saunders left B100 for Virgin Radio in Vancouver.

Effective November 1, the new Program Director of 98.3 CIFM – Kamloops’ Best Rock (CIFM-FM) & B-100 – Kamloops’ At Work Station (CKBZ-FM) was Cheryl Blackwell. In addition to her PD role, Cheryl continued as co-host of the B-100 Morning Show. Cheryl took over for Leo Baggio who recently left the position as PD to move to Cranbrook, for his new role as General Manager/Program Director of the Cranbrook/Fernie Pattison operations.