CKNB-AM

A new 100 watt station on 1210 kHz was licensed to Dr. Charles Houde, owner of CHNC, New Carlisle, Quebec. The call letters would be CKNB. The station was expected to open in January, 1940. C. S. Chapman would be manager and L. P. Paquet, chief engineer. CKNB signed on the air early – December 27, 1939. 

Under the Havana Treaty CKNB moved from 1210 to 1240 kHz (Class IV) on March 29. Power was 100 watts. 

To meet growing demands for network time during the evenings, largely due to the war, the CBC set up a second network for commercial sponsorship. The network’s first sponsor (on an experimental basis) was the Gillette Safety Razor Co. The Mutual Broadcasting System originated boxing events for 26 Canadian stations through the CBC, plus the MBS affiliate – CKLW Windsor. The second network had 23 Canadian stations with alternative stations in Montreal to meet local conditions there. The new network would operate only after 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Over the past year, private stations had been anxious to have such a network – outside of CBC control. However, under the Radio Act, the CBC had full control over all networks in the country. It was felt that a full second network with full day and night programming was not feasible or economically possible at this time. CBC-owned stations affiliated with the new network: CBK Watrous, CBA Sackville and CBY Toronto. Privately-owned stations affiliated with the new network were: CJOR Vancouver, CHWK Chilliwack, CFCN Calgary, CFRN Edmonton, CJRM Regina, CJGX Yorkton, CJRC Winnipeg, CKCA Kenora, CJIC Sault Ste Marie, CKOC Hamilton, CKTB St. Catherines, CFPL London, CFCO Chatham, CKLW Windsor, CKCR Kitchener, CKCO Ottawa, CFCF or CHLP Montreal, CHLT Sherbrooke, CKNB Campbellton, and CJLS Yarmouth. 

The station moved from 1240 kHz to 950 kHz and power increased to 1,000 watts.
CKNB increased its advertising rates on January 1 to coincide with the station’s power boost to 1,000 watts.

CKNB moved its studios and offices out of the Chateau Restigouche. It now occupied a floor in the Bank of Nova Scotia Building, in the centre of the downtown business district.

Stan Chapman was station manager.

CBC Dominion Basic Stations: CJFX, CHNS, CFCY, CKCW, CKNB, CJLS, CKCO, CHOV, CFBR, CJBC, CHEX, CFPL, CFCO, CFPA, CHLT, CFCF, CKRC, CJGX, CKX, CKRM, CHAB, CFQC, CKBI, CFCN, CFRN, CJRL, CHWK, CJOR, CJVI. 

CKNB was listed as a CBC Dominion affiliate, operating from studios in the Bank of Nova Scotia Building with transmitter at Maple Green. Restigouche Broadcasting Co. Ltd. was the owner.

CKNB 950 was listed as a CBC Dominion affiliate, operating with 1,000 watts and using a single directional antenna pattern. Restigouche Broadcasting Co. Ltd. was owned as follows: Dr. Charles A. Houde 59.0%, Dr. Charles E. Dumont 4.5%, Dr. Paul E. Carette 4.5%, J. W. MacDonald 18.1%, L. E. Renault 2.3%, H. A. Carr 2.3%, John Alexander 0.5% and 7 other shareholders 8.8%. J. D. Alexander was president of the company and R. D. Richards was manager of CKNB. 

Recording artist Karl Lofstrom had a program on CKNB.

R. Richards was commercial manager. 

The CBC Dominion and Trans-Canada networks were consolidated in to a single service. After the merger, CKNB continued to be a CBC affiliate. 

Approval was granted for the transfer of 1,349 common shares of Restigouche Broadcasting Co. Ltd.

CKNB 950 was now broadcasting with 10,000 watts during the day and a thousand watts at night. John D. Alexander was President of Restigouche Broadcasting Co. Ltd., M. Douglas Young was manager, and Vaughan Sullivan (later a a big name with CBA in Moncton) was morning man.

J. Irving Zucker and Jack Schoone formed Eastern Broadcasting System and acquired their first station – CKNB Campbelton NB. On April 23, the CRTC approved the transfer of 1,124 shares (control) of Restigouche Broadcasting Co. Ltd. from Paul Ahier to Jack Schoone, on condition the station provide sufficient public service programming for the French-speaking audience in the area. This would later prove to be the gestation of the eventual Maritime Broadcasting System.

CKNB, still operating under the corporate name of Restigouche Broadcasting Co. Ltd., received approval December 29 to move studios and offices from Maple Green, near Campbellton to 100 Water Street in Campbellton.

At this time, CKNB was a bilingual station. With the new presence of Radio-Canada in the region, CKNB began to reduce its French-language programming. 

As part of a company-wide upgrade of facilities, Eastern Broadcasting purchased and installed a new transmitter for CKNB.

On June 7, CKNB received approval to disaffiliate from the CBC Radio network. It would be effective once the CBC’s own transmitter in the region – CBAE-FM – began broadcasting.

On December 3, the CRTC approved the sale of 90% of Eastern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. (nine stations, including CKNB) through the transfer of 84% of its issued shares to Maritime Broadcasting Co. Ltd., (wholly owned by Maclean-Hunter Ltd.). The managers of the individual stations would hold a 6% interest in their respective operations and Jack Schoone would hold 10%. Eastern had been equally owned by J. Irving Zucker and Jack Schoone. Schoone would become president of Maritime, as well as of Eastern.

On December 29, CKNB Broadcasting Ltd. received approval to acquire Restigouche Broadcasting Co. Ltd. The transfer  involved no change of effective control. Both Restigouche and the purchaser continue to be effectively controlled by Eastern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. The transaction was related to the transfer of control of Eastern to Maritime Broadcasting Co. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Maclean Hunter Ltd., which had recently been approved by the CRTC.

Dick Alberts was general manager.

On December 19, the CRTC approved the transfer of effective control of Maritime Broadcasting System Ltd. (including CKNB), through the transfer of all the issued and outstanding Class M common shares and Class S common shares of Maritime from Key Radio Limited to a numbered company (2337017 Nova Scotia Ltd.) made up of an investor group, including Maritime Broadcasting President Mervyn Russell, along with Robert Pace and J. Gerald Godsoe. This transaction also comprises all or part of the remaining minority shares which Key Radio Limited may have acquired prior to the closing date of the transaction. This followed the purchase of Maclean Hunter Ltd. (Maritime’s parent) by Rogers Communications.

On June 29 the CRTC renewed CKNB’s licence until August 31, 2012. 

On August 8, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CKNB until August 31, 2013.