CBY-AM

The Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland aired the inaugural program of the corporation’s west coast station, VOWN, which was now operating at Corner Brook.

C. Hierilihy was manager of VOWN.

The Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland owned and operated three stations at this time: VONF St. John’s, VOWN Corner Brook and VORG Gander. BCN’s regular domestic schedule had the stations on the air between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. The corporation delivered news at regular intervals for 20 hours a day. 

Newfoundland joined Canadian confederation as the country’s tenth province. Stations of the Newfoundland Broadcasting Corp. had their call letters changed April 1 when the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. took over operation of the stations as a supplementary group to the Atlantic region of the Trans-Canada network. VONF St. John’s was now CBN, VORG Gander was now CBG, VOWN Corner Brook was now CBY, and a new 1,000 watt outlet – CBT – was added to the group at the end of the month. CBY Corner Brook broadcast on a frequency of 790 kHz. 

Commercial network programs started on the Newfoundland group on April 1 with the Toronto Symphony Concert. Other network programs now carried on the Newfoundland stations: Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts, NHL Hockey, Lux Radio Theatre, Canadian Cavalcade, and the following Monday-Friday programs: Breakfast Club, Big Sister, Life Can Be Beautiful, Ma Perkins, Pepper Young’s Family, and Right to Happiness, and Laura Limited and Aunt Lucy.

William F. Galgay, former general manager of the Newfoundland Broadcasting Corp. was appointed regional representative for the CBC in Newfoundland. He became program director and announcer at VOCM in 1925. In 1930, Galgay joined RCA Victor in St. John’s and then later moved on to Northern Electric. After serving as manager of Newfoundland’s Dominion Broadcasting Co. from 1932 to 1939, he was named general manager of the Broadcasting Corp. of Newfoundland, which operated stations in St. John’s, Gander and Corner Brook, until the recent transfer to the CBC. 

C.V. Hierlihy was manager.

Marconi equipped CBN, CBY, CBI, CBV and CBO with new Gates transmitters.

CBY 790 had a power of 1,000 watts and was a CBC Trans-Canada station.

Interference between CKMR Newcastle (NB) and CBY Corner Brook was raised in the House of Commons. When CKMR was established it was given the same frequency as CBY. Neither station was receiving interference within its protected area. A Corner Brook MP was hoping the Ministry of Transport would consider a power increase for CBY or that the frequency of one of the stations would be changed. Ad: In Newfoundland CBC Radio gives you complete coverage in this fast growing market. How are your sales in Newfoundland? Get the full story on how CBC Radio can help give them a lift…. 

Ad slogan: Better hurry if you want CBC Radio in Newfoundland! CBN St. John’s, CBY Corner Brook, CBG Gander, CBT Grand Falls. For results tomorrow…buy CBC Radio today!

CBY received approval to move to 990 kHz. Power would remain 1,000 watts. CBY had been on 790 kHz.

The Trans-Canada and Dominion networks of the CBC were consolidated into a single service. CBY had been a Trans-Canada station.

CBC Radio added an all-night service in June.

By this time, CBY had moved from 790 kHz to 990 kHz. Power was 10,000 watts full-time.

CBC Radio’s all-night service, started in 1963, came to an end on March 1. When the service started it was primarily intended as a national information and warning system to be used in emergencies. Even though the service had now ended, the CBC said it would maintain a stand-by procedure through the night and broadcasts would begin immediately in the event of an emergency.

On May 16, CBN was authorized to add a transmitter at St. Anthony, operating on a frequency of 600 kHz with a power of 10,000 watts (different day and night directional patterns).

CBNA St. Anthony signed on the air on August 2.

CBYM-FM Mount St. Margaret was launched on August 17.

CBYP-FM Portland Creek opened on October 16

The Port Saunders transmitter – CBNJ-FM – opened on February 24.

CBNC-FM Stephenville was opened on July 3.

On August 22, CBDT-FM Deer Lake opened.

On December 17, the CBC was given permission to add an FM transmitter for CBY at Bonne Bay, on the frequency 89.1 MHz, with effective radiated power of 1,000 watts. The new transmitter would replace the low-power CBNF-AM Woody Point, and serve a significantly greater population in this area.

CBNF-FM Bonne Bay opened on March 27.

On September 28, CBY received approval for the addition of an FM transmitter at Port-aux-Basques, on the frequency 91.9 MHz, with an effective radiated power of 1,280 watts. The new transmitter would replace CBNE-AM

CBNE-FM Port-aux-Basques opened February 15.

On May 3, CBY was authorized to add an FM transmitter at St. Andrew’s, operating on frequency 93.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 1,000 watts.  The new transmitter would replace the low-power transmitter CBNH-AM Searston. The new FM transmitter would provide service to a larger area and population. 

CBC Radio added overnight programming to its schedule on May 1, with “CBC Radio Overnight”. The programming started out on certain CBC stations and was expanded to all of its stations by September. The program aired between 1:00 and 6:00 a.m. (local time) and offered reports from public broadcasters in 25 countries, with Canadian news on the hour. The program service was provided by the World Radio Network in London, England.

As of 2001, CBY operated the following transmitters: CBNF-FM Bonne Bay, CBDT-FM Deer Lake, CBYM-FM Mount St. Margaret, CBNE-FM Port-aux-Basques, CBNJ-FM Port Saunders, CBYP-FM Portland Creek, CBNA St. Anthony, CBNC-FM Stephenville, and CBNH-FM St. Andrew’s. CBY broadcasts approximately 30 hours of local programming each week from Corner Brook. 

The CRTC approved a change in the authorized contours of CBNH-FM St. Andrews. The changes included a slight increase in average effective radiated power from 1,000 to 1,020 watts, a decrease in maximum ERP from 2,700 to 2,270 watts and a decrease in EHAAT (antenna height) from 42.6 to 22.7 metres. The antenna system had to be replaced and modifications to the tower had to be made following a severe windstorm which damaged equipment in the spring.

On February 5, the CRTC approved the CBC’s application for CBY to operate an FM transmitter at St. Anthony to replace CBNA-AM at that location. The new transmitter would operate at 100.3 MHz with an ERP of 4,500 watts (non-directional antenna with an EHAAT of 173 metres).

The CBC announced in the fall that it would  merge its morning shows in central and western Newfoundland into regional program CBC Newfoundland Morning. Both the CBY Corner Brook and CBG Gander studios would remain in operation with Martin Jones co-hosting from Gander and Bernice Hillier co-hosting from Corner Brook.