CBAF-FM-5

CBAF-19-FM signed on the air June 26 as a rebroadcaster of CBAF Moncton.

A French radio production centre was to be established in the CBC Halifax studios. To be operational in September of 1985, it would be the first facility for French radio production in Nova Scotia, and would provide input to the Atlantic French regional service based in Moncton, New Brunswick.

On March 26, the CRTC approved the applications to amend the broadcasting licences of CBAF-21-FM Middleton, CBAF-31-FM Digby, CBAF-30-FM Yarmouth, CBAF-27-FM New Glasgow, CBAF-25-FM Mulgrave, CBAF-15-FM Margaree, CBAF-17-FM Cheticamp, CBAF-24-FM Sydney, CBAF-19-FM Halifax, CBAF-16-FM Port auPort and CBAF-20-FM St. John’s, by changing the program source to programs received from CBAF Moncton and CBAF-19-FM Halifax.

On September 1, the following call sign changes took place: CBAF-19-FM Halifax became CBAF-FM-5, CBAF-15-FM Margaree became CBAF-FM-12, CBAF-17-FM Cheticamp became CBAF-FM-13, CBAF-21-FM Middleton became CBAF-FM-6,  CBAF-24-FM Sydney became CBAF-FM-14, CBAF-25-FM Mulgrave became CBAF-FM-11, CBAF-27-FM New Glasgow became CBAF-FM-10, CBAF-30-FM Yarmouth became CBAF-FM-9, CBAF-31-FM Digby became CBAF-FM-7 and CBAF-2-FM Weymouth became CBAF-FM-8.

The CBC informed the CRTC that it had ceased operation of its rebroadcasters at Meteghan and Quinan, N.S. as these locations were well served by CBAF-FM-9 Yarmouth.  It was further noted that CBAF-FM-5 Halifax was originating 14 hours and 43 minutes of locally-produced programming weekly.

It was noted that CBAF-FM-5 broadcast programming originating from CBAF-FM Moncton and from the Radio-Canada (AM) network. It also originated 13 hours and 35 minutes of local programming per week. 

On January 13, the CRTC approved the applications to amend the licences of CBAF-FM-5, CBHA-FM and CBH-FM Halifax by decreasing the effective radiated power from 100,000 watts to 91,000 watts for CBAF-FM-5 and CBHA-FM; and from 100,000 watts to 92,000 watts for CBH-FM.

On October 5, CBAF-FM-5 Halifax was granted approval to increase the effective radiated power of transmitter CBAF-FM-16 Port-au-Port, Newfoundland, from 800 watts to 1,034 watts.

By this time, CBAF-FM-5 Halifax operated the following transmitters: CBAF-FM-6 Middleton (on air since May 19, 1980), CBAF-FM-7 Digby (December 22, 1983), CBAF-FM-8 Weymouth (October 1, 1988), CBAF-FM-9 Yarmouth (March 29, 1983), CBAF-FM-10 New Glasgow (February 6, 1982), CBAF-FM-11 Mulgrave (October 11, 1982), CBAF-FM-12 Margaree (September 27, 1976), CBAF-FM-13 Cheticamp (May 1, 1977), CBAF-FM-14 Sydney (January 30, 1981), CBAF-FM-16 Port-au-Port (Newfoundland – February 13, 1976)), and CBAF-FM-17 St. John’s (Newfoundland – September 15, 1980). CBAF-FM-5 broadcast approximately 15 hours of local programming each week from Halifax.

On May 12 the CRTC renewed CBAF-FM-5’s licence. The renewal included the following rebroadcast transmitters: CBAF-FM-6 Middleton, CBAF-FM-7 Digby, CBAF-FM-8 Weymouth, CBAF-FM-9 Yarmouth, CBAF-FM-10 New Glasgow, CBAF-FM-11 Mulgrave, CBAF-FM-12 Margaree, CBAF-FM-13 Cheticamp, CBAF-FM-14 Sydney, and in NL: CBAF-FM-16 Port au Port and CBAF-FM-17 St. John’s.

On August 9, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence of CBAF-FM-5 (and its transmitters) to August 31, 2011.

On August 25, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CBAF-FM-5 and its transmitters to March 1, 2013.

On February 22, the CRTC administratively renewed the licences for CBAF-FM-5 Halifax and its transmitters to August 31, 2013. On May 28, the CRTC renewed the licence of CBAF-FM-5 Halifax and its transmitters CBAF-FM-6 Middleton, CBAF-FM-7 Digby, CBAF-FM-8 Weymouth, CBAF-FM-9 Yarmouth, CBAF-FM-10 New Glasgow, CBAF-FM-11 Mulgrave, CBAF-FM-12 Margaree, CBAF-FM-13 Cheticamp, CBAF-FM-14 Sydney, CBAF-FM-16 Port au Port, Newfoundland and Labrador, and CBAF-FM-17 St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, for a five year term, to August 31, 2018.

In March the CRTC approved the CBC’s application to decrease the ERP of CBAF-FM-11 Halifax from 93,400 to 39,170 watts, increase EHAAT and the horizontally polarized antenna would be replaced by an elliptically polarized antenna. The CBC received CRTC approval to decrease ERP for CBAF-FM-11 Mulgrave from 93,400 to 39,170 watts (93,400 to 100,000 watts Max. ERP). Antenna height would also be raised. In September, the CBC received CRTC approval to increase the power for CBAF-FM-6 Middleton, N.S. from 19,000 to 19,200 watts (average and maximum ERP). EHAAT would be lowered from 226.5 to 221.7 metres (EHAAT).

On February 16, the CRTC approved an increase in power for CBAF-13 Cheticamp, from 82 to 188 watts. Antenna height would be raised from 186.5 to 262.9 metres (EHAAT) and the transmitter would be relocated.

On February 28, the CRTC approved the CBC’s application relating to technical changes that were made in 2013 to the authorized contours of CBAF-FM-14 Sydney. The CBC stated that while the changes were implemented in 2013, it had only been made aware of them recently. Replacement of the transmitter resulted in the average ERP decreasing from 61,700 to 17,817 watts (maximum ERP decreasing from 100,000 to 25,636 watts). The transmitter class changed from C to B, and the EHAAT increased from 122.5 to 122.8 metres.

On November 22, the CRTC approved the CBC’s application to change the authorized contours of CBAF-FM-7 Digby by decreasing the ERP from 980 to 450 watts and the EHAAT increased from 148 to 256.6 meters.

On May 8, the CBC received CRTC approval to change the authorized contours of CBAF-FM-14 Sydney by changing the antenna’s radiation pattern from directional to non-directional, changing the class from C to B, decreasing the maximum ERP from 25,636 to 16,850 watts and the average ERP from 18,149 to 16,850 watts, increasing the EHAAT from 122.5 to 125.6 metres, and correcting the existing coordinates of the transmitter site.

On July 8, the CBC received CRTC approval to increase ERP for CBAF-FM-9 Yarmouth from 2,890 to 1,730 watts. EHAAT would be raised from 136 to 186.2 metres. The changes would permit the CBC to combine its ICI Radio-Canada Première, Radio One, and ICI Musique services on a single antenna to optimize operating costs.