CHJJ-FM

CKJJ-FM’s main station at Belleville signed on the air September 22. CKJJ was owned and operated by United Christian Broadcasters.

On January 17, CKJJ-FM received permission to operate a low-power transmitter at Cobourg, operating on a frequency of 100.9 MHz with average effective radiated power of 50 watts. The transmitter would broadcast a niche Christian music service produced in, and originating from, Belleville. The proposed transmitter would also offer news and programs about local activities and events pertaining to Cobourg, originating with The transmitter would not broadcast local programming that would be exclusive to Cobourg.

On January 26, the CRTC denied the application to amend the broadcasting licence for the specialty commercial FM radio station CKJJ-FM Belleville in order to change the frequency and increase the average effective radiated power of its Cobourg transmitter. The applicant proposed to change the frequency from 100.9 MHz to 90.7 MHz and to increase the average effective radiated power from 42 to 250 watts. The proposed power increase would change the transmitter’s status from that of a low-power, unprotected transmitter to that of a regular Class A1 transmitter. The licensee stated that the purpose of the application was to ensure the continuity of its service to the Cobourg/Port Hope area given the Commission’s decision to authorize My Broadcasting Corporation to use frequency 100.9 MHz in Broadcasting Decision 2009-277. The licensee also stated that the application was part of a plan to serve the 401 corridor. The Commission noted that it has received similar applications involving low-power services seeking protected status on a number of occasions. In past decisions, the Commission noted that when the licensee of a low-power station filed an application to change its operating class to that of a higher powered, protected station, it should present compelling evidence that its authorized technical parameters were not adequate to provide the service as it was originally proposed. In the present case, the Commission notes that the transmitter’s currently authorized low-power technical parameters were considered an appropriate means of providing service to the area and commensurate with the operation of a transmitter in a highly populated region with a scarcity of frequencies. In the Commission’s view, the use of the proposed frequency to offer a specialized, niche format such as a Christian music service without local content would not represent the best use of the frequency, particularly given the availability of other low-power channels.

CKJJ-FM-1 Cobourg left the air temporarily until a suitable frequency could be found. A change of frequency was required because of the opening of CIYM 100.9 in Brighton.

On June 30, the CRTC renewed the licence for CKJJ-FM Belleville and its transmitters CKJJ-FM-1 Cobourg, CKJJ-FM-2 Brockville, CKJJ-FM-3 Kingston and CKJJ-FM-4 Bancroft to August 31, 2013. This short-term licence renewal would enable the Commission to review the licensee’s compliance with the Radio Regulations, 1986 and its conditions of licence at an earlier date. 

On February 21, the CRTC approved the application by United Christian Broadcasters Canada for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language specialty FM radio programming undertaking in Cobourg. The new station would operate at 90.7 MHz (channel 214A1) with an average effective radiated power of 250 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 32.5 metres). The new station would offer a Christian Adult Contemporary music format. In each broadcast week, the station would broadcast 81 hours and 30 minutes of local programming and offer 4 hours and 30 minutes of spoken word programming consisting of news (70% local), sports, weather and other community-related programming. UCB committed to devote, by condition of licence, no less than 95% of its weekly musical selections to selections from subcategory 35 (Non-classic religious) and no less than 15% of its weekly musical selections from category 3 (Special Interest Music) to Canadian musical selections. The licence would expire August 31, 2017. 

In December, CHJJ 90.7 (UCB 90.7) was testing on-air in Cobourg.

CHJJ-FM 90.7 signed on the air in Cobourg, September 8. CHJJ-FM replaced the former Cobourg rebroadcaster of CKJJ Belleville (CKJJ-FM-1) which had been off the air since 2010. CHJJ-FM became the third UCB stand-alone station, the others in Belleville and Chatham plus three repeaters.