CHMP-FM

Stephen Venne received a licence for an FM station at Longueuil. He had proposed to use the 93.5 MHz frequency with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts. The frequency was awarded to CBM-FM so Venne was told to seek a suitable Class C1 frequency for his station. A competing application by Pierre Dulude was denied.

On January 20, Radio MF CIEL (1976) Inc. was given approval to use a frequency of 98.5 MHz at Longueuil.

CIEL-FM (“ciel” is the French word for sky) signed on the air on April 9. The station was headed by Stephen Venne who was a vice president with CAPAC. CIEL-FM played 85% Quebec music.

CIEL served the south shore region from Mont-Bruno, ten miles east of Montreal. A 25 kw CCA transmitter and 10-bay Shively antenna were used. Effective radiated power was 100,000 watts. Programs were sent to the transmitter from the studios via STL.

On October 17, approval was granted for the transfer of effective control of Radio MF CIEL (1976) Inc. through the transfer of 89.1% of the shares of the parent company Sono-Sud Ltee to 87584 Canada Ltee as follows: 35,219 common shares from Sono-Sud to the numbered company and 27,555 common shares from 13 of 21 of the existing shareholders, to the numbered company. 87584 Canada Ltee was controlled by Stereo Laval Inc., owner of CFGL-FM Laval. The CRTC did have some concerns about one owner holding two FM licences in the same market, but allowed the deal to proceed. CFGL served the northern part of Metro Montreal while CIEL served the south shore, from St-Jean to St-Hyacinthe with transmitter at St-Bruno.

The purchase of CKLM-AM Laval by Stereo Laval Inc. (CFGL-FM) was approved by the CRTC. Also approved was a reorganization by which Stereo Laval would be wholly-owned by Placements Roland Saucier Inc., and CIEL-FM would operate autonomously as Radio MF CIEL (1981) Inc.

CIEL was given approval to decrease effective radiated power from 100,000 to 45,500 watts and to relocate the transmitter from Mont Saint-Bruno to Mont-Royal.

CIEL-FM received approval to originate an all-night (midnight to six) show to be carried on a network of stations in Quebec. The program would be mainly music, plus news reports.

Power decreased further to 40,800 watts.

The corporate name changed from Radio MF CIEL (1981) inc. to Diffusion Métromédia CMR inc.

On August 8, Adult Contemporary CIEL 98.5 switched to an alternative rock format. The call letters changed to CKOO (Cool).

Les Placements Belcand Mont-Royal inc. sold Metromedia CMR Broadcasting Inc. to Corus Entertainment Inc.

CKOO switched from a contemporary music format to talk in January. The call letters changed to CHMP.

Effective July 15, all of the Corus Montreal (CINW-AM, CINF-AM, CKAC-AM, CFQR-FM, CHMP-FM, and CKOI-FM) stations came under the same roof at 800, rue De La Gauchetiere Ouest , Bureau 1100. 

On August 27, the CRTC renewed CHMP-FM’s licence until August 31, 2016. Conditions include: The station shall be operated within the Specialty format as defined in Revised content categories and subcategories for radio, Public Notice CRTC 2000-14, 28 January 2000 and A Review of Certain Matters Concerning Radio, Public Notice CRTC 1995-60, 21 April 1995, as amended from time to time. The licensee shall devote more than 50% of the programming broadcast during the broadcast week to programming drawn from category 1 (Spoken Word). Commitment: The licensee commits to broadcasting 4 hours and 12 minutes of local news each broadcast week.

On April 30th, Corus Entertainment Inc. announced that they had reached an agreement with Cogeco Inc. for Cogeco to purchase the Corus Quebec radio stations: CKOI-FM , CKAC-AM, CHMP-FM and CFQR-FM Montreal , CFOM-FM102.9 and CFEL-FM Quebec City, CJRC-FM Gatineau , CIME-FM St-Jérôme, CHLT-FM and CKOY-FM Sherbrooke, and CHLN-FM Trois Rivieres. The deal would be subject to CRTC approval. 

Paul Arcand, who had been doing the morning show for several years at News/Talk (CHMP-FM) 98,5 FM Montreal was now be heard via simulcast on four more Corus Quebec stations: CJRC 104,7 FM Outaouais, CHLT 107,7 FM Estrie, CHLN 106,9 FM Mauricie and CKRS 98,3 FM Saguenay, beginning in February. Three employees were affected by the change.

On December 17, the CRTC approved the transfer of various commercial radio programming undertakings from Corus Entertainment Inc. to Cogeco inc. The Commission received an application by Corus Entertainment Inc., on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiaries 591991 B.C. Ltd. and Metromedia CMR Broadcasting Inc., to transfer their shares and effective control from Corus to Cogeco inc. or one of its wholly owned subsidiaries (the proposed transaction). 591991 B.C. was the licensee of the French-language commercial radio programming undertakings CFOM-FM Lévis, CFEL-FM Lévis/Québec, CHLT-FM and CKOY-FM Sherbrooke, CKAC Montréal, CJRC-FM Gatineau and CHLN-FM Trois-Rivières. Metromedia was the licensee of the French-language commercial radio programming undertakings CKOI-FM Montréal, CHMP-FM Longueuil, CIME-FM Saint-Jérôme and its transmitters CIME-FM-1 Val-Morin and CIME-FM-2 Mont-Tremblant, and CFQR-FM Montréal, an English-language commercial radio programming undertaking. Following the proposed transaction, effective control of 591991 B.C. and Metromedia would be exercised by Cogeco, a corporation controlled by Gestion Audem inc. The Commission was mindful of the importance of maintaining a major predominantly spoken word radio station such as CHMP-FM in the Montréal market, and it considered it imperative to ensure the long-term viability of the only French-language spoken word commercial radio station in that market. In addition, the Commission noted that CHMP-FM was the only other French-language spoken word radio station focussed on news and information other than the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s CBF-FM in the Montréal market. From this standpoint, its programming made a significant contribution to the diversity of radio programming in that market. In reaching its decision, the Commission also took into consideration the exodus from the AM band in the Montréal market and listeners’ marked preference for the FM band. 

In September, CKAC-AM switched from a sports format to all traffic information. Much of that station’s sports programming was moved to CHMP 98.5.

In November, Henri Audet, founder of Cogeco cable died at age 94. Trained as an engineer, Audet left a job at the CBC to launch a TV station in Trois-Riviére. He sold his house and raised $100,000 from friends and other investors as seed money. From that single television station the company became Canada’s fourth-largest cable company and one of Quebec’s largest media companies. Audet served as president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters from 1961 to 1964, and was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1984. Control of Cogeco Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries was held by Gestion Audem Inc., a holding company whose shares were held entirely by the members of the family of Henri Audet.

98.5 fm suspended Jacques Fabi for a month because of a listener who made unacceptable comments regarding the Jewish population and the Holocaust. Fabi, said COGECO, “failed his obligation to observe and enforce the codes of ethics of the industry”.

On November 29, the CRTC approved the application by Cogeco Diffusion Acquisitions inc. to change the authorized contours of CHMP-FM by increasing the ERP from 40,800 to 100,000 watts (non-directional antenna) and by decreasing the effective antenna height. 

In October, VF2059 98.1 Fermont, left the air and the licence was surrendered to the CRTC. The transmitter had rebroadcast the programs of CHMP.

On September 27, the CRTC approved Cogeco Media’s applications to combine CKOI, CKBE, CKMP and CFGL’s services on a single, more efficient antenna owned by Cogeco on Mount Royal. Under the change, CHMP would decrease EHAAT from 298.9 to 276.7.

The consolidation of Cogeco’s four Montreal-area FM antenna’s on to a single Mount Royal tower was completed in November. The stations involved were CKBE 92.5 Montreal, CKOI 96.9 Montreal, CHMP 98.5 Longueuil and CFGL 105.7 Laval.