Vista Broadcast Group Inc.

The Vista Group, headquartered in Calgary was conceived by Margot Micallet, Paul Mann/Tividar, Brian Edwards and Terry Coles, who were interested in bringing radio stations up to date, particularly in smaller markets. They formed their company “Vista” and started searching for logical existing stations. They started in British Columbia.

In late July, it was announced that they had purchased CFCP Radio Ltd., owners of CFCP-FM Courtenay, CFWB-AM Campbell River, CFNI-AM Port Hardy, CFPW-FM Powell River and CJSU Duncan, owned by Dick Drew, all on Vancouver Island, and an application had been sent to the CRTC. In early August it was announced that an application for 9 more stations in Northern BC had also been sent to the CRTC – they were Cariboo Central Interior Radio Inc., owners of CKBX 100 Mile House, CFLD Burns Lake, CJCI-FM and CIRX-FM Prince George, CKCQ-FM Quesnel, CFBV Smithers, CIVH Vanderhoof, CKWL and CFFM-FM Williams Lake and numerous re-broadcast stations in northern B.C.

A few days later it was announced that Boundary Broadcasting Ltd., owner of CKGF-2-FM Greenwood and its two transmitters at Christina Lake & Rock Creek, and Valley Broadcasters Ltd., owner of CKQR-FM Castlegar and its transmitters CHRT-FM Trail and CHNV-FM Nelson had been purchased by the Calgary group.

On September 1, the CRTC announced approval of the sales to 1126144 Alberta Ltd., a company affiliated with Vista Broadcast Group Inc.

2008

It was announced in April that Vista President Terry Coles would move into retirement at the end of 2012 and immediately into a consulting role with the company. His successor would be CEO Margot Micallef who would handle the dual roles of President/CEO. Bryan Edwards moves to Senior VP of Business Development. Vista Kelowna General Manager/General Sales Manager Ross Hawse would become the Director Western Operations. Gary Russell, Vista’s Director of Systems and GM of Vista Prince George, would integrate Haliburton and Vista in Ontario as the Director of Integration and Operations, Vista East.

Co-Founder/Executive VP Paul Mann would add Senior VP of Sales and Training and Development to his duties. Assisting him would be Tracey Gard, the GM/GSM of the Cariboo Group of Vista stations, as Director Vista Sales, West and based in Courtenay. The former finance executive at Corus and Telemedia, Chris Lecomte joined Vista as Senior VP/CFO, based in Toronto.

On July 10th, 2012, the CRTC announced that it would hold a hearing commencing on 10 September 10th 2012 at 9:00 a.m. at the Palais de congrès de Montréal, 1001 place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montréal, Quebec, to consider, inter alia, an application by Vista Radio Ltd., for authority to acquire the assets of all of the Ontario radio broadcasting undertakings owned by Haliburton Broadcasting Group Inc.

The applicant was also requesting new broadcasting licences to continue the operations of the undertakings under the same terms and conditions as those that were in effect under the then current licences.

In making the announcement, the Commission noted that an application for a change of effective control had been approved in a Decision Letter on 5 July 2012. Following the closing of the transaction, Vista Radio would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Westerkirk Capital Inc. (Westerkirk), a corporation wholly owned by SEB Investments Corp. which in turn would be owned by Thomson Investments Limited (85% voting interest) and Brydson Group Inc. (15% voting interest). Vista Radio would then be controlled by Westerkirk and the Thomson family.

The Commission also noted that, for some of its stations, the current licensee appeared to be in non-compliance with section 15 of the Radio Regulations, 1986 as well as its conditions of licence.

On October 19th, the CRTC announced that it had approved the application by Vista Radio Ltd. for authority to acquire from Haliburton Broadcasting Group Inc. (Haliburton) the assets of Haliburton’s Ontario AM and FM radio stations located in Bancroft, Barry’s Bay, Bolton, Bracebridge, Caledon, Cochrane, Elliot Lake, Espanola, Fort Erie, Haldimand, Haliburton, Hearst, Huntsville, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Kemptville, Niagara Falls, North Bay, Parry Sound, Prescott, St. Catharines, Stratford, Sturgeon Falls and Timmins.

2015

On July 8th it was announced that the CRTC had approved an application by Durham Radio Inc. for authority to acquire from Vista Radio Ltd. the assets of the English-language commercial radio station CKJN-FM Haldimand County, Ontario, and for a broadcasting licence to continue the operation of the station.

On July 15, CFLZ Fort Erie rebranded from 2day FM to Juice FM with a Variety Hits format. With the change, CFLZ was no longer simulcasting CJED-FM Niagara Falls, which kept the 2day FM branding.

Fire destroyed Moose FM’s brand new Sturgeon Falls studio this summer. With the help of firefighters, morning host Steph Larouche and engineer Chuck Haskins recovered equipment from the burning building. Moose FM (CFSF) was back on the air within five hours from a temporary set up at the transmitter site.

2019

In February, CHNV-FM Nelson rebranded as 103.5 The Bridge – Nelson’s Vibe. The station had been known as The Bridge between 2010 and 2014. In May of 2014, CHNV abandoned the Adult Album Alternative format and flipped to Variety Hits as 103.5 Juice FM, Nelson’s Biggest Variety.

98.9 Jet FM Courtenay rebranded to ‘98.9 Dr. Bonnie Henry FM, the Comox Valley’s Best Doc’ on June 19 for one day only, in honour of the B.C provincial health officer. Henry, who marked her 100th COVID-19 briefing that week, achieved celebrity status in the province and was also lauded in the New York Times for helping keep B.C.’s case numbers at bay. A week later, Today FM Campbell River and 89.7 Juice FM Duncan also adopted the name for one day.

In the summer, the CRTC rejected Vista’s application for new radio station in Grande Prairie, finding that economic conditions there would not support a new radio station. The northern Alberta city was already served by five commercial stations.

Vista dropped the JUICE FM branding in Lethbridge at 94.1 returning the station to its heritage call letters of CJOC (Classic Hits 94.1 CJOC).

In October, Vista made some leadership changes. Scott Armstrong was now serving in the newly-created role of Director of Operations for Alberta/NWT. With the retirement of Peter Deys, GM in Lethbridge, he also took on those duties. Peter Hobbs, Regional Manager for Ontario Mid-North, added the Ontario North group to his portfolio.