CJXK-FM

On September 26, O. K. radio Ltd. (formerly Radio 1310 Ltd.) was authorized to operate a new AM station at Grand Centre to rebroadcast the programs of CIOK St. Paul. The new transmitter would operate on 1340 kHz with a power of 250 watts.

CIOK-1 Signed on the air December 1.

On April 20, L.W. Broadcasting Ltd. was authorized to purchase CIOK and CIOK-1 from OK Radio Group Ltd. L.W. owned CILW in Wainwright and was controlled by J. L. Blundell and D. W. Williams.

As a result of the sale, CIOK and CIOK-1 became CHLW and CHLW-1.

CHLW-1 became CILW-1 and changed its program source to CILW Wainwright.

On January 17, CILW-1 was granted an increase in night-time power, from 250 watts to 1,000 watts.

CILW-1 again became CHLW-1, receiving its programming from CHLW St. Paul.

On January 22, Parkland Radio Ltd. received approval to acquire CHLW St. Paul, CHLW-1 Grand Centre and CILW Wainwright from L.W. Broadcasting Ltd. Parkland was controlled indirectly by Neil McKinnon and family of Dawson Creek, B.C. Parkland already owned CJOI Wetaskiwin and, through other companies, McKinnon also had interests in six small AM radio stations in Alberta and British Columbia. L.W. was controlled indirectly by James Blundell and Dennis Williams through Triad Communications Inc., with each holding 100 common shares representing, in total, 100% of the vote. Triad, in turn, held 91.4% of Dace Broadcasting Corp., licensee of CJYM Rosetown and CFYM Kindersley, SK. Parkland proposed to establish a studio in Grand Centre by the second full year of operation. CHLW-1 now rebroadcast programming from St. Paul, and the applicant indicated that within two years, it would provide at least 18 hours per week of locally-originated programming from the Grand Centre studio. Parkland would also determine the feasibility of improving the signal of CILW Wainwright, which had experienced reception difficulties in Provost to the south and Vermilion to the north, and was subject to interference from Edmonton radio signals, particularly at night. Since CILW’s licence renewal in 1987, the Commission noted that the licensee had increased the amount of local programming on the station from 30 to 50 hours.Parkland assured the Commission that it would maintain the 50 hours as a weekly minimum. The remainder of the station’s programming was rebroadcast from CHLW St. Paul.

On May 19, CHLW-1 was granted a daytime power increase, from 250 watts to 1,000 watts.

On July 19, Nor-Net Communications Ltd. (formerly 332540 British Columbia Ltd.) received approval to acquire CHLW St. Paul, CHLW-1 Grand Centre and CILW Wainwright from Parkland Radio Ltd. This represented an intercorporate transaction and its primary purpose was to simplify the corporate structure. Until now, Parkland was indirectly controlled by Neil McKinnon (52.7%) through 318206 British Columbia Ltd. This transaction would result in a situation of no clear-cut control where Nor-Net was owned 50% by Marco Holdings Ltd. (Neil McKinnon), 25% by Len Novak and 25% by Gene Daniels. Following this transaction Parkland would be formally dissolved.

On May 16, CHLW-1 was authorized to broadcast 20 hours per week of local programming originating from Grand Centre. Until this time, CHLW-1 was a full-time rebroadcaster of CHLW St. Paul, Alberta.

On Febraury 22, approval was given for the transfer effective control of Nor-Net Communications Ltd., licensee of CFOK Westlock, CKWA Slave Lake, CKBA Athabasca, CHLW St. Paul and its rebroadcaster CHLW-1 Grand Centre, CILW Wainwright, CKVH High Prairie, CKNL Fort St. John and CFNL Fort Nelson, through the transfer of all of the issued and outstanding shares of 362278 British Columbia Ltd., a company which owned 25% of Nor-Net, from Eugene Daniel to Marco Holdings Ltd. This intra-corporate transaction would result in an existing shareholder buying out another minority shareholder and thereby gaining effective control of the licensee company. Until now, Marco held 50% of Nor-Net. As a result of this transaction, the share structure would remain unchanged; however, Marco would effectively control Nor-Net by holding 75% of the voting shares, 50% directly and 25% indirectly through 362278 British Columbia Ltd.

When CHLW-1 had its licence renewed on August 26, the CRTC noted with interest the licensee’s plans to increase the amount of locally-originated programming broadcast on the station, from 20 hours to 26 hours each week.

CHLW-1 became CJCM.

On November 18, Okanagan Skeena Group Ltd. received approval to acquire Nornet Broadcasting Ltd. (including CJCM).

On October 7, approval was given for Okanagan Skeena Group Ltd. to effect an intra-corporate reorganization. OKS would transfer the assets of its television and radio stations in British Columbia and Alberta to 3537412 Canada Ltd., one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries. 
 

On October 18, approval was granted for the transfer of ownership and control of Okanagan Skeena Group Ltd. through the transfer of all of its issued and outstanding shares to Telemedia Radio Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Telemedia Communications Inc. Initially, Okanagan had applied for the transfer of its shares to TCI Acquisition Corporation. However, on August 31, by letter of authority, the CRTC approved the merger of Okanagan with TCI. The resulting company kept Okanagan’s name. Also, Telemedia advised the Commission that, effective September 1, 3581713 Canada Inc. amalgamated with Telemedia Radio. As a result of these mergers, Telemedia Radio was now the company that acquired the shares of Okanagan.  

On April 19, the CRTC approved the sale of a number of radio and television stations in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia by Telemedia Radio Inc. and Telemedia Radio (West) Inc. to Standard Radio Inc. Standard was then allowed to sell certain of these stations to Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. and 3937844 Canada Inc. (subsidary of Newcap Inc.). Newcap acquired 15 Alberta radio stations and related transmitters (Newcap 76.34%, Standard 23.66%). CJCM was one of the 15 stations that would now be owned by Newcap.

On December 19, CJCM was authorized to move to the FM band. The new station would operate on 95.3 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts. Antenna height would be 155 metres. The station would continue to offer the existing adult contempoary music format.

At 11:00 a.m., September 3, CJCM 1340 officially became CJXK 95.3. “K-Rock” offered a classic rock format to the residents of Cold Lake, St. Paul, Bonnyville and surrounding communities.

On November 23, the CRTC renewed the licence for CJXK-FM to 31 August 2014. This short-term 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.

Chad Tabish who had been Lloyd FM general sales manager was now GM of Lloydminster/Alberta East Radio & TV for Newcap. He succeeded Tim Weinberger who became GM of CHFT-FM Fort McMurray. Succeeding Tabish as GSM of Alberta East Radio was Carla Beaupre, station manager of K-Rock Cold Lake.

New Program Director at ZED98.9 was Jeff Murray, promoted from PD at Newcap’s seven station network (95.9 Lloyd FM, 93.7 Wayne FM, KEY 83 Wainwright, 101.1 KOOL FM Bonnyville, 97.7 The Spur St Paul, 103.5 Big Dog Lac La Biche and 95.3 FM K-Rock Cold Lake) in northeast Alberta. He began in Red Deer the first week of April.

In July, CJXK rebranded from K-Rock 95.3 to Boom 95.3.

On October 23, the CRTC approved an application by Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited, on behalf of Newcap Inc. and its licensed broadcasting subsidiaries, for authorization to effect a change in the ownership and effective control of various radio and television broadcasting undertakings in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, so that effective control of the undertakings would be exercised by Eric Boyko (Stingray Digital Group Inc.). Stingray took ownership of the stations just a few days later.

In January, Stingray began syndicating the Real Country 95.5 Red Deer morning show across its Real Country and boom-branded radio stations in rural Alberta, leading to the elimination of 14 on-air positions. Boom 95.3 was among the stations to add the show.