CKKY-FM

LW Broadcasting Ltd. received a licence for an AM station at Wainwright. It would broadcast on a frequency of 1230 kHz and have a power of 1,000 watts day / 250 watts night. 25% of programming would be locally produced with the remainder originating with CHLW in St. Paul.

CILW signed on in February. L.W. Broadcasting was controlled by J.L. Blundell and D.W. Williams.

On January 17, CILW was authorized to increase night-time power from 500 watts to 1,000 watts.

CILW moved to 830 kHz.

When CILW Wainwright had its licence renewed September 24, it was noted that it originated 30 hours of programming per week and that the remainder of its schedule was received from CHLW St. Paul.

Barry Dickson became CILW’s manager. He had been with CKWA Slave Lake.

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 B.C. 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 Corporation, 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 has 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.

Len Novak became managing director, overseeing the operations of CFOK, CKNL/CFNL, CHLW, CILW, CKWA and CJOI. He had been CFOK’s general manager.

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 January 10, CILW received approval to relocate its transmitter site to a location approximately 6 kilometers east of the existing site; increase power from 1,000 watts to 10,000 watts during the day and to 3,500 watts at night; and change the frequency from 1230 KHz to 830 KHz. The changes would improve coverage in the rural areas surrounding Wainwright.

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 Mr. 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 CILW had its licence renewed August 26, it was authorized to change program source from CHLW St. Paul to CFOK Westlock. The new source, which would represent 61 hours of programming each week, would better respond to the needs of CILW’s listeners.

CILW became CKKY.

When CKKY had its licence renewed on August 26, it also received permission to receive programs from CKDQ Drumheller in additional to local programming.

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

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%). CKKY was one of the 15 stations that would now be owned by Newcap.

On January 30, Newcap received approval to operate a new FM station in Wainwright. It would operate at 93.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts. The proposed station would offer an Adult Contemporary music format intended to complement the existing country music programming of CKKY.

CKKY’s FM station CKWY launched in January.

In the fall, CKKY switched its branding from “Cat Country” to “Key 83”.

On December 5, the CRTC denied the application by CKKY to move to the FM band (100,000 watts on 101.9 MHz). Newcap stated that it wished to provide a high quality FM stereo service to Wainwright and surrounding areas. It also indicated that the proposed FM station would have continued to offer CKKY’s country music format. Newcap owned CKSA-FM and CILR-FM Lloydminster and CKWY-FM Wainwright. Lloydminster was located about 70 kilometres northeast of Wainwright. In its application, the licensee noted that the transmitter for the proposed FM station would be co-sited on the transmitting tower of CKWY-FM, which was located about 30 kilometres northeast of Wainwright. The Commission noted that the coverage area of the proposed FM station would extend the station’s signal into the Lloydminster radio market and considered that this could potentially make it a competitor for listeners and advertisers in that market. Given that the reasoning behind Newcap’s proposal was to provide a high quality FM stereo service to Wainwright and the surrounding areas, the Commission was of the view that an FM station designed to replace CKKY should have a coverage area that more closely replicates that of the AM station’s existing coverage and as such continues to provide service to the same localities and the same population size.

On November 30, the CRTC renewed CKKY’s licence to August 31, 2017.

On March 3, the CRTC approved the application by Newcap Inc. to amend the licence for CKKY to change the frequency of its transmitter from 830 kHz to 1080 kHz and to change the authorized contours by increasing the night-time power from 3,500 to 9,000 watts. The licensee stated the proposed amendments would improve night-time service to listeners in the rural Wainwright area.

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.

On April 23, the CRTC approved the application by Newcap Inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language commercial FM radio station in Wainwright to replace its AM station CKKY Wainwright. 

The Commission also approved the application by Newcap to change the authorized contours of the English-language commercial FM radio station CKWY-FM Wainwright in order to reduce signal overlap between its radio stations in the Wainwright radio market and in the adjacent Lloydminster radio market. The new station would operate at 101.9 MHz (channel 270C1) with an effective radiated power of 50,000 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 169.5 metres). Newcap indicated that the new FM station would maintain CKKY’s existing Country music format and that it would continue to target adults from 25 to 64 years of age, with a core audience of women between 35 and 54 years of age. It further indicated that it does not plan to make any changes to the existing news and spoken word schedule, with 170 minutes per broadcast week to be devoted to news. Newcap submitted that conversion of CKKY to the FM band would improve the existing local radio service for Wainwright. It further submitted that the provision of a superior quality FM service would stop a steady decline in revenues for the station. Finally, Newcap stated that the proposed conversion would resolve issues relating to the night time coverage of its AM radio station CFCW Camrose, which were also addressed by the Commission’s approval of a technical change for that station in Broadcasting Decision 2008-310.

On October 24, CKKY moved from 830 AM to 101.9 FM, but instead of sticking with it’s old “Key” Country format, the FM changed to K-Rock with an Active Rock-Classic Rock format.

In July, CKKY rebranded from K-Rock 101.9 to Boom 101.9.

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 101.9 was among the stations to add the show.