CHFM-FM

Quality FM Limited opened CHFM 95.9 on August 29.

CHFM 95.9 had a power of 11,000 watts and broadcast in stereo. Allan L. Barker was President of Quality FM Ltd. The station was an independent with no network affiliation.

On December 23, Marshall Harrison was given permission to buy CHFM from Quality FM Ltd. Earlier in the year, the station received a short-term licence renewal over concerns about ownership and management. At that time, Quality FM was told the licence was subject to re-assignment.

On March 25, CHFM received another short-term licence renewal – to December 31 – because the licensee had not retained management and control of the company. The sale to Marshall Harrison did not go through.

On December 15, “The Eye Opener” Newspaper & Communications Ltd. was authorized to acquire CHFM from Quality FM Ltd. A competing application by Wilfred Allan Sennett was denied.

On November 4, “The Eye Opener” Nespapers & Communications Ltd. received approval to change its name to “The Eye Opener” Communications Ltd. with no change in ownership.

On December 21, Moffat Communications Ltd. was given permission to purchase CHFM from “The Eye Opener” Communications Ltd. Moffat owned CKXL-AM in the city.

On December 18, CHFM was authorized to operate from a new transmitter site.

On June 9, CHFM-FM was granted an increase in effective radiated power – from 11,000 to 74,000 watts. The station would switch from non-directional to a directional antenna.

CHFM-FM applied for a change of format and a reduction in the amount of classical music played. The application was denied and the station was accused of violating conditions of licence by implementing substantial program changes without approval. CHFM was directed to comply with the authorized promise of performance within thirty days.

J. R. (Ron) Mitchell died on August 20 while on vacation in Florida. He was 46. Mitchell was President of Moffat Communications Ltd., MTV Ltd. (CKY-TV) and Winnipeg Videon Ltd.

Randall L. (Randy) Moffat, Chair of Moffat Communications Ltd., assumed the post of president, following the death of Ron Mitchell.

Radio CHFM – Stereo 96 – opened a rebroadcaster at Banff (from atop Sulphur Mountain), operating on 99.3 MHz with effective radiated power of 100 watts. When the rebroadcast transmitter went on the air, it was known as CHFM-FM-1. The transmitter added CHFM service for Banff/Lake Louise.

Roy Hennessey moved from CKY/CITI-FM Winnipeg to manage CHFM-FM/CKXL. Keith James moved from CHFM/CKXL to CHAM Hamilton and Don Kay moved from CHAM to replace Hennessey at CKY/CITI Winnipeg.

Kathy McNeil became news director at CHFM.

Moffat Communications Ltd. received permission on August 20 to sell CHFM-FM and CHFM-FM-1 to Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. Rogers already owned CFAC-AM in Calgary. This was part of a larger deal in which Moffat sold all of its radio properties to various parties. CFXX-AM (the former CKXL) was sold to Golden West Broadcasting Ltd. on the same date.

Gorde Edlund left CHFM as promotion/marketing director to become program director of CIOC in Victoria.

On March 18, Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. received permission to increase the effective radiated power for CHFM-FM-1 Banff from 91 watts to 210 watts.

Rogers Broadcasting, owner of CHFM and CFAC, announced the purchase of CFFR and CKIS-FM from Rawlco. Rogers Broadcasting president & CEO Tony Viner said the two stations were terrific and would complement the company’s existing Calgary stations. He added “with this acquisition, we’ve now achieved our objective of increasing our presence in four key markets: Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Calgary.” The sale of the stations was approved later in the year. The purchase of the stations was approved later in the year.

In June, CFAC and CHFM moved studios and offices to the renovated and expanded CHRK / CFFR facility on 37th Avenue NE.

On October 29, CHFM was granted a decrease in effective radiated power, from 74,000 to 48,000 watts. CHFM requested the power decrease because the owner of the transmission tower has decided to replace it. The power decrease would cause a slight reduction in the coverage area to the west of the station.

Early on the morning of December 2nd, Ted Rogers, founder and former Chief Executive of Rogers Communications, owners of CHFM-FM, died at his home in Toronto, after having suffered from congestive heart failure for some time.

Vince Cownden, Program Director at Lite 96 -after 45 years in the business-retired December 31. Cownden began his career in radio at C-FAX Victoria when he was 18, continuing his career’s journey with stops at stations in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Calgary.

Kapila (Kaps) Ratnayake left Rogers Radio Calgary to become Chief Engineer at Corus Radio Cornwall.

On November 30, the CRTC renewed the licence for CHFM-FM Calgary and its transmitter CHFM-FM-1 Banff to August 31, 2017.

Lite 96 became Lite 95.9 with a tweaking of the format to more contemporary. The station’s new slogan was Today’s Best Music, Lite 95.9. Don (Stevens) & Joanne (Johnson), morning hosts at Lite 96 for 18 years, left for XL 103 Calgary as of January 24. Mookie Wilson and Billie Jo Ross formed the Lite 95.9 morning show on March 1. Wilson had been with QX104 Winnipeg and Billie Jo was at Winnipeg’s Clear FM.

Promotions Director Amanda Young left Rogers Calgary for Country 93.3 FM and Rock 97.9 in Fort McMurray.

Kevin McKanna, executive VP, Rogers Radio Alberta, retired at the end of March. He began his 22-year career with Rogers as VP/GM at CFAC Calgary (Sportsnet 960 The FAN) and CFHC AM Canmore (now 106.5 Mountain FM). Later, he was promoted to VP/GM of CHFM FM (LITE 95.9), CKIS FM (96.9 JACK FM) and CFFR AM (660News) which combined to form the Calgary Radio cluster. In May of 2005, McKanna was appointed executive VP, Rogers Radio Alberta, overseeing 14 radio stations. Before moving to Rogers, he was program director at CHED Edmonton.

Jim Blundell succeeded Kevin McKanna and is the Acting General Manager of the 13 Rogers Radio stations in Alberta. Blundell had been the Vice President & GM at CTV Vancouver Island, C-FAX and KooL FM Victoria and left Bell Media in September of last year. Blundell’s background included being the Market Manager for the CHUM radio stations in Brockville, Kingston and Peterborough. In 2007, he was promoted to VP/GM of then Star-FM London and, in 2009, he was promoted again to take the lead at CHUM’s (now Bell Media’s) Victoria properties.

On December 26 at noon, CHFM flipped from Adult Contemporary “Lite 95.9” to Hot AC “Kiss 95.9”.

Most of the staff at Rogers Radio Calgary joined their TV colleagues at City/ OMNI’s downtown location, 535 7th Avenue S.W.

On December 1, CHFM rebranded from KiSS 95.9 to 95.9 CHFM, Calgary’s Lite Music Mix.

Hellmut Frauscher, 74, died on March 4. In addition to his many years at CKXL and CHFM Calgary, Frauscher was chief engineer at CKSO Sudbury in the early 1970s.