CHLB-FM

An application was filed with the Department of Transport for a second AM station at Lethbridge by Southern Alberta Broadcasting. Executives were H.W. Brown, president; R.M. Tonner, secretary; and A.L. Batty and S.R. Broder, directors. Joseph Budd resigned as assistant manager of CJOC Radio and would be manager of the new station if licensed. 
 

CHEC began broadcasting on August 28. It operated with a power of 5,000 watts on a frequency of 1090 kHz. CHEC-FM went on the air on the same date. 
 

Ed Conville, formerly production manager of CHEC, as named manager. J.C. Waddell was named production manager. 
 

CHEC was owned and operated by Southern Alberta Broadcasting Co. Ltd.

Between 1965 and 1967, the on-air lineup featured Bob Wilson, Pete Fargey, Leo ‘Daddy’ Dow, Gary Verne ‘the original Charlie Brown’, Doug ‘Marvelous’ Marvin, Pete Snow, Terry Grover and Dave VanHorne. News was handled by Ron Dyck, Veryl ‘Tiger’ Todd (sports), Mike Scott, Bruce Seeley, Dwight Ford, and Dave McCready. Just before this time, some of the announcers were Ed Ryan, Ian Manden, Jim Waddel, Vic Armen, Ron Legge, Jim Elliot, Ken Williams,Gary Hart and Bruce Mitchell.

CHEC-FM left the air in the late 1960’s and returned this year.

John Oliver was at CHEC.

On February 12, the sale of Southern Alberta Broadcasting Ltd. (CHEC and Taber’s CKTA) was approved. James D. Paterson, William. R. Lord and Ronald J. Bruchet as trustees of the estate of H. W. Brown, H. W. Brown & Co. Ltd. and Horace C. Brown sold their interests to the five beneficiaries of H. W. Brown’s estate: William. C. Brown, H. Roger Brown, Michael Negrello, Dolores Leah Brown and Peter J. Brown, on an equal basis.

Former CHEC news director Bruce Mitchell took over the anchor position at CFCN-TV in Lethbridge.

Roy Elwood (Woody) Sillito was killed in a motorcycle accident on July 10. He had been chief engineer with Southern Alberta Broadcasting (CHEC and CKTA) for the past nine years.

Stan W. Davis became president of Southern Alberta Broadcasting. Kirk Elliot became program director for the stations. He had been with CHUM Newfoundland. Leah Brown was named manager of CKTA.

Glen Kirby was named news director.

Jim Elliott was general manager of CHEC and Taber’s CKTA.

Jerry Bellikka joined CHEC as news director from CKNG-FM in Edmonton.

Mike LeBlanc was now program director at CHEC, succeeding Kirk Elliot who moved to CKST in St. Albert.

Paul Maxwell left CHEC to become morning man at CJCY Medicine Hat.

Mark Campbell returned as morning man, program director Mike LeBlanc moved to mid-days and Gary McKanna went to afternoon drive.

On January 23, Monarch Broadcasting Ltd. was given approval to purchase CHEC from Shaw Radio Ltd.

CHEC became CKRX “1090 Rocks”. General manager Clyde Ross said the station responded to extensive market research that showed listeners wanted a true rock station in Southern Alberta. The RX in the call sign represented ROCKS.

On October 10, the conversion of CKRX to the FM dial was approved. The new station would operate on 95.5 MHz, with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts.

Georgina Knitel joined Monarch Broadcasting as general manager of CKRX and CKTA. She succeeded Clyde Ross. Randy Wilson became general sales manager.

CKRX became CHLB Country 95.5 on March 14 at 6:00 p.m. CKTA changed from country to classic hits.

Georgina Knitel was general manager of CHLB/CKTA. Marv Gunderson stepped down as program director of Country 95.5 FM and Classic Hits CKTA 1570. He became morning announcer at CKTA and music director for both stations.

On December 21, the sale of Monarch Broadcasting Ltd. to Jim Pattison Industries Ltd. was approved.

Pete Curtis became news director for CHLB and CKTA.

The CRTC renewed the licence of Jim Pattison Industries Limited’s CHLB-FM on August 5. It was a short term renewal (to August 31, 2007). The CRTC wished to assess CHLB’s compliance with the Radio Regulations regarding the distribution of category 2 Canadian popular music.

On December 23, the CRTC approved the application by Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Ltd. (the general partner) and Jim Pattison Industries Ltd. (the limited partner) carrying on business as Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Limited Partnership, owned by James A. Pattison (the Pattison Group), for the authority to acquire the assets of all of the radio television undertakings (and their respective transmitters) currently licensed to corporate entities owned by James A. Pattison. This transaction was part of a corporate reorganization that would not affect the ultimate control of the broadcasting undertakings. The ultimate control would continue to be exercised by James A. Pattison, the sole shareholder of Jim Pattison Ltd.

CHLB’s licence was renewed for a full seven year term on July 30.

It was announced that Brent Brooks would join the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Lethbridge on August 30, to be one of the hosts of the Country 95 morning show. 

The new morning team at 94.1 The Lounge Lethbridge was Dave Tymo, formerly of REWIND 103.9 Sudbury, and Jessica Jackson from Country 95 Lethbridge.

Jim Pattison, Managing Director and CEO, the Jim Pattison Group announced the promotion of two key executives of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group LP, effective July 1. Rick Arnish was promoted to Chairman of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group LP, following a very successful 14 years as President. Rod Schween was promoted to assume the role of President of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group LP. He had been general manager/general sales manager for the Pattison Lethbridge/Cranbrook division with 6 stations in 3 different communities. He would move to the Kamloops, B.C. Head Office of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, where he would be responsible as General Manager of Broadcast Centre – CFJC TV, CIFM FM & CKBZ FM.

The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group announced the following management promotion at the Lethbridge division (CHLB-FM & CJBZ-FM). After 8 years in the Lethbridge market, including the last 5 years leading the local sales team, Retail Sales Manager, Gary Dorosz was promoted to General Manager and General Sales Manager. 

Reid Morgan left Country 95 and B93 having held the position of Program Director since 1999. Paul Wesley became interim PD and Music Director for both stations, while still holding down middays on Country 95. B93’s Corlee Torok picked up additional interim programming and music responsibilities for the station. Carrie Ann Worden was promoted from Promotions Coordinator to Promotions Director.

Jim Elliott died at age 71. Elliott began in broadcasting as a library assistant at CKRD Red Deer while still going to school and later on, on the air. He moved to Lethbridge in the early ‘60s and worked at, first, CHEC and later at CJOC. In the ‘70s, he did drive at both CFRN and CJCA Edmonton, eventually moving into sales at CJCA. Later, he went to ITV Edmonton. In the mid ‘80s, he moved back to CHEC Lethbridge/CKTA Taber as General Manager and, in the early ‘90s (still with Shaw), Elliott was GM at CKDK Woodstock. In the late ‘90s, he went back west to the OK Group where he was in sales both in Kelowna and Fort St. John. And, it was in 2004 that he joined Newcap’s engineering group in Edmonton. Elliott and the Alberta engineering team won the Rohde & Schwarz Excellence in Engineering Award in the fall of 2011 at the annual Western Association of Broadcast Engineers (WABE) convention. 

At Country 95/B93 Lethbridge, Program Director Reid Morgan, who’d been with the Jim Patterson Broadcast Group stations since 1999, was no longer in that role. Interim PD/Music Director at Country 95 was Paul Wesley. Carrie Ann Worden was promoted from promotions coordinator to promotions director.