CJBZ-FM

On May 23, Southern Alberta Broadcasting Ltd., owner of CHEC-AM and FM in Lethbridge, was granted a licence for a new AM station at Taber, operating on 1570 kHz with a day and night power of 5,000 watts (directional at night).

CKTA signed on the air October 7. The TA in the call sign: Taber.

On November 24, approval was granted for the transfer of shares from the estate of Harold W. Brown and from H. W. Brown & Co. Ltd. to William R. Lord, Ronald J. Brochet and James D. Paterson (trustees of the estate)

On February 12, the sale of Southern Alberta Broadcasting Ltd. (CKTA and CHEC in Lethbridge) 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. 

On May 9, both of Southern Alberta Broadcasting’s AM stations (CHEC Lethbridge and CKTA Taber) were given approval to increase daytime power from 5,000 watts to 10,000 watts.

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.

Shaw Cablesystems Ltd. purchased Southern Alberta Broadcasting Ltd., owner of CKTA. Shaw Radio Ltd. was soon created. CKTA became CFEZ. 

Jim Elliott was general manager of CKTA and Lethbridge’s CHEC. Ken Kilcullen left CKTA as program director to become morning man at CKGY Red Deer. Les Thomas took over as CKTA’s PD. 

CKTA became CFEZ and the station moved from Taber to Lethbridge.

Monarch Broadcasting Ltd. purchased CFEZ from Shaw Radio Ltd.   
CFEZ returned to the CKTA call letters. 

Bernie Merkyl resigned as General Sales Manager of CKRX-CKTA. General Manager Clyde Ross assumed combined roles for the time being.

Georgina Knitel joined Monarch Broadcasting as General Manager of CKTA and CKRX. 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. 

Music director and swing announcer Andy Carlson left CKTA to become program director at CKXM Victoria. Morning man Paul Wesley became music director at CKTA.

On October 19, the conversion of CKTA to the FM band was approved. The new station would operate on 93.3 MHz with 50,000 watts effective radiated power. 

One of the original pioneers at Selkirk Communications, George Brown, died at 81. Brown had been with CJOC for many years, then worked a weekend radio show at CKTA almost up to his passing. 

Georgina Knitel was general manager of CKTA/CHLB. 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.

In January, CKTA 1570 with 10,000 watts, was replaced by CHHK 93.3 “The Hawk” with a Classic Adult Rock format.

Late in the year, Monarch Broadcasting Ltd. was acquired by Jim Pattison Industries Ltd. 

Pete Curtis became news director at CHHK and CHLB.

Studios and offices moved to 401 Mayor Magrath Drive in Lethbridge.

On February 16, “93.3 The Hawk” became “B-93 FM”. The new format featured
the best variety of pop and rock hits from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and today. As The Hawk, CHHK had a classic rock format. The call letters changed to CJBZ-FM. 

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.

The CRTC renewed CJBZ-FM’s licence on July 30. 

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. 

Ryan Carroll joined B93 as Morning Co-host April 8. He had been at The River, Prince George. 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. 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. Ryan Carroll started April 8 as B93 morning co-host, moving from 101.3 The River Prince George. Corlee Torok picked up additional B93 music and interim programming responsibilities along with her morning co-host duties. Carrie Ann Worden was promoted from promotions coordinator to promotions director.