CBUX-FM

On January 19, the CRTC approved the application by CBC Vancouver for a transitional digital radio undertaking to rebroadcast the stereo programming of CBFX-FM Montreal.

At this time, the CBC did not have an analog transmitter in the Vancouver area providing the French-language stereo service “la Chaîne culturelle”. The station would operate on 1459.792 MHz with an effective isotropic radiated power of 5,046 watts from Mount Seymour and 2,774 watts from Burnaby.

On June 5, the CBC was given approval in part for a new French-language FM station at Vancouver to broadcast programming from Radio-Canada’s La Chaîne culturelle. The CBC had proposed to operate the new station on the frequency 94.5 MHz. However, the CRTC did not consider the frequency as the most appropriate one to use to fulfil the expectations with regard to provincial coverage of La Chaîne culturelle. The CBC was advised to submits, within three months, an application proposing the use of another frequency.

On May 7, the CBC was authorized to operate its new French-language radio station in Vancouver on 90.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 287 watts.

On September 5 at 6 a.m., CBUX-FM 90.9 signed the air. The CBUX signal replaced CBFX Montreal on the digital channel licenced to the CBC in 2000.
 
On November 6, the CBC was given approval to add a transmitter at Victoria  to rebroadcast the programming of CBUX, operating on 88.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 3,200 watts.

On July 24, CBUX was granted an increase in ERP from 287 to 1,280 watts.

On October 7, CBUX-1-FM 88.9 signed on in Victoria.  

On May 12 CBUX-FM had its licence renewed by the CRTC. The renewal included rebroadcast transmitter, CBUX-FM-1 Victoria, and digital transmitter CBUX-DR-1 Vancouver. 

On December 4, the CBC held an open house to show off its revamped Vancouver headquarters at 700 Hamilton Street. The renovations took four years and $65 million to complete. The corporation considered selling the building and constructing a new facility, but that would have cost $100 million or more. It also would have been difficult to find a new location as central as the existing facility. The old building was still there, but it was kind of hidden behind a new wing in front. The new 25,000-square-foot space housed all local news gathering operations – TV, radio, English, French, and internet.

Johnny Michel was CBC Vancouver’s managing director. 

On August 9, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence of CBUX-DR-1, CBUX-FM (and its transmitters) to August 31, 2011.

In 2010, the CBC had the licenses for its Montreal digital radio transmitters revoked. On January 21, 2011, the CRTC revoked the licenses for the rest of the CBC’s digital radio transmitters across the country – at the Corporation’s request. The revocations included CBU-DR-1, CBU-DR-2, CBUF-DR-1 and CBUX-DR-1 Vancouver. There had been a total lack of interest in digital radio by all parties involved.

On August 25, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CBUX-FM and its transmitter to March 1, 2013.

On February 22, the CRTC administratively renewed the licences for CBUX-FM Vancouver and its transmitter to August 31, 2013.

On May 28, the CRTC renewed the licence of CBUX-FM Vancouver and its transmitter CBUX-FM-1 Victoria, for a five year term, to August 31, 2018. The Commission considered that it was appropriate to impose conditions of licence on Espace Musique that: permit the broadcast of a maximum of four minutes of national paid advertising, as currently defined by the Commission, in any clock hour; and limit the number of times that programming can be interrupted for advertising to no more than twice per clock hour. The broadcast of advertising by Espace Musique was for a three-year trial period from September 1, 2013 until August 31, 2016.

On December 5, the CRTC gave approval to the CBC to introduce advertising on the Radio 2 and Espace Musique networks. Advertising would be limited to four minutes every hour. The CBC would need to seek permission to continue airing commercials on the two networks after three years.

On August 31, the CRTC denied the CBC’s application to continue commercial advertising on Radio 2 and ICI Musique beyond the initial three-year licence amendment. The CRTC found that CBC had failed to maintain satisfactory investment in radio and failed to meet ad revenue projections.