CJAX-FM

On February 13, CKWX Radio Ltd. (division of Selkirk Broadcasting Ltd.), owner of CKWX-AM, was awarded a licence for a new FM station at Vancouver.

CJAZ-FM 92.1 signed on the air on March 1 as Canada’s first all jazz station.

The station moved its transmitter site from Saltspring Island to Mt. Seymour.

On January 11, the CRTC renewed CJAZ-FM’s licence until September 30, 1985.

CJAZ moved to 96.9 MHz with effective radiated power of 46,850 watts.

CJAZ-FM became CKKS-FM on September 15.

On March 18, the CRTC approved the application to amend the licence for CKKS-FM, by decreasing the effective radiated power from 46,850 watts to 35,140 watts. The licensee indicated that this change was necessary in order to meet coordination requirements between the Department of Communications and the Federal Communications Commission of the United States, and that the decrease in power should not result in any significant change in service.

The CRTC denied the addition of a rebroadcast transmitter for CKKS at Whistler, operating on 96.9 MHz with an ERP of 98 watts. The station’s signal was available in Whistler prior to the change of transmitter site in 1982, so the station proposed to restore that service to Whistler. 

Ken Short was named sales manager at CKKS/CKWX.

Harold Graboski became retail sales manager at CKKS/CKWX. He had been with All-Canada Radio & Television.

Gary Milne became sales (director of marketing) vice president at CKKS / CKWX. He had been managing CHWK / CFSR-FM in Chilliwack.

On September 28, Maclean-Hunter Ltd.’s purchase of Selkirk Communications and the transfer of CKWX/CKKS and several other stations from MH Acquisition Inc. to Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. was approved.

In September Rhona Raskin joined KISS-FM to host “Sex, Lies and Audio Tape” on the Satellite Radio Network. CKKS and at least seven other stations would carry the program, which runs for two hours daily, five days a week. Rhona had been with CKZZ-FM.

On November 3, Vancouver joined Toronto as the second Canadian city to offer digital radio broadcasting. CBU-AM and FM, along with CBUF-FM, CHUM Limited’s CFUN and CHQM-FM and Fraser Valley Radio’s STAR-FM began regular Digital Radio broadcasting. All six signals were broadcast from two pods located at the CBC’s Mount Seymour transmission facilities. Rogers Broadcasting, Shaw Radio and Westcom Radio were planning to file applications for six more digital services in the city, to operate from the Rogers transmitter site, also on Mount Seymour. 

Bruce Robinson, former Creative Director at KISS FM Vancouver (and was working with KISS on a contract basis) died at 47. 

On October 18, CKKS was given approval to operate a transitional digital radio undertaking. The transmitters would be installed on Mount Seymour and Metrotown – Cantel Building in Burnaby and would employ the EUREKA-147 digital audio broadcasting system. The station would transmit on 1465.024 MHz with an effective isotropic radiated power of 3,381 watts from Mt. Seymour and 2,774 watts from Burnaby. 

Dale Buote was now general manager at CKWX. For the past three years, he’d been KISS-FM’s program director and CKWX operations manager. Buote would report to vice president and market manager Chuck McCoy. 

Some changes took place at Rogers Broadcasting in the early part of the year. Executive vice president, programming, Sandy Sanderson, would focus on his role as national program director, relinquishing his operating responsibilities at the Toronto cluster (CFTR/CHFI); Chuck McCoy, formerly of CKWX/CKKS Vancouver, became vice president, Toronto Radio Operations, reporting to Gary Miles, and responsible for CHFI, CFTR and management of CISS-FM Toronto (throughout the LMA period and after, if approved, Rogers’ acquisition of CISS); general sales manager Derek Berghuis took on the added role of general manager at CFTR; CHFI-FM program director Paul Fisher took on added responsibility of general manager/vice president of programming, CHFI; John Hinnen, vice president, Radio News Programming, for Rogers took up new responsibilities as acting GM at CKWX Vancouver, also continuing his role as executive editor at CFTR Toronto; Dale Buote became general manager/program director at CKKS-FM Vancouver. Buote was most recently GM at CKWX; and, Victor Dann, general sales manager at CHFI-FM also became Toronto Market sales manager.

CKKS was given permission to add a rebroadcast transmitter at Whistler, operating on 96.9 MHz with ERP of 586 watts.

On December 27 at 8 a.m., after a month of playing all Christmas music, CKKS signed and then relaunched as 96.9 JACK FM with a classic hits format. 

On March 25, Rogers brought the heritage CKLG-FM call sign back to Vancouver,   (formerly used by AM 730 and FM 99.3) with CKKS switching to CKLG-FM, still with the “Jack” format.

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

Rogers laid off the entire air staff (except for morning hosts Larry & Willy) at JACK FM. The changes affected midday host Pam Stevens and PM drive host Kelly Latremouille. Promotions Coordinator May Lam was also relieved of her duties. 

Rogers Vancouver named Murray Brookshaw Program Director of JACK-FM (CKLG) and FM 104.9 (CKCL). Brookshaw was with CHUM Windsor for 20 years before joining Newcap Calgary.

Phil Evans was the new Promotion Director at Rogers Radio Vancouver (96.9 Jack FM/News 1130/104.9 FunFM). Also at Vancouver cluster, News Director Jacquie Donaldson was no longer with the stations.

Diana Davies was the new Retail Sales Manager at Jack/fun FM.

Dean Fox, chief engineer at Rogers Radio Victoria, was named regional engineering manager for B.C. and moved to Vancouver at the beginning of July. With Rogers since 1996, Fox succeeded Rick Dal Farra who moved to Rogers Radio Toronto at the beginning of June.

On June 27, long-time newsman Kerry Marshall was fired. 

CKLG-FM changed its positioning statement from “Playing What We Want” to “Playing Whatever Whenever”.

In August, the morning team of Larry & Willy left the station.

The team of Kiah Tucker and Tara Jean Stevens were back on the air, this time in mornings at 96.9 JACKfm. They did afternoon drive at Virgin 95.3 Vancouver from 2009 up until last spring. Tucker moved to The Peak Vancouver for a short time in mornings before the Kiah and Jean partnership was re-established at JACK.

Rogers Radio began a TV campaign in Vancouver and Calgary for its Jack FM stations. The 30-second spot had album covers moving to create three-dimensional structures.

Melanie Last was no longer creative director at Rogers Radio Vancouver. While a successor had yet to be determined, the new creative services director would oversee all Rogers writing and production staffs in B.C.

John Masecar became creative services manager for the Rogers BC radio stations April 1. Most recently, he was with Astral Radio Vancouver and, before that, Astral/Standard Radio Toronto.

On May 23, the CRTC approved the application by Rogers Broadcasting Limited to amend the licence for CKLG-FM Vancouver in order to relocate its transmitter CKLG-FM-1 Whistler from its existing location to a tower also located in Whistler and owned by the CBC. This relocation would result in a decrease in the average effective radiated power from 586 to 474 watts (directional antenna with a decrease in the maximum ERP from 1,430 to 1,000 watts) as well as an increase in the effective height of antenna above average terrain from -306.2 to -238.3 metres. Rogers stated that the relocation of its transmitter was necessary due to its inability to reach suitable terms with the owner of the existing tower. It specified that its current lease contained a 12-month termination clause, which prevented it from having the long-term security needed to broadcast from the existing site. In contrast, Rogers indicated that the CBC offered it a long-term lease at its Whistler site, which would provide long-term security.

The CRTC approved an amendment to the licence for CKLG-FM to decrease the average effective radiated power to 32,000 watts (maximum ERP to 70,000 watts) and to increase the effective antenna height above average terrain to 707.4 metres.

In August, 96.9 Jack FM changed call letters from CKLG to CJAX. The CKLG call sign was moved to Rogers-owned CIEG Egmont (rebroadcaster of CISQ Squamish).

Fred Latremouille passed away at age 69. He was an on-air staple of Vancouver radio from the 1980’s until his retirement in 2007. Latremouille and his later-to-become wife, Cathy Baldazzi, were co-hosts of the CFUN 1410 morning show in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. In 1993, they moved to KISS-FM mornings. They retired after seven years but returned for one year, this time at CLEAR FM.

In May, CJAX 96.9 received federal approval to operate in HD. CJAX-FM-HD would operate with an effective radiated power of 637 watts (1,393 watts maximum).

CJAX began broadcasting in HD with ERP of 1,393 watts. CJAX-FM-HD1 offered CJAX 96.9 while CJAX-FM-HD2 offered a simulcast of CKWX 1130.

In August, CJAX launched CJAX-FM-HD-3 to carry Sportsnet 650 (CISL) in HD (637 watts, max 1,393 watts).