CJAR-AM

On February 28, Arctic Radio Co. Ltd. was granted a licence for an AM station at The Pas. The station would initially provide about 15 hours of local programming, including one hour in Cree. The remainder of the station’s programs would originate with sister station CFAR Flin Flon. Arctic Radio was owned by E.A. Rawlinson, F.F. Rawlinson and Grodon S. Rawlinson.

CJAR signed on the air with 1,000 watts day and 500 watts night on 1240 kHz.

On February 27, E.A. Rawlinson was granted approval to sell Arctic Radio Corp. Ltd. (CFAR and CJAR) to Gordon Rawlinson.

Arctic Radio Corp. acquired CHTM in Thompson.

On July 26,  Doug O’Brien, on behalf of a company to be incorporated (would be known as Arctic Radio (1982) Ltd. was given permission to purchase CFAR, CJAR and CHTM from the existing  shareholders (Arctic Radio Co. Ltd.). O’Brien took ownership on September 1. At the same time, Arctic was given approval to purchase CKOM in Saskatoon but it’s not certain the transaction was carried out. O’Brien took ownership of the Arctic stations on September 1.

CJAR was given approval to increase night-time power from 500 watts to 1,000 watts.

CJAR disaffiliated from the CBC Radio Network. CBC service was now available 
in the region via CBWJ-FM.  

When CJAR had its licence renewed, it was noted that it broadcast 83 hours and 30 minutes per week of programming originating from CFAR and 48 hours and 30 minutes per week of locally-produced programming. CFAR and CJAR also broadcast two hours per week of Cree-language programs.

On July 12 the CRTC renewed CJAR’s licence to August 31, 2011. As a condition of licence CJAR was to broadcast two hours per week of Cree-language programming.

On August 31, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CJAR until March 31, 2012.

On March 20, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CJAR to August 31, 2012.

Alysha Williams was the new program director at CJ 1240. It’s an intra-company move from her position as music director at sister station 610 CHTM Thompson.

On August 28, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence of CJAR until December 31, 2012. On December 21, the CRTC renewed CJAR’s licence to August 31, 2019.

On March 12, the CRTC approved the application by Arctic Radio (1982) Limited for a licence to operate a new English-language FM radio programming undertaking in The Pas to replace its AM station CJAR. Arctic Radio was a corporation controlled by Doug O’Brien. The new station would operate at 102.9 MHz (channel 275A1) with an effective radiated power of 250 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 37.7 metres). 

The applicant requested permission to maintain its AM transmitter in order to rebroadcast the new FM station’s programming. Arctic Radio indicated that while the conversion to the FM band would allow the station to better serve listeners within The Pas, there remained a vast area of northern Manitoba that relied on its AM frequency. The Commission noted that the AM transmitter would continue to operate according to its existing parameters of 1,240 kHz (class C) with a day- and night-time transmitter power of 1,000 watts. The applicant proposed to maintain CJAR’s Adult Contemporary music format, which targeted listeners between the ages of 25 and 54. In each broadcast week, the new station would broadcast 106 hours of local programming, with the remaining 20 hours being devoted to programming from Flin Flon, as well as syndicated programming, mainly on weekends. Moreover, it would broadcast, in each broadcast week, at least 4 hours of spoken word programming as well as 13 hours and 30 minutes of news and information programming. The spoken word programming would include birthday, anniversary and funeral announcements; a twice-daily buy and sell program; as well as 1 hour and 15 minutes of native-language programming. The licence would expire August 31, 2019.

Arctic Radio completed the move of its three AM stations to nested FM frequencies. CHTM 610 Thompson and CJAR 1240 The Pas moved to 102.9 in early summer. CFAR 590 Flin Flon had made the flip to 102.9 last December. 

Doug O’Brien died at the age of 80. He moved from CJME Regina to CFAR in 1972 to become GM. Later, he purchased the station. Over time, the O’Brien family would buy CJAR The Pas and CHTM Thompson and form the Arctic Radio Network. His son, Tom, became the owner of the three stations in 2000.