CBAM-FM

The CBC had plans for the near future to open two 50,000 watt transmitters. One would serve the Maritimes (CBA Sackville) and the other would serve the Prairies (CBK Watrous). The Sackville transmitter would operate on a frequency of 1050 kHz. An RCA 50-kW transmitter would be used and construction costs for the site would be around $300,000. The building of the two new transmitter sites would be in the hands of G. W. Olive, chief CBC engineer and H. N. Smith, CBC design and construction engineer.

CBA was expected to begin operations on April 8. It would receive daily 16 hours of CBC sustaining programs. There would be no local commercial programs. The two 460′ radiators for CBA and CBK were the first guyed radiators designed in Canada, made by the Canadian Bridge Co. of Walkerville, ON. Both radiators were patented and were of triangular cross-section vertical design, having three sets of guy wires extending from the structure to heavy concrete anchors. CBA was being designed to cover the Maritime Provinces. 

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation opened CBA on April 8 as scheduled. (some listings had it operating on 960 kHz with 500 watts of power). Gratitude that the United States and Canada did not have to regard a border radio station “as an instrument of nationalistic and hostile propaganda” was expressed by David Sarnoff, president of RCA, in an address on a program inaugurating CBA. The speech originated in NBC’s (owned by RCA) studios in New York, was heard on the CBC but not over any U.S. stations.

James Carlisle was appointed manager of CBA. Robert F. Large, former transmitter operator at CFCY Charlottetown, was now with CBA.

The CBC now required all advertisers ordering the Maritimes region to include CBA.

Under the Havana Treaty, CBA moved from 1050 to 1070 kHz (a Class I-B Clear Channel) on March 29. 

To meet growing demands for network time during the evenings, largely due to the war, the CBC set up a second network for commercial sponsorship. The network’s first sponsor (on an experimental basis) was the Gillette Safety Razor Co. The Mutual Broadcasting System originated boxing events for 26 Canadian stations through the CBC, plus the MBS affiliate – CKLW Windsor. The second network had 23 Canadian stations with alternative stations in Montreal to meet local conditions there. The new network would operate only after 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Over the past year, private stations had been anxious to have such a network – outside of CBC control. However, under the Radio Act, the CBC had full control over all networks in the country. It was felt that a full second network with full day and night programming was not feasible or economically possible at this time. CBC-owned stations affiliated with the new network: CBK Watrous, CBA Sackville and CBY Toronto. Privately-owned stations affiliated with the new network were: CJOR Vancouver, CHWK Chilliwack, CFCN Calgary, CFRN Edmonton, CJRM Regina, CJGX Yorkton, CJRC Winnipeg, CKCA Kenora, CJIC Sault Ste Marie, CKOC Hamilton, CKTB St. Catherines, CFPL London, CFCO Chatham, CKLW Windsor, CKCR Kitchener, CKCO Ottawa, CFCF or CHLP Montreal, CHLT Sherbrooke, CKNB Campbellton, and CJLS Yarmouth. 

On September 16, Gladstone Murray, general manager of the CBC announced that the networks would sign off at 11:30 p.m. local time in all regions as of September 27. The reduction was designed to reduce wear on equipment. Murray said that such a reduction would lengthen the life of a large amount of the equipment, some of which could not be replaced. Some of the vacuum tubes used at the 50,000 watt outlets were water cooled and cost as much as $3,000. The half hour reduction would not apply on all nights to CBA Sackville. It would continue to operate for the extra 30 minutes on some nights. 

CBC Trans-Canada Basic stations: CJCB, CBH, CBA, CHSJ, CFNB, CBO, CKWS, CBL, CKSO, CFCH, CJKL, CKGB, CKPR, CBM, CKY, CBK, CJCA, CFAC, CJOC, CFJC, CKOV, CJAT, CBR.

G.R. Young was manager. 

W.E.S. Briggs was manager.

By this time, CBA operated rebroadcast transmitters at Edmunston (CBAM 1490) and Grand Falls (CBAB 1350).

CBA was a CBC Trans-Canada station.

Ad: In the Maritimes CBC Radio reaches the whole market with one buy! Radio Stations CBI – Sydney, CBH – Halifax, CBA – Sackville. 

Sydney Kennedy was appointed CBC director for the Maritimes, succeeding Capt. W.E.S. Briggs. Kennedy had been program director for the Maritime region since 1952. He started in broadcasting in 1937 at CFCY and joined CBC Halifax in May of 1941 as an operator. He later became an announcer in Sackville, moved back to Halifax in 1942 as chief announcer, became a producer in 1944 and then station manager in 1948. Briggs started in radio in 1935. He moved to CBC Ottawa in 1937, as special events producer, actuality commentator and subsequently station manager. In 1938, he became assistant manager for the Maritimes and manager for that region in 1945. In 1948, he opened CBI, CBAF and CBHT in 1954, CBHT’s three satellites in 1958, and CBAFT in 1959. 

Ad: In the Atlantic Provinces…CBC Radio delivers the BIG PLUS. No ifs, buts or maybes! Your regional radio buy of CBC Stations CBH Halifax, CBI Sydney and CBA Sackville, delivers the greatest audience at the lowest cost!

The Trans-Canada and Dominion networks were consolidated into a single CBC radio network.

CBC Radio added an all-night service in June.

CBA received approval to operate from new transmitter and studio sites.

CBC Radio’s all-night service, started in 1963, came to an end on March 1. When the service started it was primarily intended as a national information and warning system to be used in emergencies. Even though the service had now ended, the CBC said it would maintain a stand-by procedure through the night and broadcasts would begin immediately in the event of an emergency.

On December 4, CBA moved its transmitter site from Sackville nearer to Moncton. One 460 foot tower is used. Studios moved from Sackville to the Assumption Building in Moncton.

On June 2, CBA, CBAF and CBAFT-TV were given approval to move their studios and offices to 250 Archibald Street. The move took effect on September 1.

CBAM Edmunston was authorized to change frequency from 1490 kHz to 1320 kHz. 

On February 27, the CRTC renewed the licence for CBA Moncton and its rebroadcasters CBAA-FM Newcastle and CBAE-FM Campbellton to August 31, 1994. The Commission noted that CBA rebroadcast programming originating with the CBC English-language AM Radio Network, and originated 23 hours, 5 minutes of locally-produced programming weekly. The Commission reaffirmed the particular importance it attached to the development of Canadian talent and noted the CBC’s initiatives in this regard, including interviews with and profiles of Maritime musicians, reporting on arts, entertainment and cultural events, contributions to the regional programs “Atlantic Airwaves” and “All the Best” as well as contributions to network programming. It was a condition of licence that, until March 31, 1990, 45% or more and thereafter, 50% or more of the category 5 musical selections broadcast by CBA each broadcast day shall be Canadian selections and shall be scheduled in a reasonable manner throughout the broadcast day. It is a condition of licence that, until March 31, 1990, 15% or more and thereafter, 20% or more of the category 6 musical selections broadcast by CBA each broadcast week shall be Canadian selections and shall be scheduled in a reasonable manner throughout the broadcast week. 

On June 8, the CRTC renewed the licence for CBA Moncton and its transmitters CBAE-FM Campbellton and CBAA-FM Newcastle, to August 31, 2001. The Commission noted that CBA originated 23 hours and 5 minutes of local programming per week. It was a condition of licence that 50% or more of the category 2 music selections broadcast each broadcast week be Canadian and that these selections be scheduled in a reasonable manner throughout the broadcast day. It was a condition of licence that 20% or more of the category 3 music selections broadcast each broadcast week be Canadian.

CBC Radio added overnight programming to its schedule on May 1, with “CBC Radio Overnight”. The programming started out on certain CBC stations and was expanded to all of its stations by September. The program aired between 1:00 and 6:00 a.m. (local time) and offered reports from public broadcasters in 25 countries, with Canadian news on the hour. The program service was provided by the World Radio Network in London, England.

The CBC Radio network (CBC Radio) was renamed “CBC Radio One” on September 1.

As of 2001, CBA operated the following transmitters: CBAE-FM Campbellton and CBAA-FM Newcastle. CBA broadcasts approximately 15 hours of local programming each week from Moncton.

On January 8, the CRTC approved an application for a licence to operate a new English-language FM radio station in Moncton to replace AM station CBA. The applicant proposed to operate the new FM station at 106.1 MHz (channel 291C1) with an effective radiated power of 69,500 watts. The CBC stated that the FM station would continue to broadcast programming received from its national Radio One network as well as approximately 15 hours in each broadcast week of local programming originating in Moncton. In support of its application, the CBC stated that CBA was the last remaining AM station in the Moncton market. The CBC submitted that CBA’s share of listening in the Moncton market had been declining, dropping from 18% in the spring of 2000 to 12% in the spring of 2006. The CBC confirmed that it would ensure that the area currently covered by CBA would be served by the proposed new transmitter, or by one of its existing FM transmitters that currently serve the Moncton area, namely CBAA-FM Newcastle and CBAE-FM Campbellton. The licence would expire August 31, 2008, the current licence expiry date for CBA. 

CBA signed on its new FM (CBAM) signal at 106.1 MHz in Moncton, in January. It was simulcast on 1070 kHz until April 7 at 8:30 a.m. (ADT) when the AM signal signed off the air.    

On May 12 the CRTC renewed CBAM-FM’s licence. The renewal included the following rebroadcast transmitters: CBAA-FM Newcastle (Allardville) and CBAE-FM Campbellton.

On February 10, the CRTC approved the application by the CBC to amend the licence for CBAM-FM in order to operate a transmitter at Sackville to rebroadcast the programming of its national English-language network service Radio One. The new transmitter would operate at 105.7 MHz with an average effective radiated power of 20 watts.

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

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

On February 22, the CRTC administratively renewed the licences for CBAM-FM Moncton and its transmitters to August 31, 2013.

On May 28, the CRTC renewed the licence of CBAM-FM Moncton and its transmitters CBAA-FM Allardville, CBAE-FM Campbellton and CBAM-FM-1 Sackville, for a five year term to August 31, 2018.

On October 25, the CRTC approved the CBC’s application relating to CBAM-FM Moncton, by moving its transmitter CBAM-FM-1 Sackville to a new transmission site in Sackville, by changing the antenna radiation pattern from directional to non-directional, and by decreasing the antenna height.