CFBC-AM

Norman Botterill was loaned by ACMO  (All-Canada stations) to manage the construction CFBC Radio, as of February 1. He had been with CJOC in Lethbridge for the past three and a half years. Botterill reported that the licence had been issued in the name of Fundy Broadcasting Co. Ltd. He added that RCA equipment, including a 5,000 watt transmitter was on order. 

CFBC started operations on November 21. It broadcast on a frequency of 930 kHz with a power of 5,000 watts. Studios and offices were located at 4 Carleton Street.  The “FBC” in the call letters: Fundy Broadcasting Co.   

CFBC was added to the CBC Dominion network as a supplementary station.

CFBC manager Norman Botterill was appointed manager of CKRM Regina.

Bob Bowman, former manager of CKMO Vancouver, was named manager of CFBC.

Slogans: Your friendly host on the Fundy Coast. / The station with the Sockeroo Selling PUNCH!

CFBC, CKCW (Moncton) and CFNB (Fredericton) formed Radio Press Ltd., a co-operative news service.

New Brunswick’s “Leader” Station (Tops in Western Nova Scotia too!)

R.J. Gallagher was promotion manager.

Tommy Church left CFBC as production manager. Gord Smith had been doing sports at CFBC since the station went on the air.

Dave Rogers left CFBC to work in the news department at Montreal’s CFCF. Bill Tonner was named program director. His brother, Tom, was sales manager at CKCW in Moncton.

Slogan: CFBC Saint John, New Brunswick…serving…Western Nova Scotia (too). 

Approval was given for the transfer of 100 Class “A” shares in Fundy Broadcasting. Manager Bob Bowman left CFBC to take up the same post at the soon to open CKLG in North Vancouver. Hugh T. Trueman was appointed manager. He was known locally as “Uncle Bill” for his on-air work.

Slogan: CFBC – Top ratings day and night. 

Bill Anderson was an MC. Gord Smith did sports. Hugh Trueman was station manager.

CFBC 930 still had a power of 5,000 watts and used a single directional pattern for day and night operation. It was an affiliate of the CBC Dominion network. Ownership of Fundy Broadcasting Co. Ltd.: A. M. A. McLean 27.29%, R. B. Brenan, Sr. 27.29%, Sen. A. N. McLean 27.28% and four other shareholders 18.14%. Dr. A. M. A. McLean was president of the company and Hugh T. Trueman was CFBC’s manager.

R. T. “Bob” Bowman took over as general manager of CFBC, having acquired a financial interest in the company. He previously managed the station between 1949 and 1954. 

The Board of Broadcast Governors approved the formation of the Atlantic Broadcasting System with affiliates CKCW Moncton, CFNB Fredericton, CFCY Charlottetown, CHNS Halifax, CFBC Saint John and CJCB Sydney.

CFBC applied for permission to increase daytime power from 5,000 to 10,000 watts.

Steve Emery hosted the morning show.

Ad: CFBC Radio – dial 930 – Saint John, New Brunswick. “The Pulse of the People”. Interviews and public opinion polls or The Question of the Day. 

Don Armstrong was program director.

CFBC, CFNB, CKCW, CFCY, and CJCB were members of the Atlantic Broadcasting System, a privately-owned network, established by the stations.

The Trans-Canada and Dominion networks of the CBC were condolidated into a single service. Following the merger, CFBC became an independent station. CHSJ which had been the Dominion affiliate remained the CBC station in the market until the CBC opened its own station (CBD) in 1964.

Fundy Broadcasting Co. Ltd. launched CFBC-FM.
 
J. H. Turnbull was president of Fundy Broadcasting Co. Ltd. and R. A. Lockhart was CFBC’s manager.

CFBC increased power to 10,000 watts day and 5,000 watts night using different directional patterns for day and night operation.

On May 10, Fundy Broadcasting Co Ltd. was authorized to transfer 2,718 Class B voting shares from the estate of Arthur Norwood Carter to James A. MacMurray (1,032), James H. Turnbull (1,032) and Robert Lockhart (654) and for the transfer of 4,271 non-voting Class A shares. 

Dave Lockhart left CFBC for CKCW Moncton. He had been news director and host of Talk of the Town, and was the brother of Robert Lockhart. Tom Young joined CFBC.

CFBC received approval to increase power to 50,000 watts, full-time.

The new Harris MW-50 AM transmitter was put in to operation in December. CFBC was now operating at 50,000 watts.

J. H. Turnbull was the president of Fundy Broadcasting at this time. Gord Miller was chief engineer.

CFBC-FM became CJYC-FM.

CFBC increased power to 50,000 watts full-time.  The transmitter site was located on Sand Cove Road.

New equipment was installed in the studios and news departments.

CFBC reported receiving interference from Soviet radio stations. Engineer Gordie Miller stated English middle of the road broadcasts had been heard on CFBC’s 930 frequency, as well as on 1230 kHz.

On April 21, approval was granted for the sale of Fundy Broadcasting Co. Ltd. to CFBC Holdings Ltd. Fundy was controlled by Bevco Holdings Ltd. (James A. MacMurray) 37.5%, J. H. Turnbull 37.5% and A. R. W. Lockhart 24.7%. CFBC Holdings was controlled by C. William Stanley 76.9%.

On July 9, CFBC was authorized to change its radiation pattern in order to increase its coverage area toward the north-east with a decrease to the south-east. 

Tommy Young returned to being CFBC’s news director. Brian McLean resigned as news director to get in to the hospitality business.

Dennis O’Neill was vice president and general manager of CFBC/CJYC-FM. 

Ralph McLenaghan was vice president of radio development for CFBC’s owner Fundy Broadcasting.

Keven Bissett joined CFBC news from CIHI Fredericton. Program director Mark Lee left CFBC to become general manager at K100 in Saint John. 

By this time, the corporate name had changed to Fundy II Ltd. 

Citing financial problems, CFBC laid off manager Shirley Crawford and asked its longtime talk-show host Tom Young to consider other options. Vice president Don Brown said no large-scale layoffs were planned for the staff of 35. 

George Ferguson who was general manager at CFCH/CKAT North Bay last year stepped in as GM at CFBC/C98 in September.

After months of rumours, Fundy Cable announced it would concentrate on cable. The company reached an agreement in principle to sell CFBC/CJYC-FM (Saint John) to Newcap and CJCB/CKPE-FM (Sydney) to Maritime Broadcasting. 

On November 18, Maritime Broadcasting System Ltd. was given approval to acquire CFBC and CJYC-FM from Fundy Cable Ltd. and then sell the stations to Newcap Inc. (Maritime also acquired CJCB/CKPE which it held on to)

The deal to purchase CJCB/CKPE-FM Sydney and CFBC/C98 FM Saint John from Fundy Communications closed May 1. Maritime’s Merv Russell said the environmental issue at Sydney had been satisfied to all parties. Fundy would retain ownership of the building housing the two radio stations at Sydney. Donnie Brown would stay in his general manager’s position at Sydney and George Ferguson would retain his GM’s role at the stations in Saint John. 

Maritime Broadcasting closed its deal for the purchase of Neil MacMullen’s Annapolis Valley Radio on April 30, then did the same thing all over again on May 1 for the purchase of Fundy Broadcasting’s CJCB/CKPE-FM Sydney and CFBC/C98-FM Saint John.

In June, CFBC/C98-FM moved into new quarters, sharing the 226 Union Street address with CIOK-FM. CFBC/C98 were still being operated under the guidance of a trustee but Maritime Broadcasting had reapplied to buy the stations and that application was posted by the CRTC for a non-appearing hearing August 11. Meantime, 11 CFBC/CJYC employees — including news director/talk show host Gary MacDonald – were laid off. David Doyle, the trustee, said it was “obvious there’d have to be a restructuring if these radio stations were to become viable”. General manager George Ferguson was also among those laid off.

On September 29, Maritime Broadcasting System Ltd. was authorized to acquire CFBC and CJYC from Fundy Cable Ltd. following Newcap’s decision not to purchase the stations.

On July 12 the CRTC renewed CFBC’s licence until August 31, 2011. Condition of licence: The licensee shall, as an exception to the percentage of Canadian musical selections set out in sections 2.2(8) and 2.2(9) of the Radio Regulations, 1986, in any broadcast week where at least 90% of musical selections from content category 2 that it broadcasts are selections released before 1 January 1981: in that broadcast week, devote 30% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety; between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., in the period beginning on Monday of that week and ending on Friday of the same broadcast week, devote 30% or more of its musical selections from content category 2 to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety. The licensee is responsible for specifying, on the music lists it provides to the Commission, the year of release for all musical selections it broadcasts.

News Director Brian McLain, after 21 years with MBS/Maclean Hunter Saint John, moved across the street. McLain joined Acadia Broadcasting’s Country 94/97.3 The Wave as Assistant ND.

Geoff Walsh, Music Director/announcer at Maritimes Broadcasting System Halifax the last three years, was promoted to Operations Manager at MBS Saint John.

Hugh Morrisson returned to Astral Atlantic Fredericton October 3 as head of technical services after a decade at MBS Saint John. 

The strike at Maritime Broadcasting System’s three stations in Saint John entered its ninth month. Seven employees at CFBC/K-100/Big John FM walked off the job in June (2012) seeking higher wages and paid overtime. 

In August, CFBC changed format from Oldies/Classic Hits to Country.

Tom Young (75) died on March 6. His 50-year career in broadcasting began in 1961 and he was best known as the host of the long-running show ‘Talk of the Town’ on CFBC. In 2005, Young joined the Rogers Radio network in the Maritimes as host of ‘The Afternoon News’ heard on News 88.9 Saint John, News 91.9 Moncton, and News 95.7 Halifax.

In February, MBS Radio laid off all of the air staff at CIOK, CJYC and CFBC. The stations were now being voice-tracked from out of market. The stations were unionized in 2012 and this resulted in a nearly 2-year lockout by management.

Bruce Ward died on September 27 at the age of 76. Ward’s first radio job was at CFBC-AM while he was in Grade 12. While at the University of New Brunswick from 1960-1964, he was heavily involved with Radio UNB. Following graduation, he returned to CFBC and helped launch CFBC-FM. Ward went on to become the station’s news director up until 1970. After some time out of the business, Ward volunteered at CFEB-FM in Eastern Passage. He joined that station in 2003 and did his last broadcast on June 1, 2018.