CKXG-FM

Newfoundland Broadcasting Co. (Don Jamieson & Geoff Stirling) opened CJON-1 on 680 kHz with a power of 10,000 watts to serve Central Newfoundland. The station was a semi-satellite of CJON-AM St. John’s.

By this time CJON-1 had become CJCN. 

CJCN sought a network licence to carry its programming on sister station CJOX Grand Bank during certain times of the day. 

Geoff Stirling (chairman of the board) appointed Colin Jamieson as president of the company. He would also continue on as general manager of the company’s radio and television stations.

Effective February 1, the network licnece linking CJCN and CJOX was canceled.

Newfoundland Broadcasting Co. received approval in principle for a rebroadcaster at St. Anthony (560 kHz with 1,000 watts day and 250 watts night). NBC was told to seek another frequency after objections were made by Colonial Broadcasting to the use of 560 kHz, occupied by CHCM in Marystown. NBC never followed up on the St. Anthony proposal.

The trustees for the Hon. Donald C. Jamieson, the federal cabinet minister who is a 49% shareholder in Newfoundland Broadcasting Co. Ltd., applied to take over CJON-AM and its four sister radio stations. In a counter-application, Geoff W. Stirling, majority shareholder, with 51%, applied to take over 100% control of the entire company. In a CRTC statement, concern was expressed over recent changes which had occurred in the programming of the Grand Falls, Gander and Grand Bank radio stations and the Grand Falls television station. The company reportedly closed its studios at these locations in retaliation for what it considered unfair competition from the CBC for television advertising.

The above applications were approved by the CRTC. Jamieson sold his 49% interest in NBCL to Stirling (who went from 51% to 100% ownership). NBC retained CJON-TV and its rebroadcast transmitters and was given approval to launch a network of FM transmitters to serve the province – CHOZ-FM. Jamieson kept the AM operations across the province. Jamieson would keep the AM operations through a blind trust controlled by A. C. Lloyd Hudson and Allan F. Waters (CHUM Limited). Jamieson’s brother Colin, who was fired by NBC a year earlier, was hired to be a director and president of the newly formed Radio CJYQ-930 Ltd. The CRTC approved the applications on August 9. Jamieson took full ownership of Radio CJYQ-930 Ltd. on September 1.

The call letters for the AM stations were changed to reflect the separation from NBCL/CJON-TV. CJON 930 St. John’s became CJYQ, CJNW 670 Musgravetown became CHYQ, CJCR 1350 Gander became CFYQ, CJCN 680 Grand Falls became CIYQ, and CJOX 610 Grand Bank became CKYQ.

The Q radio licences were renewed for four years. The CRTC expressed satisfaction 
with the resumption of local programming at Grand Falls and Grand Bank, and Radio CJYQ had since resumed separate programming at Gander.

CHUM Limited agreed to buy Don Jamieson’s Radio CJYQ 930 Ltd. (CJYQ St. John’s and the Q group of stations across the province). Don’s brother Colin agreed to remain as president. The purchase was approved by the CRTC.

CHUM took ownership of Radio CJYQ 930 Ltd. on January 15.

Radio CJYQ 930 Ltd. and all CHUM Group radio and television companies were amalgamated into CHUM Limited. CIYQ became a direct division of CHUM Ltd.

On July 19, CHUM Limited sold the CJYQ stations to NewCap Broadcasting Limited (owned by Harry Steele’s Newfoundland Capital Corp.).

On February 12, CIYQ changed main program feed from CJYQ-AM to CKIX-FM (St. John’s) and changed call letters to CKXG.

In May, CKXG was authorized to change its program source from studios located at Grand Falls and St. John’s (CJYQ), to studios located at Grand Falls, St. John’s (CKIX-FM), and Harbour Grace (CFIQ).

CKXG was given permission in May to change its program source from studios at Grand Falls, CKIX-FM St. John’s and CFIQ Harbour Grace to studios at Grand Falls.

On September 30, CKXG was given permission to convert to the FM band. The new station would operate with an effective radiated power of 20,000 watts on 102.3 MHz with a rebroadcast transmitter at Robert’s Arm, operating on 92.7 MHz with a power of 4,500 watts. CKXG-FM would be required to broadcast a minimum of 56 hours of locally originated programming each week. Because the old AM equipment was nearing the end of its life-cycle, Newcap decided thiw was an opportune time to convert the station to the FM band to take advantage of the trend to FM tuning. 

NewCap announced plans to buy all VOCM Radio Newfoundland Ltd. radio stations (VOCM-AM/Magic 97 St. John’s, CKVO Clarenville, CHVO Carbonear, CHCM Marystown, CKGA Gander, CKCM Grand Falls/Windsor and CKIM Baie Verte). The deal would bring together two groups that had different audiences and mandates. 

On September 29, the CRTC approved the application by Newcap Inc. to change the authorized contours of CKXG-FM Grand Falls, by decreasing the average effective radiated power from 24,000 to 17,000 watts, increasing the maximum ERP from 24,000 to 36,000 watts, decreasing the antenna’s effective height above average terrain from 236.7 to 96.6 metres and relocating the antenna site. Newcap stated that this change was necessary to improve the service to the people of Grand Falls and nearby communities and to consolidate its transmitter facilities at its transmitter site in Grand Falls.

On November 17, the CRTC approved an application by Newcap Inc. to change the technical parameters of CKXG-FM-1 Grand Falls, the rebroadcasting transmitter of CKXG-FM Grand Falls, by increasing the effective radiated power from 40 watts to 50 watts, by decreasing the antenna’s effective height above average terrain from 66 metres to 47.3 metres, and by relocating the transmitter from Grand Falls to Lewisporte. Newcap stated that the proposed technical changes were necessary to improve service to the population of Lewisporte.

On October 23, the CRTC approved an application by Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited, on behalf of Newcap Inc. and its licensed broadcasting subsidiaries, for authorization to effect a change in the ownership and effective control of various radio and television broadcasting undertakings in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, so that effective control of the undertakings would be exercised by Eric Boyko (Stingray Digital Group Inc.). Stingray took ownership of the stations just a few days later.