CKCM-AM

CKCM opened on July 25, operating with a power of 10,000 watts (day & nite) on 620 kHz. The station was owned by The Colonial Broadcasting System Ltd., and was a semi-satellite of VOCM 590 in St. John’s.

On November 26, Colonial was awarded a licence for a new AM station at Gander. It would receive some of its programming from CKCM. 

CKCM subscribed to the Standard Broadcast News service. SBN received direct feeds from NBC New York by broadband.

On July 27, Colonial was granted a licence for a new AM station at Baie Verte, operating on 1240 kHz with power of 1,000 day and 500 watts night (omnidirectional). The new transmitter would rebroadcast the programming of CKCM.

Colonial Broadcasting System Ltd. was now also operating under the name Radio Newfoundland Ltd.

On December 13, CKIM Baie Verte was granted a night-time power increase from 500 to 1,000 watts.

By this time, CKCM was broadcasting 60 hours of local programming per week with the remainder of its schedule coming from VOCM St. John’s.

NewCap announced plans to buy all VOCM Radio Newfoundland 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 the VOCM stations together with Newcap’s CJYQ group in the province. 

Newcap Broadcasting Ltd. purchased CKCM and the other VOCM stations.

On May 28, the CRTC renewed the licence of CKCM until August 31, 2016. The renewal included CKIM Baie Verte.

On September 15, the CRTC approved the application by Newcap Inc. to amend the licence for CKCM Grand Falls, in order to add an FM transmitter in Springdale. The new transmitter would operate at 89.3 MHz (channel 207LP) with an effective radiated power of 50 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 16 metres). The licensee noted that the transmitter was necessary to counter AM signal deficiencies in Springdale. The Springdale transmitter would be known as CKCM-1.

News Director Roger Barnett died at age 59 in December. The veteran newsman worked with the VOCM broadcasting stations, including Steele Communications, in Grand Falls-Windsor since 1973.

In September, CKCM dropped local programming and began simulcasting CKGA Gander 100%. This change included CKIM Baie Verte and CKCM-FM-1 Springdale. Steele Communications cited the economic conditions in the province and changing consumer media habits for the realignment. Six jobs were lost in station closures across the province.

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.