CIGL-FM

CJBQ-FM signed on the air in August. It broadcast on a frequency of 97.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 17,400 watts. Studios and offices were located at 11 Victoria Avenue. The station was owned and operated by Quinte Broadcasting Co. Ltd. (Dr. G. A. Morton, H. Myles Morton, Frank C. Murray) which also owned CJBQ-AM. The Morton Family also own the Belleville Intelligencer newspaper and 50% of Cablevue (Belleville) Ltd. The “BQ” in the call sign: Bay of Quinte or Broadcasting to Quinte. 

Peter Thompson joined CJBQ-AM and FM in May. 

Peter Thompson left in August for CJRN Niagara Falls. He was also working at CKFM in Toronto.

CJBQ-AM-FM moved from 11 Victoria Avenue to the Intelligencer Building at 45 Bridge Street East.

CJBQ-FM broadcast in mono and offered 40 hours a week or programs that were separate from CJBQ-AM. Frank C. Murray was General Manager.

At the CJBQ-FM licence renewal hearing, manager Frank Murray presented an 11 minute tape of program highlights to tell the story of what the station does – community involvement, live concerts, council meetings, hockey broadcasts, and special programs and features such as one done by inmates at the Warkworth Penitentiary. The station even airs a daily French-language show from Radio-Canada.

CJBQ-FM received approval to increase effective radiated power from 17,400 watts to 50,000 watts.

CJBQ-FM became CIGL-FM on February 15. Power increased from 17,400 to 50,000 watts. The new station offered a beautiful music format. To reflect the format and the new call sign (CI-GulL), the station adopted a stylized sea gull for its logo.

Dr. Gerald Alexander Morton, president of Quinte Broadcasting and former publisher of the Belleville Intelligencer died at the age of 82.

Some on-air names at CIGL: John York (mornings), Bill Conlon (afternoons), Mary-Ellen Keayes and Martina Fitzgerald (weekends), Jack Miller (sports). John York was the program director. 

On January 11, the CRTC renewed CIGL-FM’s licence until September 30, 1985.

Mary-Ellen Keayes left CIGL on February 12. 

On February 16, the CRTC approved the proposal to decrease the amount of news programming (category 0) from 15 hours 24 minutes (12.2%) to 11 hours (8.7%) per week. However, the proposal to decrease in programming from the Backgrounding, Hobbies, Human Interest and Spoken Word-Other categories (2, 3A, 4 and 5) from 12 hours 41 minutes (approximately 9%) to 9 hours 39 minutes (7.7%) per week, was denied. The Commission required joint FM licensees to maintain a level of not less than 9% of all programming from categories 2, 3A, 4 and 5.

Frank C. Murray retired as general manager of Quinte Broadcasting (CJBQ-CIGL Belleville, CJTN Trenton and CJNH Bancroft). Associated with the company for 35 years, Murray was a past president of the Central Canada Broadcasters Association and the Radio Bureau of Canada, and a former director of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. Murray was active in many local organizations and was recently honoured in Lahr, West Germany, for his work in promoting the twinning of Lahr with Belleville. He would continue with Quinte Broadcasting as a consultant.

CIGL was given permission to decrease news programming from 15 ½ to 11 hours per week.

Studios and offices moved from the Intelligencer Building, to a new facility along the waterfront at 10 South Front St. on June 19.

Matthew Hopcraft was now handling the morning show. Other on-air names included Gene Kirby (formerly of CKEY in Toronto), Mary-Ellen Keayes (who had returned to the station), and Bill Conlon. 

Gil Wright was CIGL’s program director.

Former CIGL-FM announcer Gene Kirby (Gene J. Smith) died September 10, in his 64th year.

On June 1, CIGL switched from EZ listening to a hot adult contemporary format as “MIX 97”. Ted Bradford moved over from CJBQ-AM to become mid-day announcer, music director and assistant program director.

Peter Thompson was operations manager for the Quinte stations. He had returned to the Quinte group in 1983 and was CJBQ-AM’s program director until his recent appointment as operations manager.

On-air line-up: Sean Kelly & Ingrid Moore (6-9), Ingrid Moore (9-noon), Ted Bradford (noon-4), Joey Martin (4-8) and Shelley Wildgen (8-midnight). Other names included Todd Smith (news) and Jack Miller (sports). 

CIGL and CJBQ now had a presence on the internet.

On-air line-up is essentially the same as 1997. Additional on-air names: Steve Bohan, Chris Koppin, and Jason Cheese (weekends). Peter Thompson was still operations manager and Ted Bradford was music director and assistant PD.

Ben Forgie was now doing news at CIGL. He joined the staff in January. 

Ted Bradford (MD, APD) left for WYYY-FM / WBBS-FM in Syracuse, New York.

On-air line-up: Sean Kelly & Ingrid Moore (mornings), Dan Mellon (mid-days), Joey Martin (afternoons), Justin Anderson (evenings), Charity Brown, and A.J. Brooks (weekends). News: Todd Smith, Shelley Wildgen, Tony Grace, Ben Forgie, and Jack Miller (sports). Sean Kelly was program director, Dan Mellon was music director and Peter Thompson was operations manager. Mellon joined Mix 97 from CFLY-FM in Kingston.

Tony Grace left in June and was replaced by Melanie Adams. 

On June 28 the CRTC renewed CIGL-FM’s licence until August 31, 2011.

After 14 years as co-host of CIGL’s morning show, Ingrid Moore crossed the street to co-host the morning show at CJOJ-FM. Orlena Cain moved to mornings with Sean Kelly on Mix 97.

Myles Morton died at age 85. Morton, the owner of Quinte Broadcasting Radio Group (CJBQ/Mix 97/Rock 107) was also the former owner of the Belleville Intelligencer newspaper and Cablevue, the local cable company.

The CRTC approved a change to the ownership and effective control of Quinte Broadcasting Company Limited, from the late Mr. H. Myles Morton, to a joint control exercised by William Alexander Morton, Stephen Myles Morton, Virginia Elizabeth Morton, Cynthia J. Thorne and Deborah Barbour. 

On August 31, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CIGL-FM until March 31, 2012.

Jessica Murphy left Quinte Broadcasting’s promotions team for a promotions position at Newcap’s Hot 89.9 and Live 88.5 in Ottawa.

John Spitters, a long-time broadcast journalist at Quinte Broadcasting was promoted to News Director. He succeeded Todd Smith who recently won a seat in the provincial election for the PC’s in the Prince Edward Hastings riding.

On March 20, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CIGL-FM to August 31, 2012.

Former and longtime CIGL-CJBQ employee Phil Flagler passed away on March 27. Phil joined CJBQ-AM in 1947 and served as Agriculture Director, Program and Production Manager. He retired in the 1996. Phil was also a member of the CAB’s Half-Century Club.

Tim Durkin joined the Quinte Broadcasting news department from his morning news spot at FM 96 Kingston. Emily Carter left Mix 97 for Vancouver’s Virgin Radio.

On August 28, the CRTC administratively renewed CIGL-FM licence to December 31, 2012. On December 21, the licence was renewed to August 31, 2017.