CJLX-AM

Paul MacGowan applied for an AM licence at Fort William. He proposed to operate his station with 1,000 watts at 800 kHz on the dial. The CBC Board of Governors recommended the application for denial. CFPA (formerly employed MacGowan) and CKPR opposed the application as they felt the Lakehead-Thunder Bay area was already adequately served by existing stations, and that a new station would only take business from their stations. The application was also opposed by other parties who had plans of their own for a new station in the area. 

Since the application was denied, MacGowan (Paul or Robert a.k.a. “Mac”), the former CFPA commercial manager, became district sales manager at CJET in Smiths Falls.

CJLX 800 signed on the air from Fort William. Power was 5,000 watts day and night.

Ownership of Lakehead Broadcasting was Mac McGowan 83%, Lawrence Potts 12%, and Walter Clements 5%.  Mac McGowan was President and Geneal Manager, Walter Clements was the sales Manager and Larry Potts was the National Sales representative.

Ken Nicolson, who would eventually become the original voice of the Winnipeg Jets, joined CJLX Radio. 

Around this time, CJLX increased daytime power to 10,000 watts, Night-time power remained at 5,000 watts night. A single directional pattern was used for day and night operation from three towers.  CJLX was an independent station with no network affiliation. 

R.P. “Mac” MacGowan was president and station manager. Robert Seed was a DJ on the station.

Ken Nicolson left CJLX for Winnipeg radio.

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

On January 12, CJLX failed to have its licence renewed. The existing licence would expire March 31, 1973. Robert Paul MacGowan and Lawrence E. Potts, shareholders and directors of Lakehead Broadcasting Co. Ltd. had failed to disclose fully and accurately, the ownership of the company. The CRTC considered MacGowan and Potts (majority shareholders) intended and did mislead the Commission and predecessors (BBG, CBC) as to the true nature of Lakehead’s ownership. An application by Lakehead to transfer shares from MacGowan to Potts and Walter J. Clemens was withdrawn. There was a call for applications for a new radio station in the city.

CJLX left the air when the licence expired.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation received a licence on July 18, to replace CJLX on 800 kHz in Thunder Bay.