CBBS-FM

On October 22, the CRTC approved the CBC’s application for a broadcasting licence for an English-language FM radio station at Sudbury on the frequency 90.1 MHz, channel 211B, with an effective radiated power of 48,000 watts to rebroadcast the programs of the CBC English-language FM Radio Network service, received from CBL-FM Toronto. The licence would expire September 30, 1987. Because of antenna height restrictions, at the request of the Department of Communications the CBC was requested to reduce the effective radiated power originally proposed from 49,200 watts to 48,000 watts. No reduction in coverage was expected as a result of this decrease in power. 

Due to financial constraints the CBC had to surrender the licences for non-operating transmitters. The proposed CBC FM transmitter at Sudbury was among these.

On June 9, the CRTC approved the CBC’s application for a broadcasting licence for an English-language FM radio programming undertaking at Sudbury. As proposed, the new FM station will operate on the frequency 90.1 MHz, channel 211B, with an effective radiated power of 50,000 watts. The licensee would provide at Sudbury the programming of the Radio Two network and would broadcast one hour per week of local programming. The licence would expire August 31, 2006. 

CBBS-FM began broadcasting in the spring. The network’s “Take Five” program (hosted by Shelley Solmes) was broadcast from the Art Gallery of Sudbury to mark the station’s launch. 

On August 9, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence of CBBS-FM to August 31, 2011.

On February 22, the licence of CBBS-FM was administratively renewed to August 31, 2013. 

On May 28, the CRTC renewed the licence of CBBS-FM Sudbury for a five year term, to August 31, 2018. The Commission considered that it was appropriate to impose conditions of licence on Radio 2 that: permit the broadcast of a maximum of four minutes of national paid advertising, as currently defined by the Commission, in any clock hour; and limit the number of times that programming can be interrupted for advertising to no more than twice per clock hour. The broadcast of advertising by Radio 2 was for a three-year trial period from September 1, 2013 until August 31, 2016.

On December 5, the CRTC gave approval to the CBC to introduce advertising on the Radio 2 and Espace Musique networks. Advertising would be limited to four minutes every hour. The CBC would need to seek permission to continue airing commercials on the two networks after three years.

On August 31, the CRTC denied the CBC’s application to continue commercial advertising on Radio 2 and ICI Musique beyond the initial three-year licence amendment. The CRTC found that CBC had failed to maintain satisfactory investment in radio and failed to meet ad revenue projections.

Radio 2 became CBC Music.