CHPB-FM

On March 3, William W. Lacock’s Tri-Tel Communications Inc. (owner of CJWL Iroquois Falls) was licenced to operate a low-power FM station at Cochrane. It would operate on a frequency of 98.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 50 watts. The station would offer contemporary hits music targeting all age groups. It would also broadcast local news, weather reports, public service announcements and will provide listener interaction.

CHPB-FM signed on the air.

On November 19, The Haliburton Broadcasting Group Inc. was granted approval to acquire CJWL-FM Iroquois Falls and CHPB-FM Cochrane from Tri-Tel Communications Inc.  Haliburton said it expects these stations to benefit from synergies with its existing northern English-language stations, CKAP-FM Kapuskasing and CHMT-FM Timmins. The synergies would occur through the sharing of resources in news, traffic, creative production, community event coverage, music management, sales management, sales representations, overall management and technology platforms.

CHPB-FM became known as MOOSE FM. This name is commonly used in the Haliburton Broadcast group.

Sister station CJWL-FM changed its call sign to CFIF-FM.

On June 30, the CRTC renewed the broadcasting licence for the English-language commercial radio station CHPB-FM Cochrane from 1 July 2010 to 31 August 2013. This short-term licence renewal will enable the Commission to review the licensee’s compliance with the Radio Regulations, 1986 and its conditions of licence at an earlier date. In Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2009-786, the Commission noted that the licensee may have failed to comply with its condition of licence relating to contributions to Canadian talent development for the 2004 and 2006 broadcast years. 

On July 30, the CRTC approved the application by The Haliburton Broadcasting Group Inc. relating to the English-language commercial radio programming undertaking CHPB-FM Cochrane. Specifically, the licensee requested a change to CHPB-FM’s technical parameters in order to relocate the broadcasting transmitter to another site. The Commission noted that the effective height of the antenna above average terrain would decrease from 36 metres to 13.7 metres, whereas other technical parameters would remain unchanged. In addition, the population served within the station’s 3 mV/m contour would decrease from 4,590 to 3,980, and the population served within the station’s 0.5 mV/m contour would decrease from 5,100 to 4,820. 

The Moose Timmins morning show host Robert Wills was promoted to General Manager of the Haliburton North properties. Remaining at his Timmins base, Wills was now responsible for The Moose stations at Timmins, Kapuskasing, Cochrane and Iroquois Falls. 

On October 19, the CRTC approved the application by Vista Radio Ltd. for authority to acquire from Haliburton Broadcasting Group Inc. the assets of Haliburton’s AM and FM radio stations and their transmitters located in Bancroft, Barry’s Bay, Bolton, Bracebridge, Caledon, Cochrane, Elliot Lake, Espanola, Fort Erie, Haldimand, Haliburton, Hearst, Huntsville, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Kemptville, Niagara Falls, North Bay, Parry Sound, Prescott, St. Catharines, Stratford, Sturgeon Falls and Timmins. Vista was a corporation controlled by Westerkirk Capital Inc., in turn controlled by Thompson Investments Limited. CHPB-FM was among the stations acquired by Vista.

Rob Wills, who was promoted to General Manager of the Haliburton North properties in Ontario last year, was no longer with the company. His responsibilities covered The Moose stations at Kapuskasing, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls and his base, Timmins. There was no successor.