CBOF-FM

The CBC received a licence for CBOF on July 24, and the French language station began broadcasting on August 1, on 1250 kHz with 10,000 watts (full-time). The transmitter site was at the intersection of Gordon’s Road and Line Bank Road, on part of Lot 27, Concession 1, Gloucester Township, Carleton County. Four 207 foot (overall) towers were used. Studios were in the Chateau Laurier Hotel.

A transmitter (CBFO) was opened at Rolphton, ON on September 17.

CBOF opened a rebroadcast transmitter (CBFL) at Maniwaki, QC. It commenced operations on October 22.

On January 15, CBOF 1250 received permission to increase power from 10,000 watts to 50,000 watts and to operate from a new transmitter site located northwest of Carsonby.

Approval was granted November 27 for CBOF to add an FM transmitter at Cornwall on 98.1 MHz with effective radiated power of 3,000 watts.

CBOF-FM-6 Cornwall signed on the air on January 3.

On January 31, CBOF began broadcasting from a new site, shared with CBO 920, with 50,000 watts (full-time) on 1250 kHz. The site was located just west of Manotick. Six 243 foot (overall) towers were used.

CBOF-FM-7 Brockville was opened on December 1.

CBOF-FM-9 opened July 28 at Chapeau, Quebec.

On November 9, the CBC received approval to move CBOF to the FM band – using a frequency of 90.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 84,000 watts. The new FM transmitter would overcome existing reception problems encountered by CBOF listeners in urban areas, and improve significantly the reception of the station’s service in outlying areas, particularly at night. The CBC noted that the coverage provided by the new FM station would enclose the coverage area of rebroadcasting station CBOF-8-FM Renfrew. As a result, it committed to surrender the CBOF-8-FM licence at the same time it returns the licence for CBOF (AM). 

On January 7, CBOF became CBOF-FM and moved to 90.7 MHz (existing CBOF-FM 102.5 became CBOX). CBOF-AM 1250 was deleted on March 26. CBOF 90.7 operated with an effective radiated power of 84,000 watts from the Camp Fortune, Quebec antenna site.

The Radio-Canada network was renamed “Première Chaîne” on September 1.

As of this year, CBOF operated the following rebroadcast transmitters: CBOF-1 Maniwaki, Quebec, CBOF-4 Rolphton, CBOF-FM-6 Cornwall, CBOF-FM-7 Brockville and CBOF-FM-9 Chapeau, Quebec. Approximately 18 hours of local programming each week originated from the Ottawa studios.

On November 14, 2002, the CBC was granted a transitional digital radio undertaking licence for CBOF-FM. Three transmitters would be used: one would be located at its site at Camp Fortune, Quebec and the other two in Ottawa, one at its building on Lanark Avenue and the other at the Time MCI Las Brisas building. All three transmitters would operate in a single frequency network, using 1482.464 MHz (DRB channel 18) with an effective isotropic radiated power of 5,928 watts, 2,850 watts and 2,965 watts, respectively. The CBC stated that the transmitters would employ the EUREKA-147 digital audio broadcasting system. 

CBOF-DR-1 was opened on March 11.

On September 13, CBC/SRC Ottawa began broadcasting from new studios and offices at 181 Queen Street. Facilities had been scattered around the city. Radio had been in the Chateau Laurier and Television had operated from Lanark Street.

On December 7, CBOF-DR-1 was granted an increase in isotropically radiated power of the Camp Fortune transmitter, from 5,928 to 12,250 watts. Also approved: relocation of their other transmitter – from the former CBC building on Lanark Avenue to Place Bell Canada (downtown Ottawa) and a decrease in EIRP from 2,850 to 2,820 watts.

On May 12 the CRTC renewed the licence of CBOF-FM, including the following transmitters: CBOF-1 Maniwaki, CBOF-FM-9 Chapeau (both Quebec), and CBOF-DR-1 Ottawa, CBOF-4 Rolphton, CBOF-FM-6 Cornwall and CBOF-FM-7 Brockville (all in Ontario).

On August 9, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence of CBOF-DR-1, CBOF-FM (and its transmitters) to August 31, 2011.

In 2010, the CBC had the licenses for its Montreal digital radio transmitters revoked. On January 21, 2011, the CRTC revoked the licenses for the rest of the CBC’s digital radio transmitters across the country – at the Corporation’s request. The revocations included CBO-DR-1, CBOQ-DR-1, CBOF-DR-1 and CBOX-DR-1 Ottawa. There had been a total lack of interest in digital radio by all parties involved.

On August 25, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CBOF-FM and its transmitters to March 1, 2013.

On February 22, the CRTC approved the CBC’s application to modify the technical parameters of CBOF-FM-7 Brockville, in order to change the antenna’s radiation pattern from non-directional to directional, to decrease the average effective radiated power from 2,500 to 791 watts (maximum ERP from 2,500 to 1,495 watts) and to increase the effective height of antenna above average terrain from 100.5 to 151.9 meters. The CBC stated that this amendment was necessary since it wished to use the same antenna for CBOF-FM-7 and CBOB-FM Brockville. 

On February 22, the CRTC administratively renewed the licences for CBOF-FM and its transmitters to August 31, 2013.

On May 28, the CRTC renewed the licence of CBOF-FM Ottawa and its transmitters CBOF-FM-6 Cornwall, CBOF-FM-7 Brockville, CBOF-FM-9 Chapeau, Quebec, CBOF-1 Maniwaki, Quebec, and CBOF-4 Rolphton for a five year term, to August 31, 2018.