CKBY-FM

Rideau Broadcasting Ltd., owner of CJET-AM, received an FM licence. The new station would broadcast on 101.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 47,300 watts (non-directional) and antenna height (EHAAT) of 278 feet.

CJET-FM opened on January 19. The transmitter and antenna were located at the studio building.

Roger Easton was chief engineer.

CJET-FM became CKUE.

On April 23, Eastern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. failed in its bid to acquire 78% of Rideau Broadcasting Ltd. from J.W. Pollie Ltd., J.W. Pollie, J. Sands and C. Simpson.

Andre Bonneau left CJET for CJRC Ottawa where he became chief engineer. He was replaced at CJET by Dennis Disque.

Jack Pollie, President, GM & founder of CJET died.

The transfer of 77.9% of J. W. Pollie Ltd. (owner of Rideau Broadcasting) from the estate of J. W. Pollie to Royal Trust Co., sole executors, was authorized.

The minority shares of the company (those not held by Royal Trust) were transferred to  Patrick Watson, Hal Botham and Clifford Simpson.

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

At a public hearing in October, 1983, the CRTC considered an application for authority to transfer effective control of Rideau Broadcasting Limited (CJET and CKUE-FM), through the transfer of all issued and outstanding common shares from the existing shareholders to CHEZ-FM Inc. (CHEZ-FM Ottawa), which company was controlled by Harvey Glatt of Ottawa. The Commission considered it vital that the distinct local and regional service provided by CJET and CKUE-FM to this region of the Ottawa Valley not be jeopardized and that this orientation be maintained. In this regard, CHEZ-FM Inc. described the area served by the stations “as something that we would intend to serve as a distinct market place, adjacent to, but intrinsically part of the Ottawa Valley, and the programming would set it apart from Ottawa-based stations.” It also stated that “we feel that we have a positive contribution to make to the Golden Triangle in the Ottawa Valley, and that this contribution is certainly within our capabilities.” In addressing the concerns of the Commission and various interveners that these stations might become Ottawa-oriented stations to the potential detriment of the Smiths Falls area, CHEZ-FM Inc. stated: …, we offer the following guarantees to the Commission, in addition to our plain good faith, to be enforced by conditions of licence: First, the studios of CJET and CKUE-FM shall remain in Smiths Falls; Second, CJET and CKUE-FM shall continue to be operated out of Smiths Falls with a local management team and sales force; Third, CJET and CKUE-FM shall offer predominantly local and regional news, information backgrounding and community services; There shall be no shared personnel and facilities between CHEZ-FM and CJET and/or CKUE-FM; There shall be no joint rate card and sales packaging between CHEZ-FM and CJET and/or CKUE-FM. The Commission further noted that CHEZ-FM Inc. had allocated a substantial budget for the provision of new studio facilities and technical equipment both for CJET and CKUE-FM. Chuck Azzarello, general manager of CHEZ, said the new owners would seek a power increase for CKUE-FM, and would retain the present program formats – country for CJET and ‘mellow rock’ for CKUE. In the context of these applications, the licensee submitted revised Promises of Performance for CJET and CKUE-FM contingent upon the deletion of the condition of licence that CJET operate as a CBC affiliate. The Commission was not prepared to consider such amendments until the licensee had concluded an appropriate agreement with the CBC and, therefore, denied the proposed revisions. The Commission expected the licensee to file new Promises of Performance and seek the approval of the Commission at such time as an agreement was reached with the CBC. The transfer of ownership of CJET/CKUE was approved January 17, 1984.

The Commission also approved the applicant’s request to amend the licence of CKUE-FM by moving the transmitter site from Jasper Highway, two miles south of Smiths Falls to Highway 29 and Concession Road 7, Blacks’ Corners, and by increasing the effective radiated power from 47,300 watts to 100,000 watts. The Commission noted that the power increase would virtually double the area served by CKUE-FM, and provide a strong signal into the Ottawa area whereas, at the present time, this signal could only be received reliably via cable. As a result, the service contours of CKUE-FM would overlap those of CHEZ-FM considerably, thus raising implications with respect to the Commission’s long-standing policy which generally prohibited the common ownership of two undertakings of the same class serving the same market in the same language. CHEZ-FM Inc. indicated that there was no appropriate transmitter site in the vicinity of Smiths Falls where the operation of CKUE-FM at full power would not result in the extension of the signal into Ottawa.

Craig Steenburgh became news director at Q-101/CJET. He had been assistant news director at CFGO Ottawa.

CKUE-FM became CHEQ-FM. 

Brian Perkin was program director for Q101 and CJET-AM.

Rob Zso joined CUE 101 from CIHI Fredericton.

An order-in-council by the federal cabinet has forced a new hearing on the Canadian content level to be permitted, specifically on CHEQ-FM. Last November, the CRTC allowed CHEQ to reduce Cancon from 30 to 25% and the playlist from 900 to 800 selections (the station had requested 22% Cancon and a playlist of 650). The Canadian Independent Record Production Association challenged the CRTC’s rationale for departing from the usual method of calculating Canon. A new hearing on the matter was scheduled for June 27.

CHEQ received CRTC approval to drop the money-losing Country music format introduced in 1990 to return to a pop/rock/dance format. Local programming would be reduced from 107 to 42 hours per week.

On March 1, CHEQ “Q Country” became CFMO-FM with the beautiful music format. The format and CFMO call letters had been dropped by Ottawa’s CKKL 93.9. 

Hal Botham died a day before his 61st birthday. Hal was known as the voice of the Ottawa Valley and was in the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame. He started at CJET and then moved on to jobs in Montreal, Cornwall and Ottawa. He had returned to CJET/CFMO and had been the morning host at CFMO-FM at the time of his death.

Thought to be the first deal under the CRTC’s new ownership rules, Rogers Broadcasting announced the purchase of Harvey Glatt’s CHEZ-FM Ottawa and CFMO-FM/CJET Smith’s Falls. Rogers already owned CKBY-FM/CIWW in Ottawa. Glatt, who launched CHEZ 21 years ago, was expected to be named director of Canadian music development at Rogers Broadcasting and be appointed to the board of Rogers Media Inc.

On July 2, approval was given for  Rogers Broadcasting Limited to acquire CHEZ-FM Inc., licensee of CHEZ-FM Ottawa as well as CFMO-FM and CJET Smiths Falls.

On December 31 at 5 p.m., CFMO-FM “Lite 101” with a lite rock format, became “Xfm@101.1” with an alternative rock format.

In June, CFMO-FM changed call letters to CIOX-FM, reflecting its new “Xfm” name. The station made a slight chang in its name from Xfm@101.1 to 101.1 Xfm.

Licenced to Smiths Falls, the station moved its studios this year to Kent Street in Ottawa. Owner Rogers Broadcasting already owned two FM and one AM station in Ottawa. With CIOX-FM in Ottawa, the company was one station over the FM ownership limit. As a result, CIOX-FM was ordered by the CRTC to return to Smiths Falls.

On January 9 at 12 noon, CIOX (Xfm) 101.1 with a rock format became CKBY-FM (Y101) with a country format. CKBY-FM was the co-owned country station in Ottawa at 105.3 (Y105) on the dial and changed its format to CHR/Hot AC as Kiss 105.3.

Early on the morning of December 2nd, Ted Rogers, founder and former Chief Executive of Rogers Communications, owners of CKBY-FM, died at his home in Toronto, after having suffered from congestive heart failure for some time.

CKBY (Y101) announced it would air select Toronto Blue Jays games for the 2011 season to Ottawa & the Valley. The weeknight evening game broadcasts would begin with the season opener April 1 at 7 p.m. 

After 14 years as Mark Papousek’s co-host on Y101 (formerly Y105), Nida Drake left the station. Her position eliminated.

On August 31, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CKBY-FM to December 31, 2011.

After rejoining the Rogers Radio family in North Bay as morning host with EZ Rock in 2010, Joël Lamoureux returned to Ottawa. Y101 welcomed home Joël, who was previously the Music Director. He would now be Program Director and be on-air. He replaced Doug Anderson who retired after 35+ years. 

92.3 JACK FM/Y101 Station Manager/Program Director Doug Anderson retired July 31. He’d been in radio since 1971 and worked with Rogers Radio Ottawa for the past 38 years.

On December 17, the CRTC renewed the licence of CKBY-FM until August 31, 2019.

On July 2, CKBY-FM changed its imaging from Y101 to Country 101.1.

Danny Kingsbury, General Manager for the Rogers Radio stations in Kingston and the Maritimes, added GM responsibilities for the Ottawa cluster in November. This was upon the retirement of Vice President/GM Scott Parsons, a 36-year Rogers vet whose position at retirement was EVP, national capital region, Ontario north and Atlantic Canada. Parsons had been with the Ottawa stations since 1995. Kingsbury, now based in Kingston, would move to Ottawa.

In the spring, Country 101.1 launched 101 Minutes Commercial Free during morning drive.