CKTF-FM

On June 2, Radiomutuel (1985) Ltee, owner of CJRC-AM, was given approval to operate a French-language FM station at Hull. The new station would operate on a frequency of 104.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 7,600 watts. Competing applications by Standard Broadcasting and Radio Nord were denied. The new Radiomutuel station would offer a Group IV dance music format (pop and rock), and appeal to the 18-34 age group. The company offered a similar format on its FM stations in Quebec City, Montreal and Sherbrooke. Initially as much as five to seven hours of programming per week may originate with those other stations. The Hull FM would rely extensively on Radiomutuel and CJRC for news services, adding only two full-time reporters.

CKTF signed on the air March 11. It was the second French-language commercial FM station in the Ottawa-Hull market. Until now, CIMF-FM was the only other such station. Jean-Guy Gorley was general manager and Louis-Claude Boulard was program director. Studios and offices were co-sited with CJRC-AM in Gatineau.

CKTF was granted an increase in effective radiated power from 7,600 to 19,000 watts. 

Astral Communications inc. purchased the radio stations owned by Radiomutuel.

CKTF was given approval to operate a transitional digital radio undertaking. Three transmitters were used. One would be located at the CBC’s site at Camp Fortune, Quebec. The other two transmitters were located in Ottawa, one at the CBC’s building on Lanark Avenue and the other at the Time MCI Las Brisas building. All three transmitters operated in a single frequency network, using 1463.280 MHz (DRB channel 7) with an effective isotropic radiated power of 5,928 watts, 2,850 watts and 2,965 watts, respectively. The transmitters employed the EUREKA-147 digital audio broadcasting system.

On August 31 the CRTC renewed CKTF-FM’s licence until August 31, 2011. Condition: The licensee was required to make an annual payment to MusicAction of $5,000.

In August, Astral’s chain of “Energie FM” stations changed their name to “NRJ” (pronounced Energie in French). The change was part of a licensing deal with NRJ-FM in France.

On August 9, the CRTC administratively renewed CKTF-FM’s licence until March 31, 2012.

On November 24, the Commission renewed CKTF’s licence for a short-term period, to August 31, 2015. The Commission found that Astral Media Radio Inc. used montages inappropriately and thus circumvented the Radio Regulations, 1986 with respect to the broadcast of French-language vocal music. Accordingly, the Commission imposed a condition of licence to limit the licensee’s use of montages. 

On June 27, 2013, after a previous such application had been denied in 2012, the CRTC approved an application by Astral Media Inc. to sell its pay and specialty television channels, conventional television stations and radio stations to BCE Inc., including CKTF-FM.

The ten NRJ stations in Quebec were rebranded as Énergie on August 24. Programming remained Pop Rock hits. CKTF changed from NJR 104.1 to ENERGIE 104.1.