CIMO-FM

On March 28, Claude Boulard’s Diffusion CIMO Inc. was licenced to operate a new FM station at Magog. With studios in Magog, the station would also be allowed to serve the Sherbrooke market.

CIMO-FM signed on later in the year. 

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

CIMO was given approval to add a rebroadcast transmitter at Sherbrooke, operating on 106.9 MHz with power of 22 watts.
 
Claude Boulard (owner of CIMO), created CJRS Radio-Media Inc. in order to purchase CJRS-AM from Radiomutuel. 

CIMO-FM purchased a T.E.M. transmitter for the Sherbrooke rebroadcaster.

On February 3, the CRTC approved the applications by Diffusion CIMO Inc. and CJRS Radio-Media Inc. for authority to transfer effective control of CIMO-FM Magog and its rebroadcaster CIMO-FM-1 Sherbrooke, and CJRS Sherbrooke, through the transfer of all common voting shares held by Claude Boulard and other minority shareholders to Radiomutuel (1985) Limitée. In its transfer application, Diffusion CIMO also applied to amend its licence by changing the music format of CIMO-FM and its rebroadcaster from Group I to Group IV and by reducing the level of French-language vocal music in category 5 (Music-General) from 65% to 55%. At the hearing, the Commission also considered an application by Diffusion CIMO to amend the technical parameters of CIMO-FM-1 Sherbrooke. On 28 March 1979 the Commission approved the application by Claude Boulard, on behalf of a company to be incorporated (Diffusion CIMO Inc.) to operate CIMO-FM Magog and on 27 August 1985 it approved the application to operate CIMO-FM-1 Sherbrooke. On 6 June 1985, the Commission authorized the purchase of CJRS Sherbrooke by CJRS Radio-Media Inc., a company controlled by Boulard. This station remained affiliated with the Radiomutuel network. On 12 September 1986, Boulard and the members of his family, subject to Commission approval, sold their shares in the two licensee companies noted above to Radiomutuel. Mr. Boulard indicated at the hearing that the factors contributing to the sale were a change of career direction for him and his belief that the development of these stations would be better assured by a licensee possessing all the necessary expertise and resources. The Commission noted that, as a result of a management agreement concluded in September 1986 and approved by the Commission, the stations were now managed by Radiomutuel. Radiomutuel already operated six French-language radio stations in Quebec as well as a province-wide radio network that provided, among other things, news and public affairs programming. The Commission approved the amendment to the licence whereby CIMO-FM would be operated in the Group IV music format. However, the proposed technical amendments were denied and the licensee was encouraged to examine other technical solutions. 

The CRTC denied Radiomutuel’s application to move the studios of CIMO-FM from Magog to Sherbrooke. The company wanted to make the move so that it could bring the station closer to its young audience, most of whom lived in Sherbrooke. 

CIMO announced its intention to move its studios to Sherbrooke. It would maintain at Magog a well-identified business office and provide on-the-spot and on-the-air coverage of news and local events.

Astral Communications inc. purchased the 50% interest of Radiomutuel not already held.

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 December 22, the CRTC approved the application by Astral Media Radio Inc. to amend the broadcasting licence for CIMO-FM Magog in order to change the authorized contours of its rebroadcasting transmitter CIMO-FM-1 Sherbrooke by increasing the average effective radiated power from 22 to 89 watts, by increasing the effective height of the antenna above average terrain from 95 to 165.3 meters, by changing the type of antenna from non-directional to directional and by relocating the transmitter. The Commission noted that this change would result in a change in the transmitter’s class from that of a low-power unprotected transmitter to that of a protected Class A transmitter. The licensee stated that such changes were necessary to improve the signal quality within the transmitter’s authorized contours and to optimize its usage of the 106.9 MHz frequency.

On May 31, the CRTC renewed the broadcasting licence for the French-language commercial radio station CIMO-FM Magog and its transmitter CIMO-FM-1 Sherbrooke for a short-term period of four years. This short-term renewal will allow the Commission to review the licensee’s compliance with its obligations and conditions of licence at an earlier date. The licence was renewed to 31 August 2013.

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 CIMO-FM.

The ten NRJ stations in Quebec were rebranded as Énergie on August 24. Programming remained Pop Rock hits. CIMO changed from NJR 106.1 to ENERGIE 106.1 (including CIMO-FM-1 Sherbrooke).