CJDM-FM

On January 21, the CRTC approved the application for a licence for a French-language FM radio station at Drummondville on the frequency 92.1 MHz, channel 221, with an effective radiated power of 3,000 watts. The licence would expire September 30, 1990. Communications Grantham Inc. already operated CHRD-AM in Drummondville. The applicant proposes to provide a complementary local service that would enable it to repatriate listeners from stations serving outside markets. This joint FM station would be operated in the “Group I” music format, with a vocal-to-instrumental ratio of 90/10. The musical selections would be drawn from recent playlists and have at least 65% French-language vocal music. The Commission noted that between midnight and 6:00 a.m. the station would broadcast programming from CHOI-FM Quebec City. The applicant proposed to broadcast 20% foreground programming each week, of which 88% would be produced locally. The proposed programming would include, among other things, music, public affairs and religious material. The news broadcasts would contain 50% local or regional content. The applicant intended to allocate one full-time and two part-time journalists to this service. The news format of the FM station would be different from its joint AM station. 

CJDM-FM commenced broadcasting on August 15.

On June 10, the CRTC denied the applications by Cogeco Inc. to acquire Communications Grantham Inc. (CJDM-FM) and Radio Drummond (1980) Inc. (CHRD-AM). The Commission said Cogeco did not satisfactorily prove that the proposed transfers would yield significant benefits for the community and would not be in the public interest.

Diffusion Power Inc. (Power Corporation of Canada) purchased CJDM-FM from Communications Grantham (Pierre Thibault and nine other shareholders). The station would also change format from soft rock to 60:40 soft:hard rock.

Pierre Gaudreau was named general manager. 

Power Corp. sold Power Broadcasting Inc. to Corus Entertainment Inc.

On January 21, the CRTC approved an exchange of assets between Corus Entertainment Inc. and Astral Media Radio Inc. Corus acquired from Astral: CKAC Montréal, CHRC Québec, CJRC Gatineau, CKRS Saguenay, CHLN Trois-Rivières, CHLT and CKTS Sherbrooke, and CFOM-FM Lévis. Astral  acquired from Corus: CFVM-FM Amqui, CJDM-FM Drummondville, CJOI-FM and CIKI-FM Rimouski, and CFZZ-FM Saint-Jean-Iberville.

On July 6 the CRTC renewed CJDM-FM’s licence until August 31, 2014. Conditions: The licensee shall make a basic annual contribution to Canadian content development. The licensee shall allocate 60% of this basic annual CCD contribution to the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings or MUSICACTION. The Commission notes the licensee’s commitment to devote 3 hours and 14 minutes, including 9 minutes on weekends, to local news. The licensee shall also devote 2 hours and 40 minutes to local weather, sports, culture and entertainment.

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 February 23, the CRTC approved the application to amend the licence for CJDM-FM in order to delete the condition of licence relating to the provision of annual reports on the diversity of musical selections.

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 CJDM-FM.

The ten NRJ stations in Quebec were rebranded as Énergie on August 24. Programming remained Pop Rock hits. CJDM changed from NRJ 92.1 to ENERGIE 92.1.