CJMQ-FM

The Radio Club of Bishop’s University began operating a closed-circuit station to serve the campus. It operated as a carrier current station on a frequency of 530 kHz. 

CJMQ Radio Bishop’s Inc. was officially incorporated. A carrier current licence was then issued to David H. Straiton, on behalf of Radio Bishop’s for the use of 550 kHz with power of 30 watts. Students from Champlain Community College would participate in the station and 10% of the programming would be in French.

On April 26, Radio Bishop’s Inc. was granted a licence for an English-language FM campus/community station at Lennoxville, operating on 88.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 25 watts. The station would broadcast 112 hours per week during the school year.

CJMQ-FM began broadcasting later in the year. For some 40 years, Radio Club of Bishop’s University (now Radio Bishop’s Inc.) operated as a campus carrier current station. In later years, this signal was also carried on local cable outlets.

It should be noted that Reginald Aubrey Fessenden (born in East Bolton, QC) was an alumnus of Bishop’s. He, along with American Lee de Forest was responsible for the development of the technology that allowed for the transmission of the human voice. 

On February 18, CJMQ was given approval to increase effective radiated power from 25 watts to 500 watts. 

The power increase went into effect on June 1.

On January 30, CJMQ was given approval to operate as an English-language FM Type B community station. This change would allow the station to qualify for funding from the provincial government. The station would devote some of its broadcast time to programming in French, Spanish, Serbian and Croatian, offer children’s programming, and interviews with community members. CJMQ would also cooperate with CFLX-FM Sherbrooke, a French-language community station, in joint programming initiatives, fundraising events and disc jockey exchanges.

On July 13, CJMQ-FM was authorized to decrease antenna height and relocate the transmitter.

On June 13, Radio Bishop’s Inc. had its license renewed for CJMQ-FM Sherbrooke (formerly Lennoxville). The station was also authorized to increase effective radiated power from 500 watts to 1,670 watts. The increase was needed to get the signal into the low-lying regions of the Eastern Townships. CJMQ-FM was also allowed to change its status to a Type A community radio programming undertaking from Type B. With the revocation of the broadcasting licence issued to radio station CKTS-AM, CJMQ-FM would be the only English-language station other than a CBC station licensed to serve the local market.

On July 4, CJMQ-FM celebrated its move to a new downtown location with an open house party. Formerly located in the basement of a building on the outskirts of town, the new premises were more accessible to the community with good street exposure. CJMQ was now broadcasting from 184 Queen Street in Sherbrooke.