CJRS-AM

A. Raymond Crepault applied for a licence to operate a new AM station at Sherbrooke. Crepault was the owner of CJMS-AM in Montreal.

CJRS (“RS” in the calls for Radio Sherbrooke) signed on the air in August.

CJRS was popular right from the start. In it’s first BBM ratings book (shortly after it signed on), it had about 65% of the area audience.

Mutual Broadcasting Ltd. was headed by Raymond Crepault.

Appointments and changes effective January 14: Serges Raymond, who had managed CJRS since it opened in 1967 would now manage CJMS Montreal. Paul-Andre Paradis, CJRS commercial manager, became the station’s general manager. Rene Ouellette, who moved to CJRS after several years as an announcer at CHLT-AM-FM-TV, was named program director and assistant general manager.

CJRS received approval to increase daytime power from 10,000 watts to 50,000 watts.

By this time, CJRS was operating with 10,000 watts on 1510 kHz (with authority to increase daytime power to 50,000 watts).

On August 30, the CRTC approved the following changes: (A) Mutual Broadcasting 1980 Canada Ltd. was authorized to acquire CKMF-FM from Supervox Corp. Ltd. (B) Mutual Broadcasting Ltd. – upon disolution of Mutual Broadcasting 1980 Canada Ltd. and Mutual Broadcasting Ltd., was licensed to continue the operation of CJRP-AM and CHIK-FM (CJRP Radio Provincialle Ltee), CJRS-AM (CJRS Radio Sherbrooke Ltee), CJTR-AM (CJTR Radio Trois-Riviere Ltee) and CJRC-AM (CJRC Radio Capitale Ltee). (C) Amalgamate Mutual Broadcasting 1980 Canada Ltd. (CJMS-AM, CKMW-AM and CFNY-FM), Supravox Corp. Ltd. and Mutual Broadcasting Ltd. into Mutual Broadcasting Canada Ltd. (Radiodiffusion Mutuelle Canada Ltee).

Jean-Luc Meilleur became general manager at CJRS.

CJRS Radio-Media Inc. acquired CJRS Sherbrooke from Mutual Broadcasting Canada Ltd. CJRS Radio-Média Inc. was controlled by Mr. Claude Boulard (60%), owner of CIMO-FM in Magog. The station would remain affiliated with the Radiomutuel network.

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. 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 comapnies 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.

CJRS applied to the CRTC for permission to drop local programming in favour of programs originating from the Radiomutuel network and/or Radiomutuel’s CJMS in Montreal – until December of 1992.

CJRS was given approval to continue rebroadcasting CJMS Montreal and Radiomutuel until August 31, 1995. As it no longer produced local programming, it was not allowed to sell advertising in the Sherbrooke area.

On September 20, Telemedia and Radiomutuel merged their AM operations because they could no longer afford to compete with each other. As a result, they closed CJMS Montreal, CJRP Quebec, CJMT Chicoutimi, CJRS Sherbrooke, CJTR Trois-Rivieres,  and CKCH Hull. All six stations left the air on this date and the licenses were turned in to the CRTC.  The merger produced a new company known as RadioMedia, but the two companies still run their FM stations separately. The CRTC revoked the licences on November 2.