CIME-FM

Colette Chabot, on behalf of a company to be incorporated (Diffusion Laurentides Inc.) received a licence for a new FM station to serve Ste-Adele and the Laurentians area, south of Montreal. As the requested 99.5 MHz frequency (with effective radiated power of 50,000 watts) would likely interfere with CINQ-FM Montreal (7 watts at 99.3 MHz), Chabot was to consult with the Department of Communications regarding a possible change of frequency. In the end, CINQ-FM was authorized to move to 102.3 MHz. The new Ste-Adele station would use 99.5 MHz.

CIME-FM signed on the air on March 25. It served the Laurentians area, north of Montreal. The word “cime” meant summit or top. CIME’s program theme was relaxation and leisure. It had an easy listening format with 85% of the music devoted to Quebec artists. The transmitter was located three miles north of Ste-Adele on Mont-Sauvage, the second highest peak in the Laurentians after Mont-Tremblant. CIME was authorized to transmit on 99.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 50,000 watts. It used a CCA 25 kW transmitter and 4-bay Dielectric antenna. Programming was fed from the studios to the transmitter by STL.

Later in the year, the CRTC approved a revised ownership structure for CIME-FM. Colette Chabot increased her holdings to 52% and Dr. I. P. Ogue acquired a 27% interest. 

On October 2, Diffusion Laurentides Inc. received authorization to change the antenna site for CIME-FM from Mont-Sauvage, Val-Morin to Echo Lake, north of St-Jerome. Approval was also granted for CIME to add a rebroadcast transmitter at Val-Morin on a frequency of 104.9 MHz with effective radiated power of 3.9 watts.

CIME-FM-1 Val-Morin was launched. 

On January 11, the CRTC renewed the licence of CIME-FM Sainte-Adèle and CIME-FM-1 Val-Morin until September 30, 1985.

Since early June, CIME-FM was providing a new and unique service to area listeners. Every day from 11:00 a.m. to noon and 4:30 to 8:00 p.m., the station was broadcasting background sound designed to repel mosquitoes! CIME’s news director Chris Cote said the sound of the male mosquito was recorded under the supervision of acoustic biologists, and then played back on a continuous tape. 

On July 29, CIME had its licence renewed but the CRTC expressed the concerns of the Department of Communications regarding technical issues. CIME-FM-1 was being used as the originating station with CIME-FM operating as the rebroadcast transmitter. Unauthorized technical parameters were being employed in the use of CIME-FM-1. The station was also using SCMO without authorization. The CRTC recently licenced an FM station to Radio Lachute (1980) Inc., operating on 104.9 MHz. As a result, CIME-FM-1 would have to seek an alternate frequency.

On the same date, approval was granted for the transfer of 325 common shares from Colette Chabot to Gilles Lajoie; the issuance of 157 common shares from the share capital of the company to Gilles Lajoie; and the subsequent transfer of all of the shares held by Chabot and Lajoie to their respective numbered companies. The ownership structure of Diffusion Laurentides Inc. would now consist of 114338 Canada Inc. (Gilles Lajoie) 56.2%, 114993 Canada Inc. (Colette Chabot) 19.1%, Jean-Pierre Hogue 24.5% and Guy Dagenais 0.1%.

Jean-Pierre Coallier’s Radio MF C.I.E.L. (1981) Inc. took control of Diffusion Laurentides Inc., owner of CIME-FM Sainte-Adèle and CIME-FM-1 Val-Morin. It was planned to extend CIME’s coverage to St-Jovite, and as the result of the licensing of a station at Lachute on 104.9 MHz, CIME-FM-1 would move to 102.9 MHz.

CIME-MF-1 Val-Morin was granted a frequency change, from 104.9 to 102.9 MHz.

Diffusion Laurentides inc. was given approval to change the frequency for CIME-FM from 99.5 to 103.9 MHz;  to decrease effective radiated power from 50,000 to 630 watts;  to relocate the studios from Sainte-Adèle to Saint-Jérôme;  and to add a transmitter at Mont-Tremblant, operating on 101.3 MHz with an effective radiated power of 800 watts. 

Radio MF C.I.E.L. (1981) inc. (owner of Diffusion Laurentides inc.) was purchased by Métromédia CMR inc.

The corporate name changed to Diffusion Métromédia CMR inc.

Corus Entertainment Inc. purchased Belcand Mount Royal Holdings Inc., owner of Metromedia CMR Broadcasting Inc. (Diffusion Métromédia CMR inc.)

CIME-FM was granted an increase in ERP from 630 to 11,700 watts.

On April 30th, Corus Entertainment Inc. announced that they had reached an agreement with Cogeco Inc. for Cogeco to purchase the Corus Quebec radio stations: CKOI-FM , CKAC-AM, CHMP-FM and CFQR-FM Montreal , CFOM-FM102.9 and CFEL-FM Quebec City, CJRC-FM Gatineau , CIME-FM St-Jérôme, CHLT-FM and CKOY-FM Sherbrooke, and CHLN-FM Trois Rivieres.
The deal would be subject to CRTC approval. 

On December 17, the CRTC approved the transfer of various commercial radio programming undertakings from Corus Entertainment Inc. to Cogeco inc. The Commission received an application by Corus Entertainment Inc., on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiaries 591991 B.C. Ltd. and Metromedia CMR Broadcasting Inc., to transfer their shares and effective control from Corus to Cogeco inc. or one of its wholly owned subsidiaries (the proposed transaction). 591991 B.C. was the licensee of the French-language commercial radio programming undertakings CFOM-FM Lévis, CFEL-FM Lévis/Québec, CHLT-FM and CKOY-FM Sherbrooke, CKAC Montréal, CJRC-FM Gatineau and CHLN-FM Trois-Rivières. Metromedia was the licensee of the French-language commercial radio programming undertakings CKOI-FM Montréal, CHMP-FM Longueuil, CIME-FM Saint-Jérôme and its transmitters CIME-FM-1 Val-Morin and CIME-FM-2 Mont-Tremblant, and CFQR-FM Montréal, an English-language commercial radio programming undertaking. Following the proposed transaction, effective control of 591991 B.C. and Metromedia would be exercised by Cogeco, a corporation controlled by Gestion Audem inc. Consistent with the revised guidelines for the application of the Policy, the Commission determines that CIME-FM Saint-Jérôme would not count towards the calculation of the number of French-language radio stations operated by Cogeco in the Montréal market in light of the small population found in the overlapping area between its principal service area and the Montréal market as determined by BBM Canada. Accordingly, the Commission considered that the acquisition of CIME-FM by Cogeco was in compliance with the Policy and did not raise any other concerns. 

In late summer, CIME (103.9) and CIME-FM-1 (Mont-Tremblant) dropped their local Adult Contemporary format and joined Cogeco’s “Rhythme FM” Hot AC group of stations.

On August 31, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CIME-FM and its transmitters CIME-FM-1 Val Morin and CIME-FM-2 Mont-Tremblant until March 31, 2012.

On March 20, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CIME-FM and its transmitters CIME-FM-1 Val Morin and CIME-FM-2 Mont-Tremblant to August 31, 2012. On August 28, the licence was administratively renewed to December 31, 2012.

In November, Henri Audet, founder of Cogeco cable died at age 94. Trained as an engineer, Audet left a job at the CBC to launch a TV station in Trois-Riviére. He sold his house and raised $100,000 from friends and other investors as seed money. From that single television station the company became Canada’s fourth-largest cable company and one of Quebec’s largest media companies. Audet served as president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters from 1961 to 1964, and was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1984. Control of Cogeco Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries was held by Gestion Audem Inc., a holding company whose shares were held entirely by the members of the family of Henri Audet.

On December 21, the CRTC renewed the licence of CIME-FM St-Jérôme and its transmitters CIME-FM-1 Val-Morin and CIME-FM-2 Mont-Tremblant to August 31, 2019.

On December 19, the CRTC approved an application by Cogeco Diffusion inc. for authority to acquire from Cogeco Diffusion Acquisitions inc., as part of a corporate reorganization, the assets of CFOM-FM Lévis, CKOY-FM Sherbrooke, CKOB-FM Trois-Rivières, CKOF-FM Gatineau, and CIME-FM Saint-Jérôme. Cogeco Diffusion inc. was wholly owned by Cogeco Diffusion Acquisitions inc., which in turn was wholly owned by Cogeco inc.

In April, CIME became available in HD via CFGL-FM-HD3.