CIPC-FM

On February 14, Radio Sept-Iles Inc. (owner of CKCN Sept-Iles) was given approval to operate a new AM station at Port Cartier.

CIPC signed on the air October 4. It broadcast on a frequency of 710 kHz with a power of 1,000 watts. The “PC” in the call sign represented the city of licence.

CKCN and CIPC were given approval to disaffiliate from the CBC.

On August 9, Radio Port-Cartier Inc. was given approval to purchase CIPC from Radio Sept-Iles Inc. At this time, CIPC was noted has having 89 hours a week of locally originated programming. 37 hours a week originated from CKCN Sept-Iles.

CIPC noted as rebroadcasting some programs from CKCN Sept-Iles

On June 22, Jocelyn Dionne was given approval to reduce her ownership interest in Radio Port-Cartier Inc. from 58.34% to 43.75%. Louis Lachance, Berthi Fillion and Jacques Asselin would become new shareholders. Existing shareholder Yvon Savoie would continue to hold an interest. 

CIPC had its licence renewed for only three years as a result of failing to meet minimum required levels of French-language vocal selections.

On September 24, approval came for the conversion of CIPC to the FM band, operating on 99.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 7,400 watts. 

CIPC 710 was replaced by CIPC-FM.

On December 13, approval was granted for the transfer of Radio Port-Cartier inc. from a legal control exercised by Vision Marine inc. to a control exercised by Radio Port-Cartier’s board of directors.

Radio Port-Cartier inc. received approval to increase effective radiated power for CIPC-FM from 13,000 watts to 45,016 watts maximum (7,400 watts to 18,766 watts average).

In February CIPC 99.1 changed format from Adult Contemporary to Contemporary Hits (FM 99 un).

On June 8, the CRTC denied an application by Radio Port-Cartier inc. to change the authorized contours of the radio station CIPC-FM. The Commission received an application by Radio Port-Cartier inc. to increase the authorized contours of CIPC-FM by increasing the average effective radiated power from 18,766 watts to 41,687 watts (maximum ERP from 45,016 to 100,000 watts). All other technical parameters would remain unchanged. The licensee stated that the purpose of the amendment was to improve the quality of the station’s signal. The Commission received two interventions opposing the application from Radio Sept-Îles inc. and CHLC-FM Baie-Comeau. The Commission’s analysis reveals that the licensee has failed to comply with its condition of licence regarding contributions to Canadian content development for the 2008 broadcast year. The Commission further noted that Radio Port-Cartier had failed to comply with section 15(2) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 (the Regulations) for 2009.

On August 31, the CRTC renewed the licence for CIPC-FM Port-Cartier to August 31, 2014. This short-term renewal would allow for an earlier review of the licensee’s compliance with its conditions of licence relating to the broadcast of French-language vocal music, the provision of a machine readable record of the matter broadcast and its Canadian content development contributions. 

In the summer, the CRTC approved the transfer of CIPC from Radio Sept-Iles to Attraction Media.

Attraction Media rebranded CIPC 99.1 from FM 99 UN to O 99.1.

In August, the CRTC approved the change of effective control of Groupe Attraction Radio. The move transferred majority ownership of the company’s 14 Quebec radio stations to Sylvain Chamberland, the company’s executive VP and CEO. He would hold a 50.25% stake in the new ownership structure. Chamberland was recruited by Attraction’s founder Richard Speer in 2011 to set up the radio division.

In January, Attraction Radio became Arsenal Media Group.