CJMT-AM

J.O. Masse applied for a 250 watt AM station on 1450 kHz. The application was deferred by the CBC Board. Later in the year, J.O. Masse, G. Demers and L. Lagace each applied for a new French language AM station at Chicoutimi. Each applicant had sought different frequencies. The applications were deferred. The CBC promised to rule on the matter at its next meeting. The applications were heard again and J.O. Masse was granted a licence – using a frequency of 1450 kHz with full-time power of 250 watts. The applications by G. Demers and L. Lagace were denied.

CJMT began broadcasting February 28. It was owned by CJMT Ltee and was independent with no network affiliation. The Canada Labour Relations Board certified NABET as bargaining agent for units of employees at CKRS Jonquiere and CFGT Alma. The board also ordered a representation of employees by NABET at CJMT Chicoutimi. Later in the year, NABET was named bargaining agent for employees at CJMT.

CJMT was owned by CJMT Ltee. (J. O. Masse 33.2%, C. W. Tremblay 33.2%, Pierre Tremblay 0.2%, M. Houle 0.2% and C. Vallancourt 33.2%). J. O. Masse was president of the company and J.-Marcel Houle was CJMT’s manager. He was also program director.

CJMT moved from 1450 kHz to 1420 kHz and increased power from 250 watts to 1,000 watts. A single directional antenna pattern was used for day and night operation. CJMT received approval to operate a standby transmitter.

The transfer of 254 common shares of CJMT’s parent company was approved. Pierre Tremblay was president of the company and CJMT’s manager.

On April 11, CJMT Ltee was granted a power increase to 10,000 watts day and 2,500 watts night (directional at night).

The CRTC denied the transfer of control of CJMT to La Groupe de la Baie Inc. The commission was not satisfied the financial resources were sufficient.

On January 27, the CRTC approved the application by Radio Chicoutimi Inc. for authority to acquire the assets of radio station CJMT Chicoutimi from Mr. Rosaire Boivin, in his capacity as agent for the trustees, General Trust of Canada and Caisse Desjardins de Financement de Chicoutimi. The Commission issued a licence to Radio Chicoutimi Inc. expiring December 31, 1988. In recent years CJMT had experienced serious financial problems which, for a period of time, resulted in the closing of the station. On October 28, 1982, the Federal Business Development Bank, as the secured creditor of C.J.M.T. Ltée, the licensee company, decided to realize the securities obtained under trust deeds and took possession of the licensee company’s assets in accordance with those trust deeds. As agent for the creditors, Mr. Rosaire Boivin received temporary authority from the Commission to manage operations and to administer the assets of the station to ensure continuity of service until a potential buyer was found. After taking possession of the assets of C.J.M.T. Ltée, General Trust of Canada leased the assets of CJMT, with promise of sale, to Mr. Pierre Tremblay, a shareholder and director of the applicant company proposing to purchase the assets of CJMT. Radio Chicoutimi Inc. would be owned by a group of shareholders from Chicoutimi and Mr. Pierre Tremblay would be the company’s chief executive officer. The Commission considered that the experience and achievements of Mr. Tremblay, who had held administrative positions at CJMT for many years, provided guarantees of sound future management and a sensitivity to local and regional needs. The Commission acknowledged the efforts and measures taken and the results achieved during the past year to return the station to a sound financial position. It also noted the productive approach to programming, evidenced by an increase in the number of locally-oriented special programs, and a more active participation by the station in the promotion of regional talent. The Commission also noted that four journalists had been hired on a permanent basis for the coverage of local and regional news. The applicant indicated at the hearing that the station’s music programming consisted of approximately 60% current hits and 40% former hits. With respect to the legal proceedings in Superior Court concerning the assets of C.J.M.T. Ltée, referred to in Mr. Jean Aubin’s intervention, the Commission considered that these proceedings were a matter to be dealt with between third parties and that they concerned it only indirectly, insofar as a decision of the Court could result in Mr. Rosaire Boivin not having the power to transfer the assets of C.J.M.T. Ltée on behalf of the trustees. There was no Court order requiring the Commission to suspend its decision until the Court handed down a ruling. Therefore, under the circumstances, the Commission did not consider that the issue before the Court justified the Commission withholding its decision. On February 13, the CRTC approved the application by Télémédia Communications Inc. for a French-language AM radio network licence consisting of CKAC Montreal and CJMT Chicoutimi, for the purpose of broadcasting the open-line program “Vie de Couple”, Mondays to Fridays from 1:45 PM to 3:15 PM and “Roger Baulu”, a program of interest to senior citizens, which would be broadcast weekly, on Sundays from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM.

CJMT was given approval on September 17, to increase night-time power from 2,500 watts to 5,000 watts.

On October 24, Pierre Tremblay, on behalf of a company to be incorporated, received a licence for a new FM station at Chicoutimi. The new company would be 60% owned by Télémédia Communications Inc. and five other regional shareholders, four of whom were also shareholders of Radio Chicoutimi Inc. (CJMT). The new FM was licensed as an independent, but because CJMT was involved in the ownership, the FM would be operated jointly with the AM, making use of its new facilities.

CJMT was going through a period of transition in anticipation of the start-up of CFIX-FM. Early in the year, CJMT had changed from a mostly music format to one offering predominantly spoken word programming with music in the evenings. On January 8, the CRTC approved the affiliation of CJMT to the French-language AM radio network “Réseau des Nordiques” to be operated by Les Entreprises de Radiodiffusion de la Capitale Inc. for the purpose of broadcasting the hockey games of the Quebec Nordiques. 

On September 7, approval was given for the transfer of effective control of Radio Chicoutimi Inc. (CJMT), through the transfer of 30,000 common voting shares from Pierre Tremblay and Georges Abraham (33 1/3% each), Nicol Poitras (25%), and Lise Bergeron (8 1/3%) to Télémédia Communications Inc. Télémédia, was controlled by  Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien and his family, and held 60% of the voting shares in CFIX-FM, Chicoutimi.

Radiomutuel and Telemedia announced plans to put their two Saguenay region AM stations under one management roof. The agreement was designed to ensure the survival of the stations. CJMT and CKRS would continue to have separate programming. Although the two stations would be affiliated with different networks (CJMT with Telemedia and CKRS with Radiomutuel) a single management would administer the stations. The newsrooms would be combined, making it one of the largest news services in the Saguenay region. The newsroom’s primary function would be to serve the two stations, but it would also act as a regional newsroom, feeding both networks. On August 21, Telemedia’s application to have CJMT’s programming originate from CKRS Jonquière rather than from studios in Chicoutimi was denied. The CRTC rejected the management model proposed in the application providing for the amalgamation of the newsrooms of the two competing AM stations serving the Saguenay region, CKRS and CJMT. The stations were urged to cooperate where possible, but to continue to provide the region with varied information services.

On September 30, Telemedia and Radiomutual merged their AM operations because they could no longer afford to compete with each other. As a result, they closed CJMT, along with CJMS Montreal, CJRP Quebec, CJRS Sherbrooke, CJTR Trois-Rivieres, and CKCH Hull. The CRTC revoked the licences on November 2. In the case of CJMT, it has just had its licence renewed on August 23.