CFMC-FM

CFMC-FM signed on the air on December 12. Owned by General Broadcasting Ltd., the station operated on a frequency of 103.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 6,020 watts. CFMC broadcast in stereo. Donald Mackenzie was President and General Manager. CFMC-FM was an independent station with no network affiliation.

On February 12, General Broadcasting was given approval to move CFMC’s studios from 401 Canada Building to 1221 – 8th Street East.

General Broadcasting Ltd. was denied an AM licence on July 20. They had planned to use 1370 kHz with a power of 10,000 watts.

In the spring, Dave Degenstien moved from CKCK-AM Regina (where he had been a news writer and announcer) to become News and Public Affairs Director at CFMC.

On December 24, General Broadcasting was again denied an AM licence (1370 kHz with 10,000 watts). A licence was awarded to Roy H. Currie who had competed with General in the 1972 round as well.

With a new FM policy on the way from the CRTC, CFMC-FM was classed as an “independent” station. It was one of only two commercial FM stations in the entire country that operated without an AM counterpoart. The other station was CFGL-FM in Laval (Montreal).

Dave Degenstien left CFMC to accept a position in the provincial civil service.

The CRTC approved the sale of CFMC to Gerald Fraser and N. M. Rudniski. The new owners already made improvements and planned to build a new production facility and further upgrade the station technically.

Approval was granted to transfer shares in General Broadcasting Ltd. from N. M Rodniski to G. C. Fraser.

On January 11, the CRTC renewed CFMC’s licence until September 30, 1985.

On May 21, the sale of CFMC-FM by General Broadcasting Ltd. to Rawlco Communications Ltd. was approved, as was the change of frequency from 103.9 MHz to 95.1 MHz. Effective Radiated Power would increase from 6,020 watts to 100,000 watts. The transmitter and antenna would be moved to the transmitter site of new sister station, CKOM-AM. Under the new ownership, CFMC’s format would be Progressive Rock.

In May, CFMC-FM and the other Rawlco Saskatoon stations relocated to a new state of the art studio building overlooking the South Saskatchewan River.

Ottawa August 30, Rawlco Communications Ltd., on behalf of a company to be incorporated was authorized to acquire CJME and CIZL-FM Regina, and CKOM and CFMC-FM Saskatoon from Rawlco Communications Ltd. The new licensee would be Rawlco Communications (Sask.) Ltd.

On July 26 the CRTC approved applications by Rawlco Capital Ltd., submitted on behalf of 614546 Saskatchewan Ltd., Central Broadcasting Company Limited and Rawlco Radio Ltd., to effect an intracorporate reorganization within the Rawlco Group of corporations. The corporate reorganization involved the following transactions: a) the transfer of 100% of the Common A voting shares of 614546 from Rawlco Inc. to Lobstick Investments Inc., a corporation ultimately owned and controlled by Gordon S. Rawlinson; b) the transfer of 100% of the Common A voting shares of CBCL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of G. Rawlinson, to Lobstick; and c) the transfer of 100% of the Class B voting shares of RRL from G. Rawlinson to Lobstick. RRL is currently owned equally by G. Rawlinson and Lobstick, each holding a 50% interest. Following these transactions, the applicant proposed to amalgamate the licensee corporations 614546, CBCL and RRL under a new licensee corporation, Rawlco Radio Ltd.; and to wind up Rawlco Inc. into Rawlco Capital Ltd., which currently owns 89.18% of Lobstick. These two transactions do not require Commission approval. 614546 is the licensee of CJDJ-FM Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. CBCL is the licensee of CKBI (AM), CFMM-FM and CHQX-FM Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. RRL is the licensee of CFMC-FM, CKOM (AM) Saskatoon; CIZL-FM, CJME (AM) and CKCK-FM Regina, Saskatchewan. The Commission notes that the transactions will result in a transfer of effective control of 614546, CBCL and RRL to Lobstick. However, ultimate control will remain in the hands of Gordon S. Rawlinson.

CFMC changed format from Hot AC to CHR, keeping the “C95” name.  

On May 28, the CRTC renewed the licence of CFMC-FM until August 31, 2016.

Carissa Donaldson, general manager/general sales manager at CJAT-FM/CKKC/ CFKC left in February to take a sales job with Rawlco Radio Saskatoon as of March 1. 

Dave Scharf left as morning co-host at C95 and moved to Ottawa. He’d been with the station for 20 years and his last day at C95 was April 21. Former C95 morning show co-host Lisa Rendall died at age 46. Harvard Yorkton senior broadcast engineer Stew Ogilvie moved to Rawlco Saskatoon’s engineering team.