CFMM-FM

Central Broadcasting Co. Ltd., owner of CKBI-AM, received a licence for a new FM station at Prince Albert. The new station would operate on a frequency of 99.1 MHz and have an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts. It would offer a Middle of the Road music format. Central Broadcasting was owned by the Rawlinson family.

CFMM-FM signed on the air on January 31. It operated with an album rock format. Jim Scarrow was manager and Bill Armstrong was news director.

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

Jim Scott was appointed news director for CKBI/CFMM-FM. He had been morning news anchor for two years at CFMM.

On May 1, Central Broadcasting was granted a licence for a new FM station at Prince Albert. When the new station went on the air, it was known as CHQX-FM.

On July 9, CFMM was given approval to add a transmitter at Waskesiu Lake, operating on 92.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 58 watts.

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.

On January 21, CFMM was given approval to increase the power for CFMM-FM-1 Waskesiu Lake, from 58 watts to 2,500 watts. The transmitter would also be relocated approximately 7 kilometres south of the current site to an existing tower, owned by SaskTel, located on Delworth Hill in Prince Albert National Park. The proposed changes would result in a better quality stereo signal to certain areas of the park which currently experience poor reception of CFMM-FM.

On May 28, the CRTC renewed the licence of CFMM-FM (and its transmitter CFMM-FM-1 Waskesiu Lake) until August 31, 2016.

Engineering assistant Gemma Howard left Rawlco Radio Prince Albert to become station engineer at MIX 103 FM Fort McMurray.

On December 16, the CRTC approved the application by Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Ltd. (the general partner) and Jim Pattison Industries Ltd. (the limited partner), carrying on business as Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Limited Partnership, for authority to acquire from Rawlco Radio Ltd. the assets of the following radio stations: CKNO-FM Edmonton, CIUP-FM Edmonton, CKBI Prince Albert and its transmitters CKBI-FM La Ronge and CKBI-FM-1 Big River, CFMM-FM Prince Albert and its transmitter CFMM-FM-1 Waskesiu Lake, CHQX-FM Prince Albert and its transmitters CHQX-FM-1 Waskesiu Lake, CHQX-FM-2 La Ronge and CHQX-FM-3 Big River, CJCQ-FM North Battleford and its transmitter CJCQ-FM-1 Meadow Lake, CJHD-FM North Battleford, CJNB North Battleford and CJNS-FM Meadow Lake.