CJLT-FM

On January 21, Lighthouse Broadcasting Limited (Scott Raible) was awarded a low-power specialty FM licence for Medicine Hat. The new station would provide mainly contemporary Christian music, and operate at 99.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 48 watts, and antenna height of 31.6 metres.

CJLT-FM “Alive 99.5” signed on the air April 28. Studios and offices were at 901 3rd Avenue S.W.

On December 15, CJLT had its application to change technical operations denied. The station had proposed to move to 93.7 MHz and increase ERP to 2,300 watts. CJLT had also hoped to move its tower from the existing location to the CBC tower in the Cypress County area.

On May 28, Lighthouse Broadcasting was granted a frequency change for CJLT –  from 99.5 MHz to 93.7 MHz. The CRTC also approved an increase in effective radiated power from 48 watts to 2,300 watts, and the relocation of the transmitter with increase in antenna height. 

“Alive 99.5” relaunched as “Power 93 – Today’s Positive Music” on October 20, at 9:37 a.m. Pat Lough, new owner and president of Lighthouse Broadcasting said Medicine Hat’s terrain with the coulees had been a challange for the low power signal. The power upgrade significantly increased the listening audience from being mainly Medicine Hat to include Redcliff, Dunmore, Irvine, Cypress Hills, Seven Persons and Bow Island.

The CRTC approved a change in the effective control of Lighthouse Broadcasting Ltd. from Scott Raible to Patrick Lough, through the transfer of all of the issued shares of Lighthouse to Strive Communications Inc., a corporation controlled by Patrick Lough. Lighthouse was the licensee of the low power Christian music FM radio station CJLT-FM Medicine Hat.

In April Warren Osmond moved from part time afternoon host to the position of General Manager and Program Director. 

On June 30, the CRTC renewed the broadcasting licence for the English-language specialty radio station CJLT-FM Medicine Hat from 1 July 2010 to 31 August 2013. This short-term licence renewal would enable the Commission to review, at an earlier date, the licensee’s compliance with its conditions of licence. In Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2009-786, the Commission stated that the licensee may have failed to comply with its condition of licence relating to contributions to Canadian talent development, for the 2008 broadcast year.

On February 9, the CRTC denied the application by Lighthouse Broadcasting Limited to amend the licence for CJLT-FM in order to delete the station’s condition of licence relating to the broadcast of religious musical selections. The Commission also denied the application to change the frequency of its transmitter from 93.7 MHz (channel 229A) to 103.3 MHz (channel 227C1), to change its authorized contours by increasing the effective radiated power from 2,300 watts to 58,000 watts (non-directional antenna) and by increasing the effective height of antenna above average terrain from 99.5 to 109 metres, and to relocate its transmitter approximately 30 kilometres south of its current broadcasting site. Lighthouse submitted that the proposed technical changes would increase the commercial appeal of CJLT-FM by improving its signal quality in and around Medicine Hat, and would allow fair competition to exist amongst all commercial radio broadcasters in the community. 

At 7:00 a.m., October 15th, Medicine Hat’s local Christian radio station re-launched with a new name, 93-7 Praise FM (had been Power 93.7). With the change came a brand new local morning (6-10 a.m.) show that saw the return of long-time Medicine Hat radio personality, Jeff Michaels (had been with 102.1 The Lounge). “Today’s Family with Beth Warden” followed at 10 a.m., then “The Drive Home with Warren Osmond from 2-7 p.m. In addition to a live morning show, the station
upgraded production values, eliminated older music (succeeded by more contemporary Christian songs) and added new voice imaging. 

The CRTC approved the temporary management and control of Lighthouse Broadcasting Limited, a corporation owned by Strive Communications Inc., by Vista Radio Ltd., a corporation controlled by Westerkirk Capital Inc. Lighthouse was licensee of CJLT-FM. 

The CRTC approved the change to the ownership and effective control of Lighthouse Broadcasting Limited through the transfer of all of the shares in the capital of Lighthouse to Vista Radio Ltd.

Warren Osmond left CJLT in February. Corinne Bolt, became assistant program director/afternoon drive host on April 22. 

Corinne Bolt left CJLT in September. Jeff Michaels assumed the role of Assistant Program Director, and newsman Warren Affleck moved into the PM Drive Show. Newsroom duties were shared by Jeff and Warren.

Warren Affleck left CJLT in December to take on a news position at CJCY. No replacement was hired. Erica Fisher covered afternoon news from Vista’s 2Day FM studios in Grand Prairie.

On April 28, the CRTC denied the application by Vista Radio Ltd. to amend and delete conditions of licence relating to the specialty (Christian music) format of CJLT-FM so that it could operate the station within a distinctive “new-to-the-market” Indie/Alternative music format. The Commission felt these changes would not mitigate the undue financial impact on the incumbent market stations.