CHWF-FM

Robert Charles Adshead was awarded a licence for a new AM station at Nanaimo. Four competing applications were denied.

Central Island Broadcasting Ltd. opened CKEG on July 1. The station operated on 1350 kHz with a power of 10,000 watts. 

Gary Costello was appointed news director.

News director Beth Leighton left CKEG for CKWX in Vancouver. CKEG’s news director was now Al Webster. Sue Bird became traffic manager. Kathy Baan was now community relations director. Bob Linn became mid-day announcer. He had been with CHRB High River.

Bob Adshead was general manager.

M.G. Stevens became CKEG’s morning man. He had been with CFVR Abbotsford.

Central Island Broadcasting Ltd. (CKEG) and Benchmark Ventrues Inc. (CHUB Nanaimo and CHPQ Parksville) amalgamated.

CHUB was given approval to move to the FM dial and CKEG was granted permission to take over CHUB’s 1570 kHz frequency (with 10,000 watts). CKEG would close its Gabriola Island transmitter site and use CHUB’s existing site at North Cedar.

CHUB-AM became CKWV-FM on January 2. CKEG, with its country format and increased news, took over CHUB’s old 1570 kHz frequency. The corporate merger of CKEG and CKWV resulted in the hiring of five more staff members.

On October 1, CKEG dropped its country format and relaunched with Good Time Oldies.

On June 5, CKEG was given approval to convert to the FM band, operating on 106.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 1,600 watts. 
 
After a test period, CHWF “The Wolf” signed on the air with a commercial-free preview on the evening onf September 28. “Nanaimo’s Rock Authority” officially launched at 6 a.m. on October 1. The format was a mix of classic and modern rock.

On February 15, the AM 1570 towers were toppled and CKEG left the air forever.

On January 19 Central Island Broadcasting Ltd. announced it had changed its corporate name to Island Radio Ltd. to more closely reflect the company’s geographic presence due to expansion north and west on Vancouver Island. 

On November 1, it was announced in a joint press release that Island Radio Ltd. had agreed to sell its six Vancouver Island radio stations (and related assets) to the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group pending approval by the CRTC.

On June 27, the Commission approved 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, to acquire the assets of CHWF-FM and CKWV-FM Nanaimo, CIBH-FM and CHPQ-FM Parksville, CKLR-FM Courtenay and CJAV-FM Port Alberni, from Island Radio Ltd.  The applicant stated that the value of the transaction was $12.5 million. 

Island Radio news director Marlow Weldon left February 3 to be sports director at the Jim Pattison Red Deer group.

Daryl Major left Rock 97.7 Grande Prairie as News Director/morning co-host to become News Director at Island Radio Nanaimo. He left Rock 97.7 in February.