CKBC-FM

CKBC-FM, Max 104.9, Bathurst

Bell Media Inc.

StationYearFreq.PowerOwner/Info
CKBC-FM2013104.920,000Bell Media
CKBC-FM2002104.920,000Astral Media Inc.
CKBC-AM1999136010,000Telemedia Communications Inc.
CKBC-AM1987136010,000Radio Atlantic Ltd
CKBC-AM1966136010,000Bathurst Broadcasting Ltd.
CKBC-AM19551400250Bathurst Broadcasting Ltd.

1954

Bathurst Broadcasting Co. Ltd. received approval for the operation of an English and French-language AM station. Power would be 250 watts. A frequency was not announced. 

1955

CKBC began broadcasting on April 18. It operated on a frequency of 1400 kHz and had a power of 250 watts. 

CKBC became a member of CARTB (CAB). 

1957

CKBC was owned by Bathurst Broadcasting Co. Ltd. (J. Leo Hachey, Alfred J. Fenwick, Robert C. Eddy and Dr. Charles Houde – 25% each). Leo Hachey was president of the company and CKBC’s manager. CKBC was an independent station with no network affiliation.

1965

By this time, CKBC was operating on a frequency of 1360 kHz and power had increased to 10,000 watts. The station was now a CBC affiliate. J. Leo Hachey was President of Bathurst Broadcasting Co. Ltd. William Winton was manager, Neil McMullen was news director. 

1969

Broadcast News was the main source of news for radio stations in Canada but only a handful at this time were subscribing to BN’s voice (audio) service. CKBC was one of those stations.

1972

Brian Arsenault was at CKBC. Denis Menard left CKBC to work for the CRTC. Don Mabee replaced Manard as music director.

1987

On June 10, authorization was given for the purchase of CKBC from Bathurst Broadcasting Co. Ltd. by Radio Atlantic (CKBC) Ltd. The transaction did not involve any change of effective control but was an intercorporate reorganization. 

1988

Ray Burke was news director.

1989

On November 3,  approval was granted for authority to transfer effective control of Radio Atlantic (CFNB) Ltd. licensee of CFNB Fredericton, Radio Atlantic (CKBC) Ltd. licensee of CKBC Bathurst, and Radio Atlantic (CKCL) Ltd. licensee of CKCL and CKTO-FM Truro, through the transfer of 40% of the common voting shares of Radio Atlantic Holdings Ltd. from Win Trust Ltd. to Force Holdings Ltd. Radio Atlantic is the sole shareholder of Radio Atlantic Management Ltd. which in turn is the sole shareholder of the three licensee companies mentioned above. Force Holdings presently owns 46.7% of Radio Atlantic. As a result of this transaction, Radio Atlantic will be directly controlled by Force Holdings (86.7%), which is ultimately controlled by the Eddy family. 

1997

On April 25, the CRTC approved the purchase from Radio Atlantic (CKCL) Ltd. and Radio Atlantic (CKBC) Ltd. the assets of CKTO-FM and CKCL-AM Truro, and CKBC Bathurst by a numbered company. The transaction constituted a change in control from the Eddy family to a group composed of three individuals. The stations are currently owned by Radio Atlantic Holdings Ltd., and ultimately controlled by the Eddy family through Force Holdings Ltd. The current president and part owner of Radio Atlantic (CKCL) Ltd. and Radio Atlantic (CKBC) Ltd., John Eddy, will remain part owner of the stations through Radio Atlantic (CFNB) Ltd. 

1999

On September 17, the CRTC announced that it had approved a change to the ownership and control of Radio One Ltd. and Radio Atlantic (CIBX) Ltd. through the transfer of all of their issued and outstanding shares to Telemedia Communications Inc. As a result, control of Radio One’s subsidiaries, Radio Atlantic (1997) Ltd. and Carleton-Victoria Broadcasting Co. Ltd. is also transferred to Telemedia. The purchase included CKBC.

2002

On April 19, Astral Media Inc. received approval to acquire effective control of Telemedia Radio Atlantic Inc. from Telemedia Radio Inc. The purchase included CKBC.

On September 12, CKBC had to operate at reduced power because one of its two towers was toppled in a wind storm.

2003

On November 14, Astral Radio Atlantic Inc. was given approval to convert CKBC to the FM band, operating on 104.9 MHz with an effective radiated powerof 20,000 watts. Antenna height would be 46 metres. CKBC-FM would offer an Adult Contemporary music format. The station would continue to broadcast up to a weekly maximum of nine hours of French-language programming.

CKBC chose to move to the FM dial because repairs to the old AM system would be too expensive. The towers, phasing gear and ground wire system had been in place since 1955. The station has been operating at reduced power since 2002 because it lost one of its two towers in a wind storm.

2004

CKBC moved to the FM dial and was known as “Max 104.9”. 

2011

On March 18, the CRTC renewed (administrative) CKBC-FM’s licence until August 31, 2011.

On August 5, the CRTC renewed the licence of CKBC-FM until August 31, 2014. This short-term renewal would allow the Commission to review the licensee’s compliance with the Radio Regulations, 1986 at an earlier date (the licensee may have failed to comply with section 9(2) of the Radio Regulations, 1986 concerning the provision of annual returns for the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 broadcast years). 

On August 31, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CKBC-FM until March 31, 2014.

2013

On June 27, 2013, after a previous such application had been denied in 2012, the CRTC approved an application by Astral Media Inc. to sell its pay and specialty television channels, conventional television stations and radio stations to BCE Inc., including CKBC-FM.

2015

In February, CKBC received CRTC approval to increase ERP from 20,000 to 33,500 watts.

The story continues elsewhere…
Effective September 1st 2019, we will only be adding new material to these station histories in exceptional circumstances. Our intent to chronicle the early days of these radio and television stations has been achieved, and many new sources and technologies, from the CRTC website to Wikipedia, and others, are now regularly providing new information in these areas.

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