CJQQ-FM

Stations of Northern Broadcasting & Publishing Co. of Timmins were granted licenses to operate FM stations. All would have a power of 250 watts: CHNB North Bay (CFCH-AM), CHKL Kirkland Lake (CJKL-AM), CKRT Timmins (CKGB-AM) and CKEX Peterborough (CHEX-AM). CHNB and CHKL would use RCA equipment. CKRT and CKEX would use General Electric equipment. The Timmins transmitter would operate on a frequency of 94.5 MHz.

CKGB-FM began broadcasting. It’s not believed the CKRT call sign was ever used on-air.

Approval was given for the transfer of 1,530 shares of Northern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. (CFCH, CJKL and CKGB) with no change of control.

CKGB-FM was operating on 94.5 MHz  with a power of 425 watts. The station was a CBC Trans-Canada affiliate and simulcast CKGB-AM 100%. CKGB was owned by Timmins Broadcasting Ltd. (K.R. Thomson 91.46%, C.N. Thomson 8.31%, S.F. Chapman 0.22%, J.J. Stephenson 0.01%).

CKGB remained a CBC affiliate following the consolidation of the Trans-Canada and Dominion networks into a single service.

Between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. each day, CKGB-FM offered programming that was separate from CKGB-AM. 

It was announced that the broadcast interests of Lord Roy Thomson and the late Senator Rupert Davies’ families would be sold to Bushnell TV Co. Ltd. of Ottawa (CJOH-TV). The plan was subject to CRTC approval. The sale would include CKWS-AM-FM-TV Kingston, CHEX-AM-FM-TV Peterborough, CFCH-AM-TV North Bay, CKGB-AM-FM Timmins and CJKL Kirkland Lake.

On July 6, the Thomson and Davies families were given permission to sell their stations to Bushnell Communications Ltd. of Ottawa. The sale included Timmins Broadcasting Ltd., along with stations in Peterborough, Kingston, Kirkland Lake and North Bay. The sale was conditional on the transfer of CFCH-AM-TV North Bay & Cablevue to another party. The sale to Bushnell was never completed.

On December 28, the sale of Northern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. (including CKGB) by Lord Thomson to Jack Schoone, J. Irving Zucker and Robert Ancell  (Eastern Broadcasting) was approved.

CFTI was authorized to increase effective radiated power from 425 watts to 17,220 watts, using a new antenna site.

CFTI was authorized to decrease effective radiated power from 17,220 to 16,670 watts and to increase antenna height.

On February 28, approval was given for the transfer of CJCS Ltd. (CJCS Stratford), Midland-Penetang Broadcasting Ltd. (CKMP Midland), and Orillia Broadcasting Ltd. (CFOR Orillia) by Ranger Communications Ltd., and for the transfer of CKGB/CFTI-FM (Timmins Broadcasting Ltd.) Timmins and CFCH/CKAT-FM (Northern Ontario Broadcasting Ltd.) North Bay by Northern Broadcast Management Ltd. (owned by Eastern Broadcasting), to 93238 Canada Inc. 93238 was indirectly controlled by Philippe de Gaspe Beaubien. He controlled Telemedia Communications. Other shareholders in 93238 Canada Inc. were Ralph Burford (20%) and Keith Campbell (15%). Five per-cent of the shares were issued to senior officers. Keith Campbell was president of the new company, which promised to upgrade news service on the stations and make use of a Telemedia mobile unit to record local talent. Ranger also sold CKDK Woodstock to Gordon V. Marratto.

Following the purchase by Telemedia of Foster Hewitt’s CKFH, and its renaming to CJCL, the Toronto station began feeding newscasts four times a day to the other Telemedia Ontario stations, while exchanging news with the company’s Quebec network.

With the addition of the Ontario stations, Telemedia claimed to be the world’s largest privately-owned broadcast group. President of the Ontario group of stations was John Van de Kamer. Leslie Sole was vice president of programming (Ontario), and Gary Hooper was in charge of engineering for Telemedia Ontario.

On January 11, the CRTC renewed CFTI-FM’s licence until September 30, 1985.

On May 8, CFTI-FM was authorized to disaffiliate from the CBC now that the network’s own transmitter, CBCJ-FM, was on the air in the region.

The corporate name changed from Telemedia Communications Inc. to Telemedia Communications Ontario Inc.

Bob McIntyre was news director at CFTI/CKGB.

CFTI was given approval to change its music format to pop and hard rock from country. Telemedia’s AM station would pick up the country format.

CFTI became CJQQ (“Q92”). 

Gord Williams joined the news department and then left later in the year. 

Announcers included Chris Mask, Dave McLaughlan, and Jamie.

On August 28, CJQQ was granted an increase in effective radiated power from 16,670 to 40,000 watts. 

By this time, CKGB and CJQQ-FM were operating from studios and offices located at 260 Second Avenue.

Sister station CKGB-AM became CKGB-FM. 

Telemedia Radio VP Braden Doerr, most recently vice president of the Ontario regional group, assumed responsibility for the Southern Ontario cluster (London, Hamilton and St. Catharines). Rick Doughty, VP of Telemedia Northern Ontario (Sudbury, North Bay, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Pembroke and Orillia) would continue in that assignment but also added responsibilities as a member of the executive committee of the Ontario division, reporting to Claude Beaudoin, Telemedia executive VP for Ontario region.

On April 19, the purchase of several Telemedia radio and television stations by Standard Radio Inc. was approved, as was Standard’s spin-off of a number of those stations to Rogers Broadcasting and NewCap Broadcasting. Among the stations acquired by Rogers was CJQQ.

Early on the morning of December 2nd, Ted Rogers, founder and former Chief Executive of Rogers Communications, owners of CKGB-FM, died at his home in Toronto, after having suffered from congestive heart failure for some time. 

Garett Chisholme returned to Rogers Radio Timmins as assistant news director. 

Rick Doughty, Rogers Radio vice president and general manager for the company’s Northern Ontario stations (North Bay, Sault Ste Marie and Timmins), and GM at Rogers Sudbury, retired March 31. Doughty was with Telemedia and Rogers for a combined 22.5 years, 12 and a-half of them with Telemedia before it was purchased. He divided his time between, first, North Bay and then Sudbury. 

Peter McKeown was named vice president & general manager Ontario North Radio & GM Sudbury Radio. He would oversee operations of Rogers Radio stations in the Northern Ontario. McKeown had been general manager for North Bay Radio (102 The Fox, 600 CKAT, and 100.5 EZ Rock). He assumed the responsibilities previously held by Rick Doughty, who retired.

Max Major left Rock 92 as morning show host for CJTN-FM Trenton.

Peter McKeown became VP & General Manager for Rogers Radio Northern Ontario.

CJQQ changed its branding from Q92 to 92.1 Rock.