CHLQ-FM

CFCY Ltd. received approval to operate a new FM station at Charlottetown. It would broadcast on a frequency of 93.1 MHz and have an effective radiated power of 25,000 watts. CFCY’s FM station would offer a Country music format. There would also be a high level of news and information programming. CFCY Ltd. was a division of Eastern Broadcasting Co. Ltd.

CHLQ-FM signed on the air in March. It had a country music format and was Eastern Broadcasting’s seventh radio station. CHLQ was known on-air as “Q-93”.

On August 16, Gerald L. Kennedy, on behalf of a company to be incorporated, was authorized to acquire CHLQ-FM from CFCY Ltd. The new company would continue to be a subsidiary of Eastern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. (83%).

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

When The Financial Post came out with its “The 100 Best Companies to Work For in Canada”, only one radio operation was named – CHLQ/CFCY!

On December 3, the CRTC approved the sale of 90% of Eastern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. (nine stations, including CHLQ and CFCY) through the transfer of 84% of its issued shares to Maritime Broadcasting Co. Ltd., (wholly owned by Maclean-Hunter Ltd.). The managers of the individual stations would hold a 6% interest in their respective operations and Jack Schoone would hold 10%. Eastern had been equally owned by J. Irving Zucker and Jack Schoone. Schoone would become president of Maritime, as well as of Eastern.

Sports Rap, a program originating at CHLQ-FM, was being offered to stations across the country. Six stations in Ontario and five in British Columbia had applied to the CRTC for permission to carry the program.

Eastern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. and Maritime Broadcasting Co. Ltd. merged to form Maritime Broadcasting System Ltd.

Don Mabee became program operations manager of Q93/CFCY. He had been with K100 in Saint John.

On June 27, CHLQ-FM Broadcasting Limited (division of Maritime) was given approval to increase effective radiated power from 25,000 watts to 75,000 watts and to relocate the transmitter site. 

CHLQ’s studios are listed at 141 Kent Street.

The power increase approved in 1989 went into effect.

On April 4, CHLQ received approval to change its format from Country to Adult Contemporary. The Country format would move to co-owned CFCY-AM.

The CRTC permitted Maritime and Newcap to enter into an LMA involving CFCY and CHLQ-FM and Newcap’s CHTN. Both broadcasters were experiencing financial hardship in a difficult Charlottetown market, and considered that their economic viability would be better protected through the sharing of their facilities and administrative and sales resources. Maritime acted as manager and the LMA stipulated that each licensee would be responsible for making, supervising and controlling decisions related to programming, particularly news. The two companies entered the LMA in August. CHTN sold its studio building and moved in with CFCY/CHLQ-FM.

On December 19, the CRTC approved the transfer of effective control of Maritime Broadcasting System Ltd. (including CFCY and CHLQ), through the transfer of all the issued and outstanding Class M common shares and Class S common shares of Maritime from Key Radio Limited to a numbered company (2337017 Nova Scotia Ltd.) made up of an investor group, including Maritime Broadcasting President Mervyn Russell, along with Robert Pace and J. Gerald Godsoe. This transaction also comprises all or part of the remaining minority shares which Key Radio Limited may have acquired prior to the closing date of the transaction. This followed the purchase of Maclean Hunter Ltd. (Maritime’s parent) by Rogers Communications Ltd.

It was announced that five people would be laid off by the end of the year at jointly operated Q93, CFCY, and CHTN. 

The Local Marketing Agreement between Maritime and Newcap in Charlottetown came to an end on May 31.

Co-owned CFCY moved from the AM band to FM.

On August 31, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CHLQ-FM until March 31, 2012.

On March 20, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CHLQ-FM to August 31, 2012.

CHLQ-FM changed format from Classic Hits / Oldies (Magic 93) to Classic Rock (Q93). The station was now serving up 24/7, a rock cocktail of Classic Tracks and the Best of Today’s Prime Cuts. 

On August 28, the CRTC administratively renewed CHLQ-FM’s licence to December 31, 2012. On December 19, the licence was renewed to August 31, 2019.