CHIK-FM

On November 5, CJRP Radio Provinciale Ltee (a division of Radiodiffusion Mutuelle 1980 Canada Ltee., which was owned by Civitas Corp.), owner of CJRP-AM, received a licence to operate a new FM station at Quebec City. CJRP was advised to seek a frequency other than 103.3 MHz because of possible interference problems. Telemedia’s CKCV-AM was also granted a new FM licence. Both applicants had FM applications turned down in the past.

On Jul 22, CJRP was authorized to change the frequency of CHIK-FM from 103.3 MHz to 98.9 MHz and to reduce effective radiated power from 100,000 watts to 41,000 watts.

CHIK-FM 98.9 signed on the air on August 1 with an easy listening format…said to be Quebec’s first beautiful music station.

On August 30, the CRTC approved the following changes: (A) Mutual Broadcasting 1980 Canada Ltd. was authorized to acquire CKMF-FM from Supervox Corp. Ltd. (B) Mutual Broadcasting Ltd. – upon disolution of Mutual Broadcasting 1980 Canada Ltd. and Mutual Broadcasting Ltd., was licensed to continue the operation of CJRP-AM and CHIK-FM (CJRP Radio Provincialle Ltee), CJRS-AM (CJRS Radio Sherbrooke Ltee), CJTR-AM (CJTR Radio Trois-Riviere Ltee) and CJRC-AM (CJRC Radio Capitale Ltee). (C) Amalgamate Mutual Broadcasting 1980 Canada Ltd. (CJMS-AM, CKMW-AM and CFNY-FM), Supravox Corp. Ltd. and Mutual Broadcasting Ltd. into Mutual Broadcasting Canada Ltd. (Radiodiffusion Mutuelle Canada Ltee).

Yves Guerrard, previously president of Radio Mutuel’s Montreal operations, was now responsible for the company’s FM stations in Montreal, Quebec and Trois-Rivieres.

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

On August 28, approval was granted for the transfer of effective control of Mutual Broadcasting Canada Ltd. (CHIK-FM and CJRP Quebec City, CKMF-FM and CJMS Montreal, CJTR Trois-Rivières, CJRC Gatineau and the Radiomutuel network), through the transfer of all of the issued and outstanding shares from Radiomutuel Inc., the parent company of Mutual Broadcasting Canada Limited, to Communications Radiomutuel Inc., a corporation ultimately controlled by Normand Beauchamp and Paul-Emile Beaulne. Radiomutuel Inc. and Communications Radiomutuel Inc. would then amalgamate into one company, to be known as Communications Radiomutuel Inc., and a share issue of subordinate Class A voting shares of the amalgamated company, representing an aggregate consideration of $12 million, would be offered to the public. Ultimately, the ownership structure of Communications Radiomutuel Inc. would be as follows: 130170 Canada Inc. (a holding company owned equally by Beauchamp and Beaulne) 63.4%, and the public, 36.6%. The company had been owned by the family of the late Raymond Crepault. Before the sale, Normand Beauchamp was the company’s president and Paul Emile Beauline was executive vice president. 

Astral Communications inc. purchased Radiomutuel inc. 

On November 6 the CRTC gave CHIK-FM a short-term licence renewal to August 31, 2006. The Commission analysed the programming broadcast by CHIK-FM during the week of 7 to 13 March 1999. The analysis revealed that 53.5% of the category 2 musical selections broadcast between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, were French-language vocal music. This finding constitutes an infraction of section 2.2(10) of the Radio Regulations, 1986. The Commission notes that a second analysis of CHIK-FM’s programming, specifically that broadcast during the week of 12 to 18 November 2000, revealed that the licensee had complied with the Radio Regulations with respect to the broadcast of French-language vocal music. Given that this is the first such infraction by the licensee, the Commission renews the licence.

In August, Astral’s chain of “Energie FM” stations changed their name to “NRJ” (pronounced Energie in French). The change was part of a licensing deal with NRJ-FM in France.

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 CHIK-FM.

The ten NRJ stations in Quebec were rebranded as Énergie on August 24. Programming remained Pop Rock hits. CHIK changed from NRJ 98.9 to ENERGIE 98.9.

CHIK changed its format from CHR to Talk during the day and CHR (ENERGIE) at night.

In June, Bell dropped the daytime talk programming on ENERGIE 98.9 due to poor ratings. The station became mainstream rock 24 hours a day.