CJNS-FM

Northwestern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. received approval to operate an AM station at Meadow Lake, operating on 1240 kHz with a daytime power of 1,000 watts and night-time power of 250 watts. The new station would originate some programming with the remainder coming from co-owned CJNB in North Battleford.

CJNS 1240 signed on the air on November 1.

On January 17, CJNS was granted a night-time power increase from 250 to 1,000 watts.

On May 19,Northwestern Radio Partnership was authorized to acquire CJNB North Battleford and CJNS Meadow Lake from Northwestern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. Both Northwestern Broadcasting and Northwestern Radio Partnership were ultimately controlled by Gordon S. Rawlinson.

On January 7, the CRTC approved applications by Rawlco Radio Ltd., on behalf of Northwestern Radio Partnership for authority to acquire the 51% interest held by 587680 Saskatchewan Ltd., in the partnership. The partnership operates CJNB and CJCQ-FM North Battleford and CJNS Meadow Lake. The members of the partnership, 587680, Dekkerco Holdings Ltd. and 587681 Saskatchewan Ltd., currently hold respectively 51%, 31%, and 18% of the partnership’s voting interests. The effective control of the undertakings would not change as a result of this transaction. Since Rawlco and 587680 are both wholly-owned subsidiaries of Rawlco Enterprises Ltd., control of the partnership would remain with Mr. Gordon S. Rawlinson.

On November 30, Northwestern Radio Partnership (587681 Saskatchewan Ltd., Dekkerco Holdings Limited and Rawlco Radio Ltd.) was authorized to convert CJNS Meadow Lake to the FM band. The station would operate on 102.3 MHz with an effective radiated power of 45,000 watts. The antenna would be on the CBC tower with a height of 157.6 metres. The new station would maintain CJNS’Country music format, as well as its local programming including news, weather, sports and community information. The station would provide 30 hours of local programming each week, consisting of 6 hours per day, Monday to Friday, the same amount currently offered by CJNS. The remainder of the programming would continue to originate from CJNB North Battleford.

It should be noted that the CJNS studios and offices at this time were located at 225 Centre Street in Meadow Lake.

On June 11, the CRTC approved the applications by Rawlco Radio Ltd., 587681 Saskatchewan Ltd. and 591666 Saskatchewan Ltd., partners in a general partnership carrying on business as Northwestern Radio Partnership, and by Rawlco, 587681 Saskatchewan, 101155515 Saskatchewan Ltd. and 101155510 Saskatchewan Ltd., the subsequent partners in Northwestern Radio Partnership, for authority to effect a multi-step corporate reorganization affecting the ownership of CJCQ-FM, CJHD-FM and CJNB North Battleford and CJNS-FM Meadow Lake. The corporate reorganization will be implemented as follows: Step 1 – The partners of Northwestern Radio Partnership currently consist of Rawlco, 587681 Saskatchewan and Dekkerco Holdings Ltd. Dekkerco, which holds 31 voting units (31%) and 50 equity units (50%) in the partnership, will be wound up (The Commission notes that although the multi-step reorganization involves a change of partners, the partnership under which they carry on business remains the same [i.e., Northwestern Radio Partnership]) into its parent corporation 591666 Saskatchewan. As a result, 591666 Saskatchewan will hold the 31% voting interest and the 50 equity units in the partnership. Upon surrender of the broadcasting licences issued to the current partners, the Commission will issue new licences to Rawlco Radio Ltd., 587681 Saskatchewan Ltd. and 591666 Saskatchewan Ltd., partners in a general partnership carrying on business as Northwestern Radio Partnership. Step 2 – 591666 Saskatchewan, a corporation owned by David Dekker (100% of the voting shares and 80% of the non-voting shares) and Harry Dekker Jr. (20% of the non-voting shares), will transfer its voting and equity units in Northwestern Radio Partnership as follows: 40 equity units and all of its voting units (31%) in the partnership to 101155515 Saskatchewan (wholly owned by David Dekker); and 10 equity units in the partnership to 101155510 Saskatchewan (wholly owned by Harry Dekker Jr.). Following the above transfers, 591666 Saskatchewan will be wound up into 101155515 Saskatchewan. As a result, 101155515 Saskatchewan and 101155510 Saskatchewan will become partners in Northwestern Radio Partnership with Rawlco and 587681 Saskatchewan. Upon surrender of the broadcasting licences issued as part of Step 1, the Commission will issue new licences to Rawlco Radio Ltd., 587681 Saskatchewan Ltd., 101155515 Saskatchewan Ltd. and 101155510 Saskatchewan Ltd., partners in a general partnership carrying on business as Northwestern Radio Partnership. The Commission further notes that this multi-step corporate reorganization will not affect the effective control of the broadcasting undertakings, which will continue to be exercised by Rawlco, a corporation ultimately controlled by Gordon S. Rawlinson.

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

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

On April 24, the CRTC approved the applications by Rawlco Radio Ltd. on behalf of itself and two of its partners in the Northwestern Radio Partnership, namely 587681 Saskatchewan Ltd. and 101155515 Saskatchewan Ltd., for authority to effect a multi-step corporate reorganization involving the assets of the radio programming undertakings CJCQ-FM, CJHD-FM and CJNB North Battleford and CJNS-FM Meadow Lake. The proposed corporate reorganization would be executed in three steps, each requiring the issuance of licences: Step 1 – Transfer of all equity units (non-voting) held by 101155515 Saskatchewan (40 units) and 101155510 Saskatchewan (10 units) in the Partnership to 587681 Saskatchewan. As a result, 101155510 Saskatchewan would no longer be a partner. Step 2 – Transfer of all voting units (31%) held by 101155515 Saskatchewan in the Partnership to Rawlco. As a result, 101155515 Saskatchewan would no longer be a partner. Step 3 – Transfer of all equity units and all voting units held by 587681 Saskatchewan in the Partnership to Rawlco. As a result, the Partnership would be dissolved and Rawlco would become the licensee of the broadcasting undertakings. Subsequent to this multi-step corporate reorganization, the control of the undertakings would continue to be exercised by Rawlco Inc. As part of the applications, Rawlco also requested that the Commission renew the licences for CJHD-FM and CJNS-FM, which were administratively renewed to 31 August 2018.

On December 16, the CRTC approved the 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, for authority to acquire from Rawlco Radio Ltd. the assets of the following radio stations: CKNO-FM Edmonton, CIUP-FM Edmonton, CKBI Prince Albert and its transmitters CKBI-FM La Ronge and CKBI-FM-1 Big River, CFMM-FM Prince Albert and its transmitter CFMM-FM-1 Waskesiu Lake, CHQX-FM Prince Albert and its transmitters CHQX-FM-1 Waskesiu Lake, CHQX-FM-2 La Ronge and CHQX-FM-3 Big River, CJCQ-FM North Battleford and its transmitter CJCQ-FM-1 Meadow Lake, CJHD-FM North Battleford, CJNB North Battleford and CJNS-FM Meadow Lake.