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English Radio in Quebec

Chronological Master List of Quebec's English-Language Radio Stations

by Melanie Fishbane and Mary Vipond
 

ANQ-JJS-13-radio-ogive

Advertisement for the Victor Talking Machine Co. of Montreal, ca.1924-1930 (161 K)

   Sound clips

 

Receiving set from ca. 1924-1930, Victor Talking Machine Co. of Montreal

(179 K)

 

Chronological Master List of Quebec's English-Language Radio Stations

 

 

1922: CFCF-AM Montreal.  Opened by the Marconi Company as one of Canada's first broadcasting stations (previously an experimental station with call letters XWA).  Closed 1992 when bought out by Mount Royal Broadcasting; wavelength given to CIQC-AM.

 

CHYC-AM Montreal.  Owned by Northern Electric Co. Officially closed 1932.

 

1925:  CNRM-AM Montreal.  A CNR phantom station; closed 1932.

 

First canadian broadcast coast to coast (68 K)

La Presse, July 1977

Presse-50ans.jpg (69631 octets)

 

1928: CNRQ-AM Quebec City.  A CNR phantom station; closed 1932.

 

1930: CFCF affiliates with the American network NBC.

 

1933 to 1935: The Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC) sets up the following stations:

             CRCM-AM Montreal

             CRCK-AM Quebec City

             CRCS-AM Chicoutimi

All of these stations broadcast bilingually: network English programs part of the time French network programs (produced mainly at CRCM) part of the time.  Some English network shows were also sent to private CRBC-affiliated French-language stations CHNC New Carlisle and CKCH Hull.

            Initially CRCM shared studio facilities in the King's Hall Building with             CFCF.

 

1936/7:  All the CRBC stations were replaced by CBC stations in late 1936   and early 1937 (CBM-AM in Montreal).

 

1940: CFCF begins experimental FM broadcasting under call letters CFCX-FM.  Station opens (as CFCF-FM) in 1947; the programs were the same as those on CFCF-AM.  Some separate programming was authorized in 1949; became separate FM station, CFQR-FM, in 1966.

Advertisement for CFCF (40 K)

    

 Advertisement for CJAD (19 K)

CJAD-CanBT

 

1945: CJAD-AM Montreal founded by Quebec radio pioneer J. Arthur Dupont; authorized to begin simultaneous broadcasting as CJAD-FM in 1948.  Separate FM programming authorized in 1961; becomes separate FM station, CJFM-FM, in 1976.

 

1946: CKVL-AM Verdun.  (Some sources list 1953 as founding date).  Bilingual station in 1950s and 1960s; now French-language.

 

 Advertisement for CKVL (53 K)

 

1949: CKTS-AM Sherbrooke; currently only re-broadcasts CJAD programming

           CJNT Quebec City; call sign changed to CJQC in 1953 and to CFOM in 1964


1953: CJQC Quebec City (See 1949)                                 

Advertisement for CJQC

CJQC


1960: CFOX-AM Pointe Claire; closed 1979.

  CJAD-AM purchased by Standard Radio Ltd. (owners of CFRB Toronto)

 

1963:  CFCF fails in its attempt to sell out to Radio Futura Ltd.

 

1963:  CKGM-FM Montreal.  Becomes CHOM-FM in 1974.  Owned by Toronto-based CHUM Ltd. after 1987.  Programming changes over the years from MOR (middle-of-the-road) to good music to underground to progressive contemporary to progressive to AOR (album-oriented rock or dance).

1964:  CFOM Quebec City (See 1949)

1966: CFQR-FM begins broadcasting as separate station.  (See above, CFCF).  Programming changes over the years from all-Canadian to contemporary to easy listening to adult contemporary.

 

1969: CKGM-AM Westmount.  Owned by Toronto-based CHUM Ltd. after 1987.  Changes call letters to CHTX-AM in 1989; to CKIS-AM in 1991; back to CKGM-AM in 1998 when it reopens after the ice storm.  Programming changes over the years from MOR to contemporary standard to contemporary talk to MOR to contemporary hit to lite rock/less talk to news/talk to favourites of yesterday and today.

 

1970: Rod Dewar creates controversy on CJAD during the October Crisis  

 

1975: CINQ-AM Montreal.  Multilingual. 

 CFCF-AM investigated by CRTC after it circulates petition against Bill 22

 

1976: CJFM-FM (Mix 96) begins broadcasting as separate station (see above, CJAD).                      

 CBM-FM (CBC Radio Two)

 CFOM Quebec City ceased in 1976

 CBVE Quebec City

 

1977: CKO-AM Montreal.  Part of cross-Canada all-news network. Closed  1982.

 

1979: CIMO-FM Magog.  Owned by Astral.  Now French-language.

 

1980: CBON-AM  Maniwaki.  An English-language CBC station; closed 1991.

 

1981: CRSG-AM Montreal.  Campus station, Concordia University. Changed to CIRL-FM in 1988.

  CKRK-FM Kahnawake (Mohawk and English programming).

 

1985: CFRM-FM Montreal.  Campus station, McGill University.  Changed to CKUT-FM in 1988.

 

1987: CFIM-FM Cap-aux-Meules.  Listed as a bilingual station until 1995, when   it became a French-language station.

CHCR-FM Montreal.  Hellenic Voice of Canada.  (English/Greek/French programming).

 

1990: CJMQ-FM Lennoxville.  Campus station, Bishop's University.

 

1992: CIQC-AM Montreal replaces CFCF-AM.   End of one of the few call signs continuously in existence since Canadian broadcasting began in 1922.  CIQC begins as a country and western station, changes in 1996 to talk. Changes call sign to CINW in late 1999 and format to all-news.

 

The above list is the most accurate possible listing of English-language radio stations in Quebec since 1922.  There are some discrepancies in the information available from the original sources, especially concerning the precise date when stations first went on the air, which may have led to some inadvertent errors.  The authors would be grateful for any information to correct or supplement this list.

 

Early cartoon showing C.P. Edwards, Director of the Canadian government's Radio Branch   (124 K)

Canadian Wireless, December 1921

 

 

The principal sources used to compile this list were the following:

 

Canadian Wireless, 1922-1924

Radio News of Canada, 1925, 1928

Report of Special Committee on Radio Broadcasting, 1932, Appendix 8

Report of Standing Committee on Radio Broadcasting, 1946, pp. 165-73 

Canadian Almanac and Directory, 1948-1999

Canadian Broadcaster, 1965-1999

Matthews Media Directory, 1998

 

 

English-language and Multilingual Radio Stations in Operation in Quebec in 1999/2000

 

CBVE-FM  Quebec City  (CBC; 104.7 FM)

 

CFMB-AM  Montreal  (multilingual; 1280 AM)

 

CFQR-FM  Verdun  (Mount Royal Broadcasting; adult contemporary; 92.5 FM)

 

CHCR-FM  Montreal  (English/Greek/French; 106.5 FM)

 

CHOM-FM  Montreal  (CHUM Ltd.; album-oriented rock; 97.7 FM)

 

CINQ-FM  Montreal  (multilingual; 102.3 FM)

 

CINW-AM  Verdun  (Mount Royal Broadcasting; all news; 940 AM)

 

CIRL-FM  Montreal  (Campus station; Concordia University)

 

CJAD-AM  Montreal  (Standard Broadcasting; news/talk; 800 AM)

            (CKTS-AM Sherbrooke also listed as an operating transmitter)

 

CJFM-FM  Montreal  (Standard Broadcasting; adult contemporary; 95.9 FM)

 

CJMQ-FM  Lennoxville  (Campus station; Bishop's University)

 

CKGM-AM  Montreal  (CHUM Ltd.; favourites of yesterday and today; 990 AM)

 

CKRK-FM  Kahnawake  (English/Mohawk; adult contemporary/country; 103.7 FM)     

 

CKUT-FM  Montreal  (Campus station; McGill University)

 

CBM-Radio One  Montreal  (CBC; 88.5 FM)

 

CBM-Radio Two  Montreal  (CBC; 93.5 FM)

 

Note 1: Stations CFIM-FM Cap aux Meules, CHAI-FM Chateauguay and CHIP-FM Fort-Coulonge also report that they provide limited English-language programming

 

Note 2: There are also approximately 43 CBC re-broadcast transmitters that provide English-language programs from CBM-AM, CBM-FM and CBVE-FM to remote communities throughout Quebec.

 

 

Sources: Matthews Media Directory, March 1999; Montreal Gazette, May 7, 2000, p. C9.


Projets réalisés
English Radio in  Quebec

CFCF: The Early Years of Radio (see also Anecdotes...)

CFCF before the Massey and Fowler Commissions of the 1950s

In the Name of the "Public Interest": CFCF and some Controversies...

A Brief History of CJAD

Relations among the English Stations in Montreal

Chronological Master List of Quebec's English-Language Radio Stations
Galerie d'images / Gallery Extraits sonores / Sound Clips  

 

 

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Mise à jour le 29 juillet 2004 

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