CFQM-FM

CFQM-FM is a private Canadian radio station broadcasting from Moncton, New Brunswick on 103.9 MHz and is part of the Maritime Broadcasting System family of radio stations. It has had numerous music format: easy listening, MOR, country and AC. It currently plays classic hits music branded as 103.9 Max FM.

History

Island Radio Broadcasting Co. received approval in 1976 by the CRTC to operate a new FM station at Moncton, using a frequency of 103.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 24,600 watts. Island had requested the 95.7 MHz frequency but the CBC wanted that channel signal reserved for its future use. Island Radio was a division of Eastern Broadcasting Co. Ltd., owner of CKCW-AM in Moncton. EBC merged with MBS in the mid 1980's.

CFQM-FM 103.9 signed on the air on March 1, 1977 with an easy listening format.

Moncton had three broadcasting radio stations in 1977. Privately owned CKCW 1220 AM, CBA, a 50,000-watt clear-channel station at 1070 AM. It was the CBC's clear-channel outlet for the Maritime provinces, and it's French counterpart of Radio Canada, CBAF 1300 AM.

CFQM 103.9 was the first license granted to operate on the FM band in greater Moncton. Also, It was one of handful in the Maritimes on FM in the 1970's besides CFBC-FM, CKWM-FM, CBC Stereo (CBH-FM), CHFX-FM, and C-100 FM. Owing to the mandate, CRTC regulation prohibited the same genre of music to be heard full-time. Late evening and week end blocks were set aside for specialty variety programs such as journals, classical and French music to accommodate the mandate.

In January 1979, CFQM switched formats from Middle Of The Road to Country, calling itself “CFQM-FM 10-4”(representing it’s FM 104 dial position and tying in with the CB radio craze – big with country listeners.) Other slogans which followed in the 1980’s were Country Stereo 10-4, FM-104 and to a mainstream new country logo in the 1990's. CKCW fill in the gap with an afternoon country music block before the music format switch.

CFQM studios are located at 1000 St George Boulevard. Prior to 1981, they were housed at 780 Main Street in the same building where Moncton's municipal city Hall was located until the 1990's. Also, CKCW's studios were in the Assumption Place in downtown Moncton. Both stations shared the same news and sports commentators since the Assumption and 780 Main Street are in the same building complex.

On June 7, 1988, CFQM was granted an increase in power from 24,300 to 70,000 watts.

With its country format, CFQM would amass loyal listeners the 1970's and 1980's. Some of the on-air personality at the time consisted of John Richard, John Bulger, Marty Kingston, Brian Frontain, Jim Armstrong, Rhonda Day, Wayne Spencer, Elliot Price, Rob Thomas, Ernie Steeves, Ken Matheson, Gair Maxwell, Brad Donnelly, Robb Cusack, Garnet Dee, and Terry Parker, respectively.

The country music format was flipped to its sister station CKCW AM in August of 1998, where it had relative success before being phased out when the AM signal switch to FM. Although the 103.9 signal opted for a variety of format change to compete with mainstream genres such as AC. On July 31, 2009, the station flipped from adult contemporary as Magic 104, one of its few formats it held since 1998, to its current programming as 103.9 Max FM.

As of the fall of 2011, CFQM's on-air programming and announcers are Terry Parker for morning drive, formerly of CFQM from 1984 to 1989 during its full market domination. Afternoon drive announcer Matt Rideout from Kentville, NS, and week end with Mitch, a well established Moncton radio personality since 1988. A quote from Mitch's profile on the 1039maxfm.com site,"I have informed, entertained, interacted with and befriended multitudes of people through a variety of radio formats in the numerous markets I've worked in".

External links

• 103.9 Max FM
• CFQM-FM history at Canadian Communications Foundation
• Query the REC's Canadian station database for CFQM-FM