CFQM-FM
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| City of license | Moncton, New Brunswick |
|---|---|
| Branding | 103.9 Max FM |
| Slogan | Moncton's Greatest Hits! |
| Frequency | 103.9 MHz (FM) |
| First air date | March 1, 1977 |
| Format | Classic hits |
| ERP | 70,000 watts |
| Callsign meaning | Canada's Finest Quality Music |
| Owner | Maritime Broadcasting System |
| Sister stations | CKCW-FM, CHOY-FM |
| Website | 103.9 Max 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 since 1979: easy listening, country and AC. Currently it has a classic hits format a segued from Adult Contemporary, which the station had from 1998-2009. With this new format, it is 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 national public broadcaster CBC wanted that channel signal reserved for its future use in the region.
Island Radio was a division of Eastern Broadcasting Co. Ltd. (EBC), owner of CKCW-AM in Moncton. EBC merged with Maritime Broadcasting Systems in the 1980s.[1]
CFQM 103.9 was the first license granted on the FM band in Moncton, which was launched in the fall of 1977 with an easy listening format. At the time, Moncton had three radio stations. Privately owned sister station CKCW-AM; CBA-AM, a 50,000-watt clear-channel CBC public network station outlet; and CBAF-AM, the French counterpart of the CBC/Radio-Canada network for Atlantic Canada.
The Canadian Maritime provinces only had a handful of terrestrial radio station on FM frequency in the 1970s: CFBC-FM, CKWM-FM, CJCB-FM, CBC Stereo (CBH-FM), CHFX-FM, and C100-FM. Owing to the CRTC mandate, it 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 which abided by its licence requirements and agreements.
In January of 1979, the CRTC granted CFQM to segued format that of Middle of the Road to Country, and re-branding itself as “CFQM-FM 10-4” (representing it’s FM 104 dial position and tying in with the CB radio craze – big with country listeners). Prior to the country music format changed, sister station, CKCW-AM, fill in the gap with an afternoon country music block throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Coincidentally its called signs stand for Canada Knows Country and Western (during CKCWs' days as a country music station).
Other slogans which would followed in the 1980s was Country Stereo 10-4, FM-104 and subsequently new country branding in the 1990s.
The MBS Radio group studios, which currently comprises three terrestrial stations in Moncton, are located at 1000 St George Boulevard. Although from 1977 to 1981, 780 Main Street (City Hall building in the 1970s through 1990s) housed CFQM radio station studios. Beside, CKCW-AM was in the lobby of the adjacent building, Assumption Place, in downtown Moncton. Notably, the two studios windows were visible from the corridor. These studios would eventually housed a private French radio station, CHLR-AM, from 1981 to 1985.[2]
On June 7, 1988, CFQM was granted an increased in power from 24,300 to 70,000 watts.[1]
Former on-air staff
Country Music format (1979 to 1998)
- John Richard a.k.a. JR (1980-?/Morning show)
- John Bulger (News 1980-?)
- Marty Kingston (Sports 1980-1982)
- Brian Frontain (1979-?/Midday)
- Jim Armstrong (1979-1981/Afternoon)
- Rhonda Day (1980-1981/Evenings)
- Wayne Spencer (News)
- Elliott Price (1981-1982/Evenings/Week-end)
- Rob Thomas (1981/Evenings)
- Ernie Steeves (1982-1984/Evenings)
- Roxanne (1983)
- Gary Crowell (Management and on-air staff)
- Ken Matheson
- Gair Maxwell (Sports)
- Brad Donnelly (Mid 80s/Afternoon)
- Ruth MacEachern (1986-1987/Evenings) Later with CHTN Charlottetown
- Robb Cusack (90s Mornings)
- Terry Parker (1984-1989/Evenings)
- Garnet Dee (1984-?/Midday)
- Jeanne MacDonald
Adult Contemporary format (1998...)
- Larry Christian
- Mel Sampson
- Tony Smith
Current format (1998–present)
CFQM-FM's country music format flipped to its AM sister station CKCW in August 1998, thereof its AM channel (1220 kHz) became idle in 2001 when CKCW migrated to the FM dial as K-94. Subsequently, the 103.9 signal opted for lite to adult contemporary formats. Therein, the station format flipped from adult contemporary as Magic 104, one it held since 1998, to its current Classic hits programming as 103.9 Max FM on July 31, 2009.
As of 2012, CFQMs current on-air personalities: Terry Parker for morning drive, a former on-air staff from 1984 to 1989; Mark Roberts for afternoon drive; Matt Rideout from Kentville, NS for weekend afternoon drive; and Mitch, a veteran radio broadcaster who has been part of the Moncton radio waves since 1988, for weekend morning drive.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dulmage, Bill (October 2011). "CFQM-FM history". Canadian Communications Foundation. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CHLR_(AM)
External links
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Coordinates: 45°51′06″N 64°48′44″W / 45.85167°N 64.81222°W