CFQM-FM

CFQM-FM
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. Currently it is branded as 103.9 Max FM, a classic hit format. Since 1977, it has had numerous music format: easy listening, middle of the road, country and adult contemporary. From 1979 to 1998, it had a successful country music format.

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, the first license granted on the FM band in Moncton, signed on the air March 1, 1977, with an easy listening format.[2] 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.

In 1979, the Canadian Maritime provinces only had a handful FM terrestrial radio stations: 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 1979, CFQM segued format that of Middle of the Road to Country, and re-branding itself as “CFQM-FM 10-4” (representing its 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 call sign stands for Canada Knows Country and Western (during CKCW's days as a country music station).

Other slogans of CFQM in the 1980s were Country Stereo 10-4 and FM-104 CFQM. Subsequently in the 1990s new country slogans would be the norm until its format changed in 1998.

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 studios. Beside, CKCW-AM was in the lobby of the Assumption Place complex in which the city hall building was part of. Notably, the two stations shared the same newsman/journalist. CKCW-AM studios were visible from the Assumption Place main entrance. Subsequently after CKCW left its downtown location in July 1981, a private French radio station, CHLR-AM, began broadcasting from the former studios in October 1981.[3]
On June 7, 1988, CFQM was granted an increased in power from 24,300 to 70,000 watts.[1] In 1987, Moncton had received a new FM license which brought competition to the Moncton radio market, respectively.

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 2014, CFQMs current on-air personalities: Terry Parker for morning drive, a former on-air staff from 1984 to 1989; Troy Michaels for midday; Mark Roberts for afternoon drive. Mitch, a veteran radio broadcaster and well known in the Moncton market since January 1988, is on weekend mornings.

References

External links

Coordinates: 45°51′06″N 64°48′44″W / 45.85167°N 64.81222°W