CHNI-FM
| City of license | Saint John, New Brunswick |
|---|---|
| Branding | Rock 88.9 |
| Slogan | The Rock of Saint John |
| Frequency | 88.9 MHz (FM) |
| First air date | October 11, 2005 |
| Format | Classic rock |
| Owner | Newcap Radio |
| Website | Rock 88.9 |
CHNI-FM is an FM radio station in Saint John, New Brunswick. Owned by Newcap Radio, it broadcasts a classic rock format under the brand Rock 88.9.
History
The station was granted a license by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on November 26, 2004.[1] On October 11, 2005, CHNI-FM signed on as News 88.9 under the ownership of Rogers Media, as part of a three-station news radio network comprising CKNI-FM in Moncton and CJNI-FM in Halifax. As News 88.9, the station also broadcast Saint John Sea Dogs, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Blue Jays games, along with programming from ESPN Radio and Westwood One.
On July 4, 2013, Newcap Radio announced that it would acquire CHNI-FM from Rogers pending regulatory approval, marking the company's entrance into the Saint John market.[2] The acquisition, along with a request by Newcap to allow CHNI to switch from a news/talk format to music, was approved by the CRTC on March 14, 2014.[3]
On July 28, 2014, CHNI flipped to classic rock as Rock 88.9, launching with 30 days of commercial-free music as the station begins to hire on-air talent. Newcap's general manager for the region, David Newbury, stated that the company felt there was a "void" in the market that needed to be filled, and noted that Newcap was hoping CHNI would emulate the success of its sister stations in other Atlantic markets.[4]
Controversy
When CHNI flipped formats from an all-news station to a classic rock station, six employees were terminated and have filed a lawsuit against Rogers and Newcap Radio. [5]
References
- ↑ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2004-520
- ↑ "Newcap Signs Agreement to Acquire CHNI-FM in Saint John,". Newcap Radio. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ↑ "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2014-115: CHNI-FM Saint John – Acquisition of assets, licence amendments and technical changes". CRTC. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ↑ "Saint John gains rock radio station, loses all-talk one". CBC News. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ↑ "Six former employees suing Rogers and Newcap". CBC News. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
External links
- Rock 88
.9 - CHNI history at Canadian Communications Foundation
- Query the REC's Canadian station database for CHNI-FM
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Coordinates: 45°28′39″N 66°13′59″W / 45.47750°N 66.23306°W