1923
On April 1, Dr. Clem Davies of the Centennial Methodist Church opened CFCL on 410 meters with 500 watts of power.
1924
CFCL's studios moved from the church to the Fletcher Brothers store on Douglas Street.
1925
CFCL changed to 910 kHz with 500 watts. CFCL carried on as a full-time religious station until 1925 when Dr. Davies left the church. George Deauville obtained a new license for the station, moved the transmitter downtown, changed the call letters to CFCT, and began operating it as a commercial station. The studios moved from the Fletcher store to the top floor of the Toronto Dominion Bank building on Douglas St.
1928
CFCT switched from 910 to 630 kHz. Power remained at 500 watts.
1931
Studios moved from the TD building to the Central Trust building on View Street.
1933
CFCT changed from 630 to 1430 kHz. Power was reduced to 50 watts.
Lawrence Dillibaugh joined CJVI.
1935
CFCT moved from 1430 to 1450 kHz with 50 watts.
Lawrence Dillibaugh left CJVI.
1937
Ed Fairey started his radio career at CFCT. F. R. Halhed joined CFCT.
1938
Listing: CFCT 1450 kHz 50 watts.
1939
Around this time, David M. Armstrong joined the CFCT staff as technician and announcer. Bud Munro joined CFCT from CKMO Vancouver.
1941
Under the Havana Treaty, CFCT moved from 1450 to 1480 kHz (Class III-B) on March 29. Power was 500 watts.
The Victoria Colonist purchased CFCT on October 1, then sold 50% to Taylor, Person & Carson Ltd., thereby forming The Island Broadcasting Co. The Colonist was owned by Jim Matson and family. TP&C managed the station. CFCT became CJVI. The "VI" in the calls: Victoria, or Vancouver Island.
F. R. Halhed left for CBC Vancouver.
1942
M.V. "Ches" Chestnut became CJVI's manager. He left the east on March 31, where he had been the former manager of CKOC Hamilton and latterly in All Canada's Toronto office.
1944
George Walton, June Beavan, Vern Groves, Bob Willet and Dick Batey worked in CJVI's news department. Sheila Graves had a program on the station. Bud Munro left to return to CKMO Vancouver.
Barry Wood left CJVI as production manager to become a freelance announcer-actor-scripter in Toronto. Isabel Stewart was appointed promotion manager, succeeding R.C. "Rob" Willet who left for CFPR in Prince Rupert.
George Walton left CJVI for the production department at CKOV in Kelowna. In February, Bud Munro returned from Vancouver's CKMO. In October, he left for Toronto.
CJVI changed frequency from 1480 to 900 kHz in May. To mark the change the station aired a special program - "Farewell to 1480".
1946
Charles Smith, former production manager at CJVI, was appointed assistant chief engineer at CKWX Vancouver.
Al Collins did sports on CJVI. Ruddy Hartman was an announcer. Vicki Stamford was copy editor. Tom O'Neill joined the CJVI announce staff. He had worked in the past with CFGP and CKUA in Alberta. Athlete Art Chapman was handling play-by-play of Victoria Athletics baseball games over CJVI. Ed Smith left CJVI for CKWX Vancouver. Charlie Smith, production and technical man at CJVI, also moved on to CKWX. Daryl Wille joined the CJVI announcing staff. Bill Rapanos joined the CJVI announce staff from CHAB in Moose Jaw.
Like so many other stations, CJVI had been suffering a floor space shortage. The station obtained a few hundred square feet in another building. A 12-station inter office communication system was set up between the two CJVI buildings.
1947
Ralph Pashley did commentaries on CJVI. M.V. Chestnut was manager and Lee Hallberg was commercial manager. Vernon Grove left CJVI as assistant production manager to joine the announce staff at CKWX Vancouver.
CJVI was planning the construction of two 250 foot towers at a new transmitter site with the view of increasing night-time power to 1,000 watts. The station now had 1,000 watts during the daytime, but to avoid interference at night with CKBI Prince Albert (SK) and Mexican border stations, power was reduced to 1,000 watts. The directional antenna was expected to provide better reception on Vancouver Island besides protecting other stations.
Ted Reynolds joined CJVI as announcer/operator from CFJC Kamloops. Jack Kyle left CJVI's production department for the announce staff at CKWX.
1948
Lee Hallberg was sales manager. Dick Batey was production manager.
1951
Ted Reynolds was sports director.
The CBC approved the transfer of 297 common shares in Island Broadcasting Co. Ltd.
Taylor, Pearson & Carson Ltd. took control of CJVI.
1952
CJVI moved its transmitter site from Portage Inlet to Cedar Hill Road. Power increased to 5,000 watts. Studios moved from the Central Trust Building to the second floor of the Imperial Optical building at 817 Fort Street.
Bill Guild left CJOC Lethbridge as manager to take up the same post at CJVI. He replaced M.V. Chestnut who moved to All-Canada's Winnipeg office. Chestnut had been manager from April, 1941 to December of this year. Chief announcer Laurie Dillabaugh passed away late in the year.
Cameron Perry joined CJVI from CJOC Lethbridge where he had been for 17 years.
1953
CJVI's manager W.M. Guild announced plans for an immediate start on construction of new studios which could be used for either radio or TV. The station had applied for a TV licence six years ago, and Guild was hoping that application might soon be considered. He added that the station needed new space whether it went into TV or not. The new facility was opened later in the year and Premier
W.A.C. Bennett was on hand for the opening.
Cam Perry was assistant manager. Jim Taylor was president of Island Broadcasting Co. Ltd.
Taylor, Pearson & Carson Ltd. acquired the one-half interest in CJVI held by the Victoria Colonist. J.M. Taylor continued on as president of the reorganized company and manager Bill Guild became vice president.
1954
CJVI was granted a power increase to 5,000 from 1,000 watts. The power increase took place later in the year - just one day before CKDA increased its power.
In December, Cameron Perry left for CJCA Edmonton.
1955
Bob Switzer was on the air. Mabel Laine was director of the advertiser service department. Jim Bogyo, Maury Gwynne and Earle MacLeod did news. Bill Guild was manager. Lundy Sanderson was an announcer. Roy Parrot was an operator. Ted Reynolds was a sportscaster.
1956
Fred Usher, production manager at CJVI was appointed local sales manager and Dick Batey, news, sports & special events editor, became production manager.
CJVI 900 applied to increase power from 5,000 watts full-time to 10,000 watts day and night.
1957
The CBC Board of Governors approved a power increase for CJVI - from 5,000 to 10,000 watts.
CJVI increased power from 5,000 to 10,000 watts in April.
1958
ACMO - the All-Canada Mutually Operated stations set up a radio news bureau in August. The bureau channelled news from Ottawa by telegraph, telephone and tape recorder. Stations using the service: CJVI, CKWX, CJAT, CJCA, CFAC, CFGP, CJOC, CKCK, CKRC and CKOC.
Ad: CJVI leads in 24 of 36 half-hour periods in Victoria (McDonald survey - May/58).
1960
Manager Bill Guild was named B.C. director of Broadcast News. Dave Hill was appointed to the staff of Radio 9 CJVI.
1963
Transmitting facilities moved to Strongtide Islet, off Oak Bay.
Gord Williamson was news director at CJVI.
1964
Approval was given by the BBG in March to move the transmitter site.
1965
Selkirk Holdings becomes a publicly traded company.
1969
Ken Goddard was manager.
Broadcast News was the main source of news for radio stations in Canada but only a handful at this time were subscribing to BN's voice (audio) service. CJVI was one of those stations.
1970
On December 31, Island Broadcasting Co. Ltd. was given permission to transfer 150 common shares from Sussex Management Associates Ltd. to Selkirk Holdings Ltd. This increased Selkirk's ownership in CJVI from 75 to 100%.The management of Sussex was closely associated with Selkirk.
1979
CJVI became known as “VI-90” on January 22.
1981
John Ansell
John Ansell
CJVI president John Ansell, was elected president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.
1983
On July 21, approval was granted for the transfer of 200 Class B voting shares of Selkirk Communications Ltd. from Southam Inc. to John T. Ferguson, and subsequently, the transfer of these shares from Mr. Ferguson, together with 200 Class B shares from each of seven other individual shareholders, to the Canada Trust Co., pursuant to a voting trust agreement. Southam held 20% of the voting shares and approximately 28% of the non-voting shares of Selkirk Communications. Selkirk owned the following broadcast companies: Selkirk
Broadcasting Ltd.(12 radio stations), Lethbridge Television Ltd., Calgary Television Ltd., and Niagara Television Ltd.
1984
CJVI began broadcasting in stereo in January. CJVI dropped its long-time country format for a mix of adult contemporary and nostalgia.
News and talk pioneer Walter Rutherford retired.
1984-85
Kim Hesketh became news director at CJVI.
1985
Kim Hesketh was named program director and Haydn Thomas became news director.
A full-time adult-contemporary format was adopted.
1986
Barry Fontayne joined CJVI as general sales manager. He had been at C-FAX.
1987
John Ansell retired as general manager. He was succeeded by Kim Hesketh, who had been in broadcasting since 1972 and has been news director, program director and operations manager at CJVI.
Jeff Hamilton was CJVI's program director. He had been with Selkirk's CKKS-FM in Vancouver.
1987-88
Ken Geiger became CJVI's program direcotr. He had been with CFGP Grande Prairie.
1989
On September 28, the CRTC approved Maclean-Hunter Ltd.'s purchase of Selkirk Communications and for the transfer of CJVI and several other stations from MH Acquisition Inc. to Rogers Broadcasting Ltd.
1990-91
CJVI received approval to end its affiliation with the CBC, even though the network was not ready to open its own station in Victoria. Because of budget cuts, the CBC shelved its plans for a local outlet in the city. CJVI had been carrying only 1.5 hours a week of network programs when it applied to drop its affiliation. CBC programming could still be heard in Victoria via CBU 690 from Vancouver.
CJVI and Rogers Broadcasting presented a $50,000 grant to the Camosun College Foundation. The grant was to be used to help in the start-up of a low power FM station at the college. The cheque was presented to Camosun president Dan Cornish by Gary Miles, executive vice president of Rogers, and Kim Hesketh, vice president of CJVI.
1991
On January 10, the CRTC approved the application to amend the licence for CJVI by deleting the condition of licence which required the station operate as part of the CBC English-language AM radio network. The CBC advised the Commission that it planned to apply within the next year for a broadcasting licence to provide the full CBC English-language AM radio network service to Victoria. CJVI dropped its CBC affiliation later in the year.
1992
Dick Batey, who began in radio in 1939 at CJVI when it was still CFCT, passed away in September. At CFCT he did hockey play-by-play, news commentaries, and was also a member of the B.C. press gallery. He later became program director and assistant manager. Batey left the industry in 1967.
1997
Barry Bowman announced he was leaving CFAX after 28 years and heading to CJVI. His replacement at CFAX was Steve Ivings. Kim Hesketh, VP and GM of CJVI/The Ocean, said the FM station had done so well in its first year that the company could put some resources into the AM operation. B.J. Bennett will move from mornings to another shift with the arrival of Bowman.
CJVI became known as "AM900 - Victoria's Information Super Station" on April 1 - it's 74th birthday. The program format changed from oldies to news-talk. General Manager Kim Hesketh said AM900 would intersperse talk throughout the day and use sister station CKWX Vancouver's newswheel format in the overnight's (midnight-six). Robin Adair moved from CHEK-TV to host a two-hour talk show following morning host Barry Bowman. CJVI would now simulcast sister station CKWX Vancouver between midnight and six a.m. Other programs now on the CJVI schedule: syndicated Rhona Raskin, Dr. Laura, Joan Rivers, Dr. Dean Edell and Prime Time Sports. Weekends feature local and network programs, including car and garden shows.
1998
CJVI cancelled the Howie Siegel Show. The talk program was now hosted by Rick Wiertz, who had been producer of Siegel's show.
Former B.C. MLA Judi Tyabji-Wilson was back on the air in Victoria. She joined AM900 as co-host of a twice daily point-counterpoint debate called "Radio Rumble". Tyabji had been host of a talk show on CHEK-TV until it was cancelled earlier this year.
1999
CJVI AM900 returned to a music format - from News/Talk. Nine people were let go as a result of the change.
Former CJVI talk host Robin Adair was now news director at Victoria's CIOC-FM.
2000
On June 30 the CRTC announced approval of an application by Rogers Broadcasting to replace AM station CJVI with a new FM station to serve Victoria. The station was licensed to operate on the frequency of 103.1 MHz with an average effective radiated power of 9,400 watts (20,000 watts peak). The Commission had previously denied the application because Rogers had proposed the same frequency (107.3) as one approved for use by Seacoast Communications, which made the proposal technically mutually exclusive.
Subsequently, Rogers and CKMO Radio Society (CKMO Radio) agreed that, subject to Commission approval, they would exchange the frequencies currently used by CJVI and CKMO-FM Victoria. CJVI operated on the frequency of 900 kHz with 10,000 watts, while CKMO-FM had operated on 103.1 MHz as a low-powered station with 50 watts.
On September 2 CJVI AM 900 signed off the air at 5:05 p.m. after over 78 years of continuous broadcasting. Minutes later, CHTT-FM "Hot 103 - Today's Hit Music" signed on with 'N Sync's "Bye, Bye, Bye"
2004
At 4 p.m. on January 29, the station became “JACK FM”, starting off with ZZ Top's “Sharp-Dressed Man”. "We felt it was time for Victoria to have this kind of format," said vice-president and market manager Kim Hesketh.
2008
Early on the morning of December 2nd, Ted Rogers, founder and former Chief Executive of Rogers Communications, owners of CHTT-FM, died at his home in Toronto, after having suffered from congestive heart failure for some time.
2010
The new General Manager at Rogers Radio Victoria was Jim Schneider, transferring to Vancouver Island from Country 93.3 (CJOK)/Rock 97.9 (CKYX) Fort McMurray. He succeeded Kim Hesketh in leading The Ocean and Jack FM. Schneider succeeded Kelly Boyd at Rogers Fort McMurray (CJOK/KYX 98)where he had been Assistant GM/General Sales Manager. Coincidental to Schneider's promotion were the departures of Gorde Edlund and Dawn Kaysoe. Edlund was Program Director at Jack FM while Kaysoe was PD at The Ocean.
Jason Manning was the new Program Director at Rogers Victoria (98.5 The OCEAN and Jack FM). He moved from Rock 105.3 Medicine Hat where he was also PD and where he'd been since December of 2007. Before that, he was Music Director at Sonic 102.9 Edmonton.
2011
Dean Fox, chief engineer at Rogers Radio Victoria, was named regional engineering manager for B.C. and moved to Vancouver at the beginning of July. With Rogers since 1996, Fox succeeded Rick Dal Farra who moved to Rogers Radio Toronto at the beginning of June.
Danaye Maier began co-hosting mornings at Virgin 98.5 Calgary on June 27. She had been with JACK FM Victoria.
In September, Tarzan Dan took over the morning show at Jack FM. He had been with CFUN-FM since earlier in the year. Crash Davis moved to afternoon drive on 103.1 Jack FM. Corbet Rutzer became music director at JACK FM.
2012
Tarzan Dan Freeman was no longer morning host at JACK FM. He began there in September 2011, doing the show from the Rogers Vancouver studios. Freeman had lost his job at CFUN Chilliwack-Vancouver-Abbotsford last year after a change in format but Rogers kept him on for the Victoria gig.
Bob Aylward died at age 78, in Victoria. The former CJVI and CHEK-TV veteran was the first broadcaster inducted into the Victoria Music Hall of Fame.
Ian Slipp joined 103.1 Jack FM mornings from Country 107.1 Abbotsford, succeeding Tarzan Dan.
2013
Geoff Venables died at age 95. He was the last surviving founding member of the
Hometowners, heard weekly on CJVI and coast-to-coast on CBC Radio during the 1950s and 1960s.
Barry Fontayne (Ron Quail) died at age 76. He had a 44-year broadcast career, first as an announcer and then in sales and sales management at CKDA, CFMS-FM, CFAX and The Ocean/Jack FM.
Jim Schneider, General Manager/General Sales Manager at Rogers Radio Victoria for close to four years, was no longer with company.
2014
Hugh Curtis passed away at 81. He spent 15 years at CJVI before moving to CFAX. For a time, he was a minority shareholder in CFAX. Curtis had the unique distinction of being the only person who, while mayor of Saanich, read the 6:00 news every night on CFAX.
2015
In February, CHTT changed from Variety Hits JACK FM to Contemporary Hits KISS 103.1.
From the Canadian Communications Foundation website
For physical events that happen at a specific time. For example a concert, or dance performance. If there are multiple shows, you can still duplicate your event to cover them all.
