Alberta, Northern Alberta
CBX-AM (Radio One), Edmonton, Canadian Broadcasting Corp.(Lacombe)
1946
Late in the year there was a report the CBC had taken an option on 40 acres of land, four miles south of Lacombe (80 miles south of Edmonton and 112 miles north of Calgary). The current owner had no idea what the broadcaster had in mind for the land but the CBC did have plans for a new high powered station at Red Deer but no action had been taken on that option to date.
1947
The CBC confirmed in January that it had plans for a 50,000 watt station at Lacombe. The corporation would still not confirm information on the appropriation of CFCN Calgary's 1010 kHz frequency, but Ottawa had notified signatory nations of NARBA that a new 50 kW station would occupy that frequency.
The new 50,000 watt station to be built at Lacombe was assigned the call sign, CBX. Studios would most likely be located in Edmonton.
Late in the year, the CBC announced that CBX would be on the air shortly. It would be the basic outlet for the Trans-Canada network. Existing T-Can affiliates, CFAC Calgary and CJCA Edmonton, were not happy about being dropped. They applied to the CBC for supplementary status but the corporation refused to agree without a complete review of the matter from a national standpoint.
The Lacombe transmitter was to be identified as "CBX Edmonton" even though the antenna site was located some 65 airline miles from Edmonton. The studios would be in Edmonton and administrative offices would also likely be located there.
The CBC was making progress on new 50,000 watt stations for Lacombe and Winnipeg. It was also building a 50,000 watt operation for CJBC Toronto and a 10,000 watt facility for CBJ in Chicoutimi, Quebec.
1948
J.R. Finlay, CBC Prairie regional representative announced 50,000 watt stations CBX 1010 Edmonton and CBW 990 Winnipeg would go on the air July 1. A direct line would carry programming from the Edmonton studios to the Lacombe transmitter site. Dan E. Cameron was appointed to head Alberta operations for the CBC. The CBW transmitter would be at Carmen, 52 miles from the Winnipeg studios. There was still no announcement on whether the CBC would purchase CKY Winnipeg and CKX Brandon from the Manitoba government.
CBX Lacombe opened on August 24 at 10:00 a.m. The official opening took place September 8. CBW Winnipeg had opened a few days earlier, replacing CKY-AM.
Provincial officials were on hand for the opening of CBX. CBC Chairman A.D. Dunton and CBC General Manager Dr. A. Frigon were present at both openings. Federal Electric Manufacturing Co. of Montreal built the equipment for CBX and CBW - the first CBC outlets in Alberta and Manitoba. Special one hour programs on the Trans-Canada network inaugurated the stations. The CBX transmitter and twin 5/8 wavelength towers were strategically placed half way between Edmonton and Calgary, at Lacombe. CBX operated with a power of 50,000 watts with the same directional pattern for day and night operation. The station broadcast on a frequency of 1010 kHz which had been used by CFCN Calgary, now on 1060 kHz. CBC studios and offices were in Edmonton's MacDonald Hotel.
The official opening for CBX and Winnipeg's CBW was postoponed from July 5 and 7 to September 3 and 8 (respectively).
CBX used a Federal Electric transmitter.
1949
Dan Cameron was manager.
1953
In June, CBXA opened in Edmonton on frequency 740 kHz with 100 watts of power. The transmitter was located in the Westinghouse Building, 10312-105th Street. A single 110 foot tower was used. CBXA was designed to alleviate signal problems CBX Lacombe was having in the Provincial capital. Power later increased to 250 watts.
A rebroadcast transmitter – CBXJ 730 Jasper – opened on November 23.
1954
Rebroadcast transmitters CBXL 860 Blairmore and CBXC 1450 Coleman opened on August 14. CBXB 860 Banff likely opened around the same time.
1957
CBX broadcast on 1010 kHz with a power of 50,000 watts (single directional pattern for day and night operation). CBXA operated on 740 kHz with a power of 250 watts (non-directional). CBX and CBXA were CBC Trans-Canada station.
1958
CBXD Edson began operations on November 8.
1961
CBXT-TV (English) Television began broadcasting.
1962
The Dominion and Trans-Canada networks consolidated into a single CBC Radio network. CBX had been the Trans-Canada station while private CFRN was the Dominion network affiliate. CJCA was a Trans-Canada supplementary B affiliate. With the CBC owning CBX, it was no longer necessary for CFRN and CJCA to remain as affiliates.
1963
CBX was given permission to move studios and offices from the MacDonald Hotel to the new CBC-TV building.
CBC Radio added an all-night service in June.
1964
In October, CBR Calgary went on the air with 50,000 watts on 1010 kHz and CBX 740 increased power to 50,000 watts (two directional patterns), from a site near Edmonton. Four 325 foot towers were used. With these changes, the Lacombe transmitter was closed. Some of the CBX rebroadcast transmitters were added to the licence of CBR.
1968
CBC Radio's all-night service, started in 1963, came to an end on March 1. When the service started it was primarily intended as a national information and warning system to be used in emergencies. Even though the service had now ended, the CBC said it would maintain a stand-by procedure through the night and broadcasts would begin immediately in the event of an emergency.
1969
The CBC was authorized to add rebroadcast transmitters at Fort Vermilion and High Level. CBXJ Jasper (860 kHz with 40 watts) was authorized to change its transmitter site.
1970
CBKC 1460 Fort Vermillion and CBKD 1230 High Level signed on the air December 1. Power for both was 40 watts.
1971
CBWI 1450 Grande Cache (40 watts) began broadcasting on January 8.
1973
CBX received approval to operate an FM rebroadcast transmitter at Peace River.
1974
When CBX had its licence renewed, the following rebraodcast transmitters were also renewed (this list may not represent all of CBX's transmitters as some licences may have been renewed on other dates): CBWI Grande Cache, CBXD Edson, CBXI Hinton, CBXJ Jasper, CBXX Rainbow Lake, CBKC Fort Vermilion, and CBKD High Level.
CBXG-FM Peace River signed on the air on September 16.
CBX gained a French-language sister station when the CBC purchased CHFA 680.
1977
CBXX 1240 (40 watts) Rainbow Lake began operations on May 6. Although it appears on the transmitter list above for 1974, it was not yet on the air at that time.
CBXM-FM Manning commenced operations on June 9.
On September 19, CBXK-FM Fox Lake and CBXH-FM Jean D’or signed on.
On October 24, CBXA-FM Chateh begain operations.
1978
CBC Stereo programming came to Edmonton with the launch of CBX-FM.
1979
On February 14, CBXV-FM Fox Creek signed on the air.
CBXP-FM Grande Prairie commenced operations on June 4.
CBXN-FM Fort McMurray began operations on July 20.
1981
On November 1, CBXS-FM Swan Hills signed on the air.
1982
Mardi Matthews was director of radio for CBC Edmonton.
1984
On September 6, CBX was licensed to add an FM transmitter at Hinton – 88.1 MHz with effective radiated power of 890 watts. The new transmitter would replace the existing CBXI-AM.
1985
On October 9, CBX received permission to change its night-time antenna radiation pattern. The change would extend the station's night-time coverage by approximately 35 miles to the south-east and 30 miles to the west with a slight decrease in coverage to the north, by approximately 8 miles.
Rebroadcaster CBXI Hinton made the move to the FM band on November 5.
On December 17, CBX was authorized to add new transmitters at Whitecourt (90.5 MHz with effective radiated power of 5,000 watts) and High Prairie (90.9 MHz with ERP of 50,000 watts).
1986
On April 18, CBX received approval for a new transmitter at High Level on 88.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 9,400 watts. The new FM transmitter would replace CBKD-AM.
On June 6, CBX was granted new transmitters at Wabasca (91.9 MHz with effective radiated power of 510 watts) and Marten Mountain/Slave Lake (89.7 MHz with ERP of 114 watts).
1990
The CBC’s French language AM station in Edmonton - CHFA – moved to the CBC Radio Building at 7909-51st Avenue.
When CBX had its licence renewed, the CRTC noted that the following approved rebroadcast transmitters were still not on the air: CBX-2-FM High Level, CBXF-FM Whitecourt, CBX-1-FM High Prairie, CBX-3-FM Wabasca and CBX-4-FM Marten Mountain/Slave Lake.
1995
On January 18, CBX received approval to increase the effective radiated power for transmitter CBXA-FM Chateh, from 122 watts to 165 watts.
CBC Radio added overnight programming to its schedule on May 1, with "CBC Radio Overnight". The programming started out on certain CBC stations and was expanded to all of its stations by September. The program aired between 1:00 and 6:00 a.m. (local time) and offered reports from public broadcasters in 25 countries, with Canadian news on the hour. The program service was provided by the World Radio Network in London, England.
1997
On September 1, The CBC Radio network (CBC Radio) was renamed CBC Radio One.
2001
As of 2001, CBX operated the following rebroadcast transmitters: CBXA-FM Chateh, CBXD Edson, CBXN-FM Fort McMurray, CBKC Fort Vermilion, CBXV-FM Fox Creek, CBXK-FM Fox Lake, CBWI Grande Cache, CBXP-FM Grande Prairie, CBKD High Level, CBXI-FM Hinton, CBXJ Jasper, CBXH-FM Jean D'Or, CBXM-FM Manning, CBXG-FM Peace River, CBXX Rainbow Lake, and CBXS-FM Swan Hills. CBX broadcasts approximately 39 hours of local programming each week. It is jointly produced in Edmonton and Calgary.
2003
On September 12, CBX was authorized to add a transmitter at Bonnyville, operating on 92.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 11,500 watts. The new transmitter would improve service to Bonnyville as well as other communities in the area including Cold Lake and Grand Centre.
In November, CBC Edmonton was scheduled to move to a new, modern digital broadcast facility downtown, bringing all operations (French and English, Radio and TV) under one roof. The old TV facility on 75th Street had 70,000 square feet while the Radio building on 51st Ave. had 48,000 square feet. The new combined facility was 38,700 square feet and was located at the Edmonton City Centre on Winston Churchill Square.
2004
On November 12, CBX received approval to replace CBXJ (AM) Jasper, with an FM transmitter. The new transmitter would operate at 98.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 259 watts.
2005
On May 25, CBX-1-FM at Bonnyville signed on the air.
2006
On March 16, CBX was given approval to add a “nested” FM transmitter in downtown Edmonton to boost the Radio One signal in the core of the city. The rebroadcast transmitter for CBX 740 would operate on 93.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 3,931 watts. Anteanna height would be 123.7 metres – atop Canadian Western Bank Place.
The CBC submitted that urban growth, the construction of high-rise concrete and steel buildings, increased electrical noise from overhead wires, large and small appliances and portable radio transmitters have impeded the ability of its radio stations to deliver reliable high quality AM signals to listeners in Edmonton, particularly in the downtown area and in crowded, industrial areas.
2007
Radio One’s “nested” FM transmitter, CBX-2-FM at 93.9 MHz in Edmonton began broadcasting. It simulcasts CBX 740.
2009
On May 12 the CRTC renewed the CBX licence. The renewal included the following rebroadcast transmitters: CBKC Fort Vermillion, CBKD High Level, CBWI Grande Cache, CBXD Edson, CBXX Rainbow Lake, CBX-2-FM Edmonton, CBX-FM-1 Bonnyville, CBXA-FM Chateh, CBXG-FM Peace River, CBXH-FM Jean d'Or, CBXI-FM Hinton, CBXJ-FM Jasper, CBXK-FM Fox Lake, CBXN-FM Fort McMurray, CBXP-FM Grande Prairie, CBXS-FM Swan Hills and CBXV-FM Fox Creek.
Written by Bill Dulmage - Updated July, 2010
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