1959
CFAX began broadcasting on September 4, operating on 810 kHz with a power of 1,000 watts – daytime only. Ellison Queale was the owner.
1963
On May 14, CFAX was purchased by Clare G. Copeland.
1964
Saanich Broadcasting Co. Ltd. was given approval in March to move CFAX from 810 to 1070 kHz and to increase hours of operation from daytime only to full-time with 1,000 watts. CFAX Radio 1070 Ltd., 620 View St.
1967-68
CFAX Radio 1070 Ltd. received permission to increase the power of CFAX from 1,000 to 10,000 watts (DA-1). The station said it needed to overcome night-time interference and to provide equal coverage in Victoria as the CJVI and CKDA. CFAX complained of strong night interference from KNX 1070 in Hollywood, California. The power increase was effective a short time later, using four 190 foot towers.
1974
On May 31, Clare Copeland was given approval to transfer 71% of CFAX Radio
1070 Ltd. to Melco Management Ltd.
 |
| Mel Cooper |
G. N. (Mel) Cooper’s Melco took ownership of C-FAX on September 1.
1979-80
Mel Cooper appointed Bill Hazell to the general sales manager post and Keith Dagg as director of marketing.
1982
C-FAX moved its studios in December from 620 View St. to 825 Broughton Street.
1984
The station began broadcasting in stereo in February.
1985
William R. (Bill) Hazell, former executive vice president, was named honorary citizen of Victoria for his community work, notably his presidency of the Chamber of Commerce.
Jim Pattison, owner of CJOR Vancouver, became president and chairman of Expo 86. He enlisted CFAX owner Mel Cooper to raise money from potential sponsors, as vice president of corporate participation.
CFAX claimed two 'firsts" in weather reporting for the Victoria area. The station installed a digital radar system which scanned for rain and snow within a 64 mile radius; and named Blane Coulcher to be the first radio station meteorologist on Vancouver Island.
1986
Barry Fontayne moved from CFAX to be general sales manager at CJVI. Chris Harper joined C-FAX as creative director.
1986-87
CFAX had its signal added to local cable FM.
1987
Ed McKenzie was news director.
1988
The corporate name was changed to Seacoast Communications.
C-FAX installed new equipment to meet a new standard for AM transmitters. The National Radio Standards Committee in the U.S. recommended the standard for pre-emphasis and filtering as a way of reducing interference on the crowded AM band and improving signal quality. C-FAX president and general manager Mel Cooper planned to write to all AM stations within 20 kHz on either side of his station's 1070 dial position to urge them to also make the modification. He said most of the benefit is to stations on adjacent channels which would experience less interference.
Alan Perry was in the CFAX news department.
1990
Susan Brice joined C-FAX as public affairs broadcaster.
1991
CFAX and C.F.B. Esquimalt worked together to keep Navy personnel who could be thousands of miles from home, up to date on local news. Esquimalt based ships on overseas assignment would receive daily news feeds that originated in the CFAX newsroom. The station would fax the early morning summaries of local and provincial news to the base for transmission to the ships.
Barry Bowman was morning man at C-FAX.
Terry Spence was named vice president and operations manager for Seacoast Communications Group Inc. (CFAX, CKOV/CKLZ-FM).
1996
CFAX was given a special award by the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society for their efforts during the "Blizzard of 1996" which struck the area in late December. CFAX's open phone line manned by announcers Mike King and Greg Morin connected those in need with those who could render assistance during the record two day total snowfall of 124 centimetres, the heaviest in the area since 1916.
1997
Some on-air names: Alan Perry (news director), Terry Spence (vice president and talk show host), Greg Morin (news), and Mike King (announcer).
Barry Bowman announced he was leaving CFAX after 28 years and heading to CJVI. His replacement at CFAX would be Steve Ivings.
In February, CFAX added "Coast to Coast" with Art Bell in the midnight to 4:00 a.m. time slot. Promotions manager Kathy Baan says the program originates from Bell's home in the Nevada desert and is syndicated in over 250 markets across North America.
Terry Spence was vice president of C-FAX. Drew Snider was in the news department.
1999
On October 29 the CRTC announced approval of an application by Seacoast Communications to open a new sister FM station to serve Victoria. It was licensed to operate a modern rock and alternative music format on a frequency 107.3 MHz with an average effective radiated power of 20,000 watts. Call letters CFEX-FM.
On November 2, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters announced a Community Service Gold Ribbon Award for "Tour de Rock". News Director Alan Perry joined a police team in bicycling 1000 km and filed live reports every half hour along the way. The project raised over $300,000 for the fight against childhood cancer.
2001
CFAX news director Moira McLean left in February to become a reporter at CHEK-TV. Frank Stanford was the new CFAX/Extreme 107 news director. He'd continue to anchor morning news on CFAX.
In May, Mel Cooper was named the British Columbia Association of Broadcasters' Broadcast Performer of the Year.
Longtime CFAX newsman Drew Snider crossed the street in August to become senior news editor at CIVI-TV.
2004
In January 2004 CHUM Ltd announced that they had acquired CFAX-AM and its sister station CHBE-FM from Seacoast Communications, subject to CRTC approval.
2005
Allan Waters, the founder of CHUM Limited, owner of CFAX, passed away at the age of 84, on December 3rd.
2006
On July 12 it was announced that Bell Globemedia would pay C$1.7 billion for CHUM Ltd., in a deal that would see the company become part of the BCE-owned media conglomerate, subject to CRTC approval. On August 31, the two companies announced that BGM had been successful in its offer to acquire approximately 6.7 million common shares and approximately 19.2 million non-voting Class B shares of CHUM. The shares were to be placed in the hands of an independent trustee pursuant to a voting trust agreement approved by the CRTC.
On December 12th, it was announced that Bell Globemedia would henceforth be known as CTVglobemedia.
2007
A CRTC hearing on the CTVglobemedia application to acquire the assets of CHUM Limited was held on April 30th 2007. On June 8 the CRTC approved the acquisition of CHUM Ltd. by CTVglobemedia, on condition that CTV sell off its five City-TV stations, CITY-TV Toronto, CHMI-TV Portage La Prairie/Winnipeg, CKEM-TV Edmonton, CKAL-TV Calgary and CKVU-TV Vancouver. Rogers Communications announced on June 25th that a deal had been reached for them to buy these stations from CTV, subject to CRTC approval. Among the CHUM assets acquired by CTVglobemedia in the deal were seven television stations, including CIVI-TV, 21 specialty channels and some 33 radio stations, including CFAX-AM .
2010
Former CFAX owner Clare Copeland died in May at the age of 85. He purchased the station in 1963 and sold it in 1974 to Mel Cooper. At the time he bought CFAX, CKDA and CJVI were fighting it out for number one in the ratings - CFAX - at 810 on the dial, was a distant third. CFAX only had 1,000 watts and could only broadcast during daytime hours. A year later, Copeland got approval to move the station to 1070 and to increase the station's hours of operation. In 1967, antenna towers were built on Trial Island, giving CFAX a power boost to 10,000 watts. Copeland sold CFAX in 1974 to Mel Cooper.
Written by Gord Lansdell, Bill Dulmage - Updated June, 2010
