1980
Harry Steele, President and CEO and controlling shareholder of Eastern Provincial Airways, formed the Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited (NCCL). In addition to EPA, the company's interests included Clarke Transport Canada Inc. and Atlantic Inns Ltd. NCCL would later form a wholly-owned subsidiary, Newcap, which by 2008 would own over 70 radio stations.

1986
NCCL received CRTC approval to acquire its first radio station, CHTN-AM in Charlottetown, PEI, from Northumberland Broadcasting Ltd.

1987
On June 10th, the CRTC approved the application by Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited for licences to acquire CFDR-AM and CFRQ-FM Dartmouth from Patterson Broadcasters Limited. Six days later, the CRTC approved the direct transfer of ownership in these stations to Newcap Ltd., a newly formed subsidiary of NCCL, rather than to the parent company. In September, the CRTC approved the renewal of Newcap's licences for CFDR and CFRQ.

1988
Newcap made its first Ontario station acquisition in April, when it received approval to buy CJLB-AM Thunder Bay from Leader Broadcasting Corporation.

1989
While parent company NCCL maintained its highly successful activity in the fields of printing, transportation and hotel management, its subsidiary Newcap was slowly but effectively building the company's broadcast holdings. In June 1989, Newcap added properties in Alberta and British Columbia to its acquisitions, with the purchase of two Alberta radio stations, CKRA-FM, Edmonton and CFCW-AM Camrose, and Kamloops B.C.'s CHRK-FM, from Harold J. Yerxa's CFCW Ltd.

In July, CHUM Limited agreed to sell to Newcap its group of Newfoundland stations: CFYQ-AM Gander, CKYQ-AM (later CKXJ-AM) Grand Bank, CIYQ-AM (shortly to become CKXG-AM) Grand Falls, CFIQ-AM Harbour Grace, CHYQ-AM Musgravetown, and CKIX-FM and CJYQ-AM St. John's. In 1982, Newcap had lost out to CHUM in a bid to buy this group of stations.

In August, Newcap completed its multiple acquisitions for the year with the purchase of a majority shareholding in CKXX-AM Corner Brook.

1992
In an unusual move, Newcap made and the CRTC acceded to a request that Newcap's licences for CKXJ Grand Bank and CFIQ Harbour Grace be revoked. Newcap felt it could not meet the Commission's requirements for minimum hours of local programming and still keep the stations economically viable.

In December, Newcap broadened its involvement in Canada's radio world by acquiring a five-year AM Network licence to broadcast Edmonton Oilers' hockey games.

1993
On June 10, the CRTC approved the transfer of CHRK-FM Kamloops from Newcap to local broadcaster NL Broadcasting Ltd., owner of CHNL AM Kamloops.

1994
Problems with Newcap's signal for its Thunder Bay AM station CJLB were finally solved with the CRTC's approval of the station's move to the FM band.

1995
At Newcap's request, the CRTC revoked the licence granted to them in 1992 for a Network licence for carriage of Edmonton Oilers' games.

1997
After maintaining a low profile in the broadcasting acquisitions field for a few years, Newcap was back before the CRTC in September 1997, along with Maritime Broadcasting System Ltd (MBS), to make a joint application for MBS to acquire CJCB-AM and CKPE-FM Sydney, N.S. from Celtic Broadcasting Ltd., as well as CFBC-AM and CJYC-FM Saint John from Fundy Broadcasting. Fundy had in 1990 acquired control of Celtic. As part of the deal, MBS would subsequently assign ownership of the Saint John stations to Newcap. In the same year, Newcap purchased control of Atlantic Stereo Ltd., and with it ownership of CJMO-FM Moncton.

1998
Newcap subsequently elected not to finalize the transaction with MBS to acquire the Saint John stations. In February, Newcap, Sun Radio and CHUM Limited entered into a Local Marketing Arrangement (LMA), whereby Newcap would manage CHUM's CJCH-AM, and CIOO-FM and CFRQ-FM Halifax, plus Sun's CIEZ-FM.

1999
In September, Newcap received CRTC approval to move CKXD-AM Gander, Newfoundland, to the FM band, while retaining the same call letters.

On December 6th, Newcap was back again before the Commission, this time to apply to acquire VCOM-AM and several other radio stations in Newfoundland, on behalf of a wholly-owned numbered company.

2000
In May, and after long deliberation, the CRTC announced that it would approve Newcap gaining control of the group of Newfoundland stations. In doing so, it relaxed its own regulations governing the number of stations one owner could have in a given market, having been given specific assurances by Newcap regarding its programming plans for CJYQ-AM St. John's, which it already owned. Accordingly, Newcap gained control of VOCM-AM and VOCM-FM St. John's, CKVO-AM Clarenville, CKCM-AM Grand Falls and CKIM-AM Baie Verte, CHVO-AM Carbonear, CHCM-AM Marystown and CKGA-AM Gander.

In August, through its subsidiary Atlantic Stereo Ltd. in Moncton, Newcap acquired a majority shareholding in a new FM station, CJXL-FM, which operated out of the same building as Newcap's CJMO-FM Moncton.

During the year, Newcap was unsuccessful in applications for new radio station licences for Toronto and Hamilton.

2001
In March, Harry Steele's son Robert became President and Chief Operating Officer of Newfoundland Capital Corporation, owner of Newcap. Harry Steele remained as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Newcap's radio holdings in Newfoundland and Labrador grew even further when, in April, the CRTC approved the sale of Humber Valley Broadcasting to Newcap. This gave Newcap ownership in radio stations CFCB-AM Corner Brook (with retransmitters CFDL-FM in Deer Lake, CFNW-AM in Port-aux-Choix and CFNN-FM in St. Anthony), CFSX Stephenville, CFGN-AM Channel Port-aux-Basques and its transmitter CFCV-FM in St, Andrew's, as well as CFLN-AM Goose Bay, Labrador and its transmitters CFLW-AM Wabush and CFLC-FM Churchill Falls, Labrador.

In October, Newcap was given approval to move into the Ottawa market for the first time, with the CRTC granting the company a licence for a new dance music station, CIHT-FM. In November, Newcap acquired CHNO-FM Sudbury from Haliburton Broadcasting Group Inc, and in December, Newcap and CHUM Limited jointly acquired ownership of CIEZ-FM Halifax, from Sun Radio Limited.

2002
In April, Telemedia Radio sold off its broadcasting assets in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia to Standard Radio. In turn, Standard sold 15 of those stations in Alberta to Newcap, who thereby acquired stations in Athabasca, Blairmore (where CJPR-AM had a rebroadcaster in Elkford B.C.) , Brooks, Calgary, Cold Lake/Grand Centre, Drumheller, Edson, High Prairie, Hinton, Saint Paul, Slave Lake, Stettler, Wainwright, Westlock and Wetaskiwin (see details below). Standard retained a 24% interest in the stations.

On May 1st, Robert Steele became President and Chief Executive Officer, while his father Harry remained as Chairman.

By this time, Newcap owned 57 broadcasting licences across six provinces, for 42 stations plus 15 repeaters.

On July 25th, in a key move away from print, in order to concentrate on broadcasting, Newcap's parent company Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited (NCCL) sold its Publishing and Printing Division to Optipress Ltd, retaining only a 20% interest.

2003
While Newcap made no new acquisitions during the early part of the year, it successfully renewed several of its existing broadcast licences. In addition, it received approval to shut down its transmitter in Musgravetown, Newfoundland, CKXB-AM, due to frequent transmitter breakdowns. The CRTC was persuaded that it would be prohibitively costly to replace the transmitter, and noted that the area was already served by three other Newcap stations.

In December, Newcap received approval to launch a new FM radio station in Brooks, Alberta. However, the new station did not go on the air until 2005.

2004
Newcap moved into Lloydminster, Alberta, and into television for the first time, in December, when it received approval to acquire CILR-FM and CKSA-AM radio from Sask-Alta Broadcasters Ltd, and CITL-TV and CKSA-TV, from MidWest Television Ltd. The TV stations were a twin-stick operation, with CITL affiliated with CTV and CKSA with the CBC. In November, Newcap was licensed to open a new radio station, CFRK-FM, in Fredericton, N.B. The station went on the air in July 2005. CIEF-FM Halifax became CKUL-FM.

2005
In May, Newcap acquired the broadcasting assets of Big Pond Communications, which included ownership of CJUK-FM Thunder Bay.

In June, Newcap was licensed by the CRTC to open a second FM station in Ottawa, CILV-FM, which went on the air in December.

In August, Newcap received CRTC approval to make a deal with Corus Radio Company to acquire its Red Deer stations CIZZ-FM and CKGY-FM. Through its acquisition of ownership of CKVN Radiolink System Inc. in November, Newcap became owners of CHNR-FM Winnipeg. This was Newcap's first broadcast licence in Manitoba. A month later, CKJS-AM Winnipeg was added to Newcap's line-up of radio stations.

2006
One of the CRTC's first decisions of 2006 was the awarding of a new licence to Newcap for a new FM station, CJEG-FM, in Lac La Biche, Alberta. In March, Newcap was permitted to change its radio station CHTN Charlottetown, PEI, from AM to FM, and given a licence to launch a new FM station, CKQK-FM. Then in August, Newcap was awarded a licence for a second FM station in Calgary. CFUL-FM would sign on in March 2007.

Newcap's radio licence holdings increased to 75 in November, when the CRTC gave the company a licence for a new station in Fort McMurray, CHFT-FM.

2007
In May, Newcap announced that it had acquired 100% ownership of the 15 Alberta stations it had bought from Standard Radio in 2002, by picking up the remaining 24% that Standard had originally retained.

In June, on the sale of CHUM Limited to CTVglobemedia, CKUL-FM Halifax became jointly owned by Newcap and CTV.

In July, increasing its already strong Maritime broadcast holdings, Newcap acquired two new licences in Nova Scotia, for CHRK-FM Sydney and CIJK-FM Kentville, as well as being authorized to convert its AM station in Carbonear, Newfoundland, to FM. In addition, Newcap's CFXE Edson, Alberta, moved from AM to the FM band.

In October, Newcap completed the purchase of the 38% minority interest in Atlantic Stereo Limited, operator of Moncton FM stations CJKL and CJMO.

2008
On May 29th, CTV Limited received approval to sell its 50% ownership in CKUL-FM Halifax to Newcap. Earlier in the month, the company learned it had been one of the unsuccessful applications for a new FM licence for Chilliwack, B.C., but remained interested in acquiring a licence for Vancouver.

In August, Newcap announced that, subject to approval by the CRTC, an agreement had been signed with Haliburton Broadcasting Group Inc. whereby Newcap would acquire 12 FM licences for stations in Bancroft, Bracebridge, Cochrane, Elliot Lake, Haliburton, Huntsville, Hearts, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, North Bay, Parry Sound and Timmins, Ontario. This acquisition would place Newcap as second only to Astral in terms of station ownerships.

The company's application to acquire the Haliburton stations was announced by the CRTC on November 13, 2008, but the appication was subsequently withdrawn in January 2009. At the time, Newcap Inc. CEO Rob Steele indicated that in light of the credit market crisis, the company did not feel that it was the right time to increase its debt load.

At a hearing held on October 20th 2008, Newcap and Rogers Broadcasting Limited applied to the CRTC for approval to exchange Newcap's CFDR-AM Halifax for Rogers' CIGM-AM Sudbury, and for permission to convert each station's signal to FM. On November 24, the CRTC approved the applications by Newcap Inc. and Rogers Broadcasting Limited for authority to exchange the assets of CIGM Sudbury and CFDR Dartmouth. Newcap, a corporation controlled by Harold R. Steele, was the licensee of CFDR Dartmouth. Rogers, a corporation controlled by Edward S. Rogers, was the licensee of CIGM Sudbury. The Commission also approved the applications by Newcap and Rogers to convert both stations to the FM band. CIGM would operate at 93.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts.

2009
On April 21, the CRTC announced it had approved an application by Newcap Inc. to convert CHLW, St. Paul AB, to the FM band. The new station would broadcast on a frequency of 97.7 MHz and have an average effective radiated power of 16,000 watts. The station would keep CHLW's country music format targeting adults between the ages of 25 and 64.

On August 24, at midnight AM 790 CIGM Sudbury finished its last song. Later that morning, simulcasting of the new 93.5 FM began on AM 790. Transfer of ownership of CIGM changed from Rogers to Newcap.

On August 25, Hot 93.5 - Sudbury's Hit Music Station debuted at 12:00 p.m.

On November 10th, Newcap filed an application with the CRTC for a licence for a new FM station in Fredericton, N.B.

2010
On February 19th, the CRTC approved a Newcap application for a broadcasting licence to operate a new English-language commercial FM radio programming undertaking in Westlock, Alberta to replace its AM station CFOK. The new call letters would be CKWB-FM. The station would operate at 97.9 MHz (channel 250B) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 27,000 watts (maximum ERP of 48,000 watts with an effective height of the antenna above average terrain of 93.7 metres).

On November 3, the CRTC approved an application by Newcap Inc. relating to CHLW-FM St. Paul, whereby it would relocate the transmitter site and change the authorized contours by increasing the average effective radiated power from 16,000 to 22,000 watts (maximum ERP from 36,000 to 50,000 watts) and by decreasing the effective height of antenna above average terrain from 122.6 to 80.3 metres. The Commission noted that the population served within the 3 mV/m and 0.5 mV/m contours would decrease from 9,447 to 9,324 (1.3%) and from 27,098 to 22,126 (18.34%), respectively.

On November 30, the CRTC renewed CHLW's licence until August 31, 2017.

2011
On September 6th, Newcap's new FM station in Westlock, AB, went on the air with the call letters CKWB-FM, replacing their former AM station CFOK.

On September 19, Newcap Inc. applied to convert CKSQ Stettler AB from the AM dial to the FM dial. This was approved on February 22, 2012.

Real Country 97 7 The Spur officially went on the air on December 30 at 10:00 a.m. CHSP-FM was playing New Country and the best country from the 90's and 2000's. "We'll still continue to be an information source for St. Paul and area, providing coverage of local news, agricultural news, sports, weather, and promoting local community initiatives," said program director Jeff Murray. "It's an exciting time for Newcap Radio, but we're even more excited for the communities we serve to be able to provide them a product they can all be proud of," said Newcap Alberta East GM Chad Tabish.

With the move to 97.7 FM, CHLW-AM 1310 left the air immediately, without utilizing the authorized 90 day simulcast period.

2012
On February 15th, the CRTC approved an application by Newcap Inc. for authority to acquire from Great Valley Ltd. the assets of the English-language commercial radio station CIGV-FM Penticton and its transmitters CIGV-FM-1 Keremeos and CIGV-FM-2 Princeton, British Columbia and for a broadcasting licence to continue the operation of the undertaking.

The Commission also renewed the broadcasting licence for CIGV-FM and the above-mentioned transmitters for five years from the original expiry date of 31 August 2011. The licence would therefore expire on 31 August 2016.

On February 20th the CRTC approved an application by Newcap Inc. for authority to acquire from Sun Country Radio Ltd. the assets of the English-language commercial radio programming undertaking CKKO-FM Kelowna, British Columbia and for a broadcasting licence to continue the operation of the undertaking. The applicant also requested a new broadcasting licence to continue the operation of the undertaking under the same terms and conditions as those in effect under the current licence.

On February 22nd, the CRTC approved an application by Newcap Inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate a new English-language FM commercial radio programming undertaking in Stettler, Alberta to replace its AM station CKSQ.

The new station would operate at 93.3 MHz (channel 227B1) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 11,000 watts (maximum ERP of 23,000 watts, directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 88.6 metres).

The new station would maintain CKSQ's country music format targeting adults between the ages of 25 and 54. Local programming would include 3 hours and 10 minutes of pure news during each broadcast week.

On 11 May 2012, the CRTC approved the application by Newcap for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language commercial FM radio programming undertaking in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The new station would operate at 93.1 MHz (channel 226B) with an effective radiated power of 50,000 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 150 metres).

On May 18th, the CRTC approved an application by Newcap Inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate a new English-language commercial FM radio station to serve Miramichi.There were several applications for the FM licence, but in making its decision the Commission said, inter alia, that "...having considered all of the applications the Commission finds that the proposal by Newcap Inc. (Newcap) best meets the needs of the Miramichi radio market. In the Commission's view, Newcap's proposal would introduce competition and add diversity to the market. Newcap would introduce a new editorial voice in a market that is currently served by a single local mainstream commercial station."

On October 15th, Newcap's CKSQ 1400, in Stettler, AB, switched to the FM band, and became Q93.3 Country.

On December 14th, 2012 Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited ("NCC") announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Newcap Inc, had received approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for the purchase of 70.1% of the shares of 3221809 Nova Scotia Limited, which held the CKCH-FM radio broadcast licence in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

This transaction increased Newcap's ownership interest to 100% and was expected to be completed within 60 days.

2013
On January 22, Newcap announced that it was exploring the possible sale of its western broadcasting assets which were located primarily in Alberta. The assets consisted of 32 radio stations, 6 repeater licences and 2 TV stations.

The Company said that it had a history of buying and selling businesses as a means to create shareholder value. If the Company was able to reach an agreement at a value the Company considered appropriate, the use of proceeds would be determined by the Board of Directors in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. This migh include reinvesting in geographic areas closer to its base in Atlantic Canada, reducing debt or returning capital to its shareholders.

"These broadcasting assets have a strong track record of earnings," commented Rob Steele, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This is a great opportunity for potential buyers as this is the first time in many years that a cohesive group of broadcasting assets has been for sale in one concentrated area in one of Canada's most prosperous provinces."

Written by Pip Wedge - October, 2008
Updated by Pip Wedge - January, 2013

Owned stations as of January 24, 2013
(click on call letters for individual station histories)

On January 22, 2013, Newcap announced it planned to sell 32 radio stations and two TV stations, all primarily in Alberta.