In late 1957 Thomas C. Nash (owner of Nash Radio & TV Broadcasting Co.) received a licence for an AM station at Blind River, which began operating at 730 kHz on March 1, 1958. [1] CJNR would have its transmitter in Blind River, along with studios located in Elliot Lake.[2] The callsign meaning for CJNR is "Nash Radio & TV Broadcasting Co." or "North Shore".
In the 1960s or early 1970s the owner of CKNR Elliot Lake purchased CJNR. It would become a semi-satellite of CKNR which began broadcasting in 1967. The owner was or would be known as Algonquin Radio-TV Ltd. (CKCYSault Ste. Marie).
In 1986 CJNR received approval to disaffiliate from the CBC radio network, which is now served by CBCE-FM out of Little Current.[4] In 1990, the Pelmorex Radio Network received approval to acquire CJNR from Mid-Canada Communications.[5] In 1996, CJNR and its sister stations CKNR and CKNS were sold to North Channel Broadcasters,[6] which established the contemporary CKNR-FM and shut down all three AM signals.