The station was first licensed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 1976, and began broadcasting on April 11, 1977 with the call sign CHOC-FM. It originally aired from a low-power 423-watt transmitter, which was increased to 3,000 watts in 1981.
Due to a variety of financial and staff turnover problems, the station was granted only short-term license renewals between 1986 and 1998, sometimes for as little as three months at a time rather than the standard seven-year license period.
The station adopted its current call sign and oldies format in 1997, and added the rebroadcaster in the La Baie neighbourhood in 2006.
On July 31, 2008, CKAJ was authorized to increase power from 2,693 watts to 14,164 watts, increasing the effective antenna height and relocating the antenna.[2] The new technical parameters will result in the borough of Chicoutimi receiving a stronger signal.
