On November 26, 2004, Rogers Media received CRTC approval to operate a new English-language commercial FM News/Talk radio station which would broadcast at 88.9 FM in Saint John, New Brunswick as well as other News/talk stations in Halifax and Moncton under licensing agreement, the CRTC officially approved the application.

[1] On October 11, 2005, CHNI signed on as News 88.9 under the ownership of Rogers Media, as part of a three-station news/talk network comprising CHNI, CKNI-FM in Moncton (which has since been sold to Acadia Broadcasting and flipped to an AC format in August 2014), and CJNI-FM in Halifax.

As CHNI, the station would also broadcast Saint John Sea Dogs, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Blue Jays games, along with programming from ESPN Radio and Westwood One.

On July 4, 2013, Newcap Radio announced that it would acquire CHNI from Rogers Media pending CRTC approval, marking the company's entry into the Saint John market.

David Newbury, general manager for Newcap Radio in Atlantic Canada stated that the company felt there was a "void" in the Saint John market that needed to be filled, and noted that Newcap was hoping CHNI would emulate the success of its sister stations in other Atlantic Canadian markets.