CRTC audio: CFSI Revocation hearing

[skyvalleyradio]

Getting a little bored with the Dead Dog? Here's something that's slightly less boring to listen to. Duration is 1:26. WARNING girls n boys: set your bullshit filters to OVERDRIVE

http://www.spreaker.com/user/vingaton/c ... ay-14-2015

[radha]

Skyvalley wrote:
set your bullshit filters to OVERDRIVE

I agree completely Mike... It was quite the experience and it does not look hopeful for CFSI.

Know anyone in the radio business who would like to apply for a license on SSI?

[Tom Jeffries]

Not a chance!

Look how the Gibson's Sunshine Coast effort, did. There is not enough income available to support even a token effort.

Nobody gives a hoot.

They have their iPhone, and Rdio or TuneIn Radio - who needs, SSI Radio?

[Tape Splicer]

As I listened to the audio stream of the CRTC hearing, I asked myself;
If Mr CFSI-FM could not pay to keep the TX and internet stream up and running along with the payroll and other bills as well as equipment maintenance over the past number of months - How is he able to suddenly come up with the funds to take care of the outstanding fees for the various obligations he has under his license requirement?

From what I heard there seams to be deep pockets from other south asian broadcast interests - as eluded to by the one intervention.
My second question; How would the CRTC view such "back door investment" without their approval?

The entire hour plus stream of the hearing was pailful to listen to, I heard commissioners trying to obtain straight forward answers to their questions only to receive "tap dancing" in response. The audible "body language" is clearly heard... I wonder what things looked like in that room, I would think quite tense.

After all is done I hope that the island will have a radio station that all can invest in and feel a part of.


Here is the audio stream of CFSI-FM. http://greenfm.streamon.fm/

[skyvalleyradio]

radha wrote - "I agree completely Mike... It was quite the experience and it does not look hopeful for CFSI. Know anyone in the radio business who would like to apply for a license on SSI?"

Not at this time. I have talked with a few experienced broadcasters with the money to do it, and Tom J is quite correct: a local Salt Spring station is not currently sustainable due to the poor economy. It's not enough to just struggle by, barely paying the bills. As you've discovered, ongoing maintenance & replacement of equipment & parts by a properly paid professional, skilled experienced technician is a must, as is proper paperwork & compliance to all CRTC/IC/music royalty/CCD contribution AT ALL TIMES!! In Canadian radio, the paperwork is more important than the product! Talking with numerous business owners on the island, I find plenty of pessimism for the future & there are companies closing here at an alarming rate. Furthermore, I can state there are businesses on Salt Spring that will NEVER have anything to do with CFSI no matter who owns it. The damage has been done by not one, but two owners of this license. The very public problems & internal bickering at CFSI have done further damage to CFSI's reputation. The Gulf Islands had a much healthier economy in the 80's & 90's. Establishing a station at that time would have earned enough profits to tuck away some contingency funds to possibly whether the tougher economic times we are experiencing now. Perhaps in future a station will work. In the meantime, de-facto Salt Spring radio exists as "Gulf Island Radio" online. Although not streaming yet, there are plenty of on-demand programs/podcasts to entertain & inform. Economically, an online station makes sense & requires a minimum of equipment. BTW, the good folks at "Gulf Island Radio" provided the audio link to this slice of entertainment.

Tom J - we get it with the technology evolution. Community station CHLY Nanaimo began as a pioneering web-stream in 1998 - one of the first100 broadcasters on Live 365, and I'm proud to have been a part of that experience. In the early 200's I launched & operated 'Sky Valley Radio' as a 24/7 web station on air for over 10 years until new royalty payment rules & costs killed that endeavor. I have 9 local businesses & 8 international businesses ready to buy ad time if I were to re-launch, which I can't afford to do on disability pensions. Believe me, I'd love to get back "on air"! You're wrong about people not giving a hoot. If that were so, 14 interveners wouldn't have submitted detailed comments on the CFSI license. Think waaaaaaaaaay back to your very first small-town station, Tom. What was it that listeners wanted? LOCAL news & issues, LOCAL weather/environment/ferry info, LOCAL personalities & LOCAL music. This is small-community "microradio" & none of the zillion stations in this region can supply that. People here want a LOCAL station. People ARE pointing their browsers, smartphones to "Gulf Island Radio" for local flavour, so we hear ya!

TS wrote - "As I listened to the audio stream of the CRTC hearing, I asked myself;
If Mr CFSI-FM could not pay to keep the TX and internet stream up and running along with the payroll and other bills as well as equipment maintenance over the past number of months - How is he able to suddenly come up with the funds to take care of the outstanding fees for the various obligations he has under his license requirement? "

Mr Dhillon's company has plenty of money. While the poor management staff at CFSI is paying hydro bills to get back on air, Satnam Media is investing in more radio stations. Recently Mr Dhillon has acquired ownership in KIGS-AM Hanford CA, KFSH-FM Mountain Home CA and his most recent investment acquisition: an off-air, technically deficient, bankrupt AM daytimer rimshotting Sacremento - KEBR-AM. I guess we all have priorities with our money Mr Dhillon completely blows it at the hearing rambling on about spending gobs of money to launch an AM signal, buy property (check out the cost of SSI real estate!) for towers blah blah blah, but refuses to directly answer the commission about non-payment of salaries, bills & other obligations costing money. Strike One.

"From what I heard there seams to be deep pockets from other south asian broadcast interests - as eluded to by the one intervention.
My second question; How would the CRTC view such "back door investment" without their approval? "

Very dimly. In fact, one commissioner expresses outright disbelief of Mr Dhillon's statements & this commissioner makes it clear he is irritated & impatient with Satnam Media's track record as a Canadian broadcaster. Mr Dhillon bumbles his way through this by bringing up his connections with the Gill family who own/operate "Radio India" plus his desire to restructure the ownership of CFSI to include the Gills as shareholders. Considering that "Radio India" is a major sore spot with the CRTC - Strike Two.

"The entire hour plus stream of the hearing was pailful to listen to, I heard commissioners trying to obtain straight forward answers to their questions only to receive "tap dancing" in response. The audible "body language" is clearly heard... I wonder what things looked like in that room, I would think quite tense."

Indeed, very perceptive observation! I know there is nothing funny about any of this, but some of Mr Dhillon's responses had me laughing so hard, I almost tipped over my 'walker'! Continually questioned, Mr Dhillon is big on the 'blame game' - stating the woes at CFSI are caused by staff & volunteers undermining/sabotaging the station, original owner Gary Brooks, poor management, & islanders hostile to an "outsider" owning 'our' radio station. Conspiracy theory stuff. Never once does he take any responsibility for this situation nor state that he, as owner, is ultimately responsible for the radio station's compliance, performance & success. Strike three - YOU'RE OUT!!

As to a future license for a Salt Spring radio station, be assured that ANY applicant to the CRTC will get a hard grilling from the commission. Said prospective broadcaster will need to demonstrate sufficient long-term finances, a proven, professional management team, a SOUND economic 5-year business plan which will require affidavits from advertisers willing to sign contracts. As I've stated here before, the long-established newspaper here has been struggling & continues to face ad revenue challenges as the business climate here diminishes with each ferry fare increase. In addition, the future prospect of becoming a municipality has many business owners & residents nervous as we surely face a large increase in taxes once this becomes reality. The west coast lost it's first radio station & then a license was issued for a 2nd station there - so it's not a dead deal yet. But the CRTC WILL expect a responsible broadcaster before issuing a license ever again for Salt Spring Isl.

[Dave L]

The west coast lost it's first radio station & then a license was issued for a 2nd station there - so it's not a dead deal yet. But the CRTC WILL expect a responsible broadcaster before issuing a license ever again for Salt Spring Isl.

Thank you as always for your updates.

I turned on my bullshit filter, but couldn't hear anything, so I turned it off.

The west coast's first station, CHOO-FM 104.7 MHz went under when they saw the writing on the wall. The license holder was deeply in arrears and their business partner, a first nations investment group had foreclosed then ran the station for another year. They hired Jamie Watson from Port Alberni, who did quite well under difficult circumstances. He left after nine or ten months, even though the station reached it's target revenue during the summer months. The replacement management was inexperienced, but at the very least knew it was unreasonable to continue because of an irreconcilable partnership, not in absence of profitability.

That's more than I can say for the current owner, who's about as intransigent and untruthful as the owner's testimony I'm listening to today. Cam Dennison has grabbed the reins and means well, but he's not equipped to run CHMZ 90.1 MHz with a contract, assignment or certified technical expertise. It's tentative and tenuous at best, certainly not on the level the commission requires, especially after the fact the misrepresented and neglected CCD contributions among other managerial shortcomings.

The west coast is flush enough to operate a station, especially if Tofino, Ahousaht, Ucluelet and Bamfield were under one roof. I took out a file number with the commission to do just that, but withdrew the application a few months later when CHMZ came back online after several months with an unmodulated carrier. The owner of CHMZ has only had a sales person for about as long as it took them to leave in frustration. Some sued and prevailed, others just gave up.

It's a mess. These guys lie through their teeth, under oath, constantly. The commission sounds tough in the audio, but I have my doubts they do anything meaningful and let this drag out until it's not possible for a local entity to apply for a license again. They certainly didn't mention the word perjury, in fact having diminished the meaning of it altogether.

A perpetual mess. A total disservice to our communities. On every level.

[skyvalleyradio]

VE7LGD de VE7SKA - Dave thanks as always for an update on the local airwaves (or not!) from the gorgeous west coast. BTW, check your BS filter to see if there's a firmware update - I had to update mine, also update the driver in order to survive that session with the CRTC.

Well, all is not gloom & doom. Time to put a positive twist onto this thread: I apologize if I've missed this, but I don't believe anyone on Radiowest has mentioned that Penticton now has it's very own community radio station!!!!! Congratulations to Peach City Radio for the freshly inked CRTC license for 50 watts on 92.9 FM. This will be a welcome addition to that part of the Okanagan. (gasp) Might we possibly hear the return to the airwaves of the King of Oliver?? Is it possible to get an old dog behind the mic just one more time??

[skyvalleyradio]

http://www.peachcityradio.org/

[jon]

What surprised me the most about the CFSI owner's "presentation" was that he took an about face from his previous CRTC interactions which, I thought, were carefully crafted to distance himself from the current situation with the Border Broadcasters. I presume this indicates a belief among the Programmers of these stations that they are now in compliance by simply having their announcers talk into a microphone that is not physically in Canada.

As I've said before, I believe that both situations are going to "end badly" for everyone involved, though it could still be another year before the CRTC actually manages to put a stop to it all. This is not abnormal in North American legal circles. Nor is it anything new. I remember being at TELUS in the late 1990s, trying to find 20 year old data to defend the company against a law suit by a competitor that had taken two decades to get to the point where TELUS even hired a lawyer to defend themselves.

[jon]

For anyone interested in the written transcript, it is available here:
http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/transcripts/2015/tb0514.htm

[Dave L]

As I've said before, I believe that both situations are going to "end badly" for everyone involved, though it could still be another year before the CRTC actually manages to put a stop to it all. This is not abnormal in North American legal circles. Nor is it anything new.

I gather Telus wasn't actually revoked.

Presuming the revocation is ordered, does that actually mean revocation or do they continue operating for another year or ten, pending appeal?