Information from various contributors to Dan Sys' Canadian Radio News Facebook Page indicates that an end-run around the CRTC might actually work as the most economical way to deliver Ethnic Broadcasting to the Lower Mainland, and perhaps elsewhere in Canada. No more 50KW transmitters just across the U.S. border with CRTC threats of contempt of Federal Court. No more back door approaches to major markets that instead end up with potential loss of license.
Industry Canada has been busily licensing ethnic stations in Surrey and Abbotsford. At least five so far, each with less than 50 watts, but towers as high as 500 feet above Sea Level in Surrey. Dan is reporting great coverage from the two that are on the air.
Doesn't sound like a lot of power, but BCIT's station is not much higher than that, and only 12 watts. Dan has long reported excellent signal and coverage from the station, even while CFSI-FM Salt Spring Island was on the air on the same frequency.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of all this is the conclusion by a poster in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19124&p=12833473#p12833473
swan_ch has found evidence that one of the stations is owned by the same individual that just lost his license to operate CFSI, and has been heavily involved in one of the Border Blasters.
If this can be made to work over the long term, the real losers are going to be the licensed Canadian ethnic broadcasters saddled with the costs of building and running a CRTC-licensed radio station in Canada. "Made to work" obviously means both reliable signal coverage and lack of CRTC license requirements.
Signal coverage opens up a lot of questions. For example, could one of these stations be "bumped" from their frequency by someone applying for a CRTC-licensed station? Could a transmitter site on Mount Seymour be used?