Who Needs a Border Blaster?

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Who Needs a Border Blaster?

Postby jon » Fri Jul 24, 2015 4:18 pm

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?
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Re: Who Needs a Border Blaster?

Postby Mike Cleaver » Fri Jul 24, 2015 11:43 pm

Money still talks and playing the ethnic card, especially with the current Federal Government, doesn't hurt when it comes to getting licenses.
I remember back in the last century trying to get an ethnic license was almost impossible unless you promised to broadcast myriad languages and music.
Back when the CRTC ordered CHUM to divest itself of CHQM-AM after it bought the combo, several of us tried to interest Mr. Waters into selling it to us and we were going to create Vancouver's first Chinese station, playing ethnic and world pop music and running English lessons overnight.
Several Commission members thought it was a good idea, others were still stuck in the "has to be multi-language, mult-culture.
This was when Vancouver's Chinese population had begun to explode, with thousands coming over from Hong Kong.
I still think it would have worked, been a revenue generator and would have provided for a need to help new immigrants acclimatize to their new country.
And it would have been in full compliance of the rules, with a legal component of foreign investment.
Mike Cleaver Broadcast Services
Engineering, News, Voice work and Consulting
Vancouver, BC, Canada

54 years experience at some of Canada's Premier Broadcasting Stations
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Re: Who Needs a Border Blaster?

Postby Dan Sys » Sat Jul 25, 2015 7:55 am

Jon said:
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?


Oh yes, these stations are considered low power unprotected services and would be forced to find another frequency should a CRTC licensed station appear on the same or an adjacent frequency. I believe this is the case with B.C.I.T.'s CFML in Burnaby who will be bumped off 107.9 when the new South Fraser Broadcasting station at 107.7 hits the air in Surrey.

I dug up the "rules & procedures" for low power FM stations from the Industry Canada site:
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.ns ... 09954.html
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