AVR To Hit The Air June 30

[radiofan]

Aboriginal radio station to set up shop

Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, May 25, 2006

Aboriginal Voices Radio is looking to staff a Vancouver operation, one of three regional studios that will begin broadcasting June 30, as part of a new national AVR network.

A small core of people will be hired for the Vancouver station, which will broadcast at 106.3 on the FM dial.

New stations in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa begin broadcasting June 30, with stations in Edmonton, Montreal and Kitchener-Waterloo joining the network in September. The original Toronto station has been on the air since October 2004, broadcasting at 106.5 on the FM band.

The announcement came this week after AVR executives met with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The CRTC had granted AVR a licence for seven cities, but plans were delayed until the funding was in place.

"We had to extend our broadcast deadlines a couple of times because we did not have the money in place," said Lewis Cardinal, vice-president of AVR. "The money is now in the bank, we are signing the agreements on the transmitters and it is going to happen."

Cardinal said the network has secured funds from the social program funding that commercial stations must pay as part of their licence agreements. The network also has some corporate money and has applied to Heritage Canada for federal funding, but has yet to hear if any government funds will be coming.

AVR programming is a mix of music, talk, news and cultural programming.

The Vancouver station will initially broadcast national programming from Toronto, but will develop original shows.

"Vancouver will be a very important location for AVR nationally, because it's on the West Coast and there are so many First Nations and aboriginal communities out there," said Cardinal. "We want original programming to happen. We know there is a very strong diversity and unique voice within different indigenous peoples. We have to create some community programming that respects and honours those people."

The original AVR business plan called for 15 regional stations in the network. Cardinal said he hopes to have licences for Halifax and New Brunswick when the network next expands.

Former Skeetchestn Band chief Ron Ignace of Kamloops welcomed the news that AVR will finally be a national network.

"This is necessary because it will give a national voice for native people across the country," said Ignace, who served on the federal task force for Aboriginal Languages and Cultures. "We'll be able to speak to each other across Canada, and also to speak to the Canadian public at large."

Ignace also says native musicians will have a chance to be heard.

"They have nowhere to go for giving expression to their music," said Ignace. "An aboriginal-voice radio would be an excellent venue for that."

AVR currently has a library of 7,500 tracks from 658 Canadian aboriginal groups and artists.

AVR chief of operations Roy Hennessy, a former Vancouver radio announcer, said he hopes to have at least two reporters, a morning show host and a number of on-air personalities operating out of the Vancouver studio.

mandrews@png.canwest.com

? The Vancouver Sun 2006

Link to Vancouver Sun Story

[Glen Livingstone]

Aboriginal Voices Radio is looking to staff a Vancouver operation, one of three regional studios that will begin broadcasting June 30, as part of a new national AVR network.

Really?

I'll believe it when I hear it.

This group has had their applications renewed so many times the CRTC wore out its rubberstamp.

This has been going on now for years with AVR, and - with the exception of the Toronto station - they're still not on the air.

They've received money from commercial radio, corporate donations, and now they've applied to Heritage Canada for Federal funding?

How much of their own money have they put into this venture?

It's outrageous.

[radiofan]

I wonder if Chief Of Operations, ROY HENNESSY, will return to Vancouver and do the morning show?

[johnsykes]

Better still, is Real Roy H. a member of First Nations??? Just thought I'd ask

[radiofan]

He is Chief of Operations...does that count??

[tuned]

I listened to their web stream. They were playing "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone. No kidding. Just more of taxpayers money down a rathole all in the name of political correctness. Looks like Roy has found a fabulous feedbag. Polish up that resume Rod Gunn.