Applications for Calgary

[Dan Sys]

The following groups have responded to the recent CRTC's "call for applications" to serve Calgary.

Diversified Society of Alberta - Ethnic - 95.3 - 50 watts
Jim Pattison Broadcast Group - Triple A - 95.3 - 100,000 watts
Unison Media - Ethnic - 95.3 - 54,000 watts
Harvard Broadcasting - AC - 36,000 watts
Bell Media - Rhythmic CHR - 95.3 - 54,000 watts
Clear Sky Radio - 90’s based Country - 95.3 - 54,000 watts
Alberta Mosaic Radio Broadcasting - Ethnic - 95.3 - 7,000 watts
7954689 Canada (Tietolman-Montreal) - Hybrid Hit Music - 100.3 - 7,800 watts
Rawlco Radio - Hit music - 100.3 - 100,000 watts
Multicultural Broadcasting Corporation - Ethnic - 106.7 - 8,000 watts
Corus Entertainment - News-Talk - 106.9 - 1,000 watts (nested repeater for CHQR 810)
Punjabi World Network - Ethnic - 1670AM - 5,000 watts (days)/1,000 watts (nights)

More details can be found here:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-694.htm

Applications by Strive Communications for a Christian station and by Neeti P. Ray for an Ethnic station were dismissed.

Corus has also applied for an exemption from the CRTC's "common ownership policy" with the nested repeater application for CHQR 810:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-695.htm

[freqfreak2]

Corus has also applied for an exemption from the CRTC's "common ownership policy" with the nested repeater application for CHQR 810:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-695.htm

If this goes ahead, watch for a similar request for 630 CHED.

[Dan Sys]

You may recall that Corus tried this a few years ago in Winnipeg with a nested repeater application for CJOB 680 that was outright rejected by the CRTC. The difference here is the CJOB application was for 100,000 watts, CHQR is only going for 1,000 watts. It just might work for them this time.

[freqfreak2]

Also, precedent has been set numerous times with CBC's nested repeaters. Corus Calgary with three properties is also a little different than the Edmonton situation where they have four ... but that may give them an excuse to put iNews 880 out of its misery (Rogers-proofing concerns notwithstanding).

[jon]

I'm not sure how Corus giving up the license for CHQT-880 would help them get an FM nested repeater for CHED. The CRTC rules that talk about a maximum of 2 FM stations per market is what Corus is up against.

If an application comes in to the CRTC for a nested FM repeater for CHED, I suspect it won't come until CHQR is approved. I also suspect that there would be two applications: one for CHED and one for CHQT. Anything else would be an admission of defeat for iNews880.

Another interesting aspect is CHED's problem with its night-time directional pattern. If I recall correctly, one of its Nulls, likely the one for an Alaska station, means that more than 50,000 people cannot hear CHED until the daytime directional pattern kicks in, which is after 8 a.m. in some winter months. I'm guessing that it would be much cheaper and faster to address that problem with an FM repeater or two in the unserved areas than it would to be to go through international negotations to get a better night pattern and to rebuild the current 6 tower transmitter site.

A more obvious solution would be to swap frequencies between CHED and CHQT, as CHQT has a much better night pattern, though neither station has much of a signal South at night.

As for FM frequencies, I am sure there are some available in Edmonton for a 1-5KW repeater, especially if the tower could be stuck on the top of a downtown building, rather than the huge towers on the outskirts, which would carry a lot farther away from Edmonton and interfere with stations on the same or adjacent frequencies.

[albertaboy4life]

Back in June I posted the following -
***
Re: Harvard wants another one in Calgary
by albertaboy4life » Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:54 am

If successful this would give Harvard a second FM in Calgary. The other single FM operators in town include Bell Media (KOOL FM) and Rawlco (UP!). I would imagine Bell and Rawlco would be interested in a second station.

Could we see Pattison, Blackburn, Evanov/Dufferin, Vista, Clear Sky, Yerxa or ZoomerMedia also take a run as they don't have a presence in Calgary?
***
I am somewhat surprised a few more broadcast groups, from the list above, didn't take a run at this one and I hadn't considered applications for Ethnic services.

The use of 95.3 MHz is also news to me especially at 100,000 watts. 95.5 MHz is already home to services in Red Deer and Lethbridge also noting that Edmonton's The Bear is at 100.3 MHz which Rawlco wants for Calgary at 100,000 watts. I thought 100.3 was the last (decently powered) frequency available in Calgary.

QR's nested repeater makes sense after their appeal to listeners via Facebook for feedback on the quality of their AM signal in downtown Calgary.

[freqfreak2]

I'm not sure how Corus giving up the license for CHQT-880 would help them get an FM nested repeater for CHED. The CRTC rules that talk about a maximum of 2 FM stations per market is what Corus is up against.

What I meant wuz ...

If Corus Calgary wins their argument on the basis that their total in the market would be four (CHQR, CHQR nested, and the two FMs), then they could come up with the same math in Edmonton if they silenced 880.

Admittedly, it was just an excuse to comment on a frequency being used simply to keep a real news station from entering the market.

[jon]

Speaking of which, if Rogers were willing to put serious money on the transmitter site construction, I could see an approval of CHQR's nested repeater getting Rogers interested in applying for a new All News AM with FM nested repeater in Edmonton. There are certainly many available AM frequencies here if all you want to do is hit the metro Edmonton area.

The problem of having too many FMs in the same market would obviously have to be solved by the CHQR decision which, if approved, would almost undoubtedly say "nested repeaters don't count".

[Dan Sys]

I spent the better part of yesterday sifting through these applications. Here's a few of my observations.

Familiar brandings seem to highlight these applications. Pattison will be THE PEAK, Harvard will be MY 95.3, Bell will be FLOW 95.3, Rawlco will be NOW RADIO, and Multicultural Broadcasting will be RED FM.

Two of the South Asian applications are from existing SCMO operations who want to become "real" on-air stations. The Punjabi World Network currently operates SPICE FM which is the subcarrier for CBR 102.1 and Unison Media operates Radio SurSangam which is the subcarrier for CKUA-1 93.7.

The Bell application (Flow) states that the format will be Rhythmic CHR, however if you look at their accompanying documents the music is more along the lines of Urban-Hip Hop-Rap.

The Tietolman Tetrault Media application calls for something called Hybrid Hit Music. Their definition of this format is "the #1 songs of all time" (in all genres of music) with a few currents thrown in.

Most of the applicants submitted backup plans in case they are rejected on the proposed frequencies that were submitted (ie-several groups going for 95.3 say that they will gladly set up shop on 100.3 or 106.7....and vice versa), however Multicultural Broadcasting (Red) states that if their application on FM is rejected they have a backup plan for 1480 AM.

I'm going to go out on the limb here and give my predictions:

I think Pattison has the edge in the battle between the "corporates". Not only was it the slickest presentation, but it really does offer something that is currently not available on the air in Calgary. The competing proposals all seem very mainstream (with slight variations).

I also wouldn't be all that shocked if two of the South Asian applications get the go ahead (one on FM and the 1670 AM). That precedent was set in Vancouver in 2005 when the CRTC granted South Asian stations on both 93.1 and 1200).

I also have a feeling that Corus will get their QR77 nested repeater on 106.9.

[albertaboy4life]

An item that caught my eye was in the Harvard application regarding the use of 100.3 MHz.

Seems as though Harvard, after a technical review regarding the use of 100.3 MHz, asked Golden West via Harvard's engineering consultant for access to co-locate with CKUV (aka The Eagle 100.9) and were denied. Leaving them with only the option of using their existing tower on Calgary's west end (home to X-92.9, City-TV, OMNI and Global's transmitters) for 95.3 MHz.

Harvard's materials are heavy on statements regarding X-92.9's lack of economies of scale and the volatility of serving a young, male audience. They were pretty clear in pointing out Bell Media's multi-platform advantages (internet, broadcast television, cable television, speciality cable TV channels (especially the music ones - Much and MuchMore, etc.)) as part of their application materials.

It will be interesting to see if the CRTC commissioners pursue Pattison on a line of questioning around Newcap's failure of Triple A with FUEL 90.3 now AMP Radio and why they would fair better.

I like Dan's picks. My early bet was one new FM service for Calgary, on the assumption only 100.3 MHz was available. I think we'll see one new private non-Ethnic FM licenced and at least one Ethnic station, more if the AM applicant(s) can do a good job of providing sufficient proof of funding for an AM transmitter and site and a stronger commitment to hit the air than Touch Broadcasting has demonstrated for its now years ago approved 700 AM service for Calgary.

My other bet is that if Rawlco isn't awarded a licence, they come back in a few months asking the CRTC that UP! be allowed to lose its specialty format condition of licence.

[gordo54]

Corus Entertainment - News-Talk - 106.9 - 1,000 watts (nested repeater for CHQR 810)

The station is ACTUALLY at 770 kHz... just sayin'... and if nested FM's work for the CBC, that avenue should also be available
to private broadcasters... this "two-tier" regulation system is ridiculous, and it's time to level the playing field.

[Dan Sys]

Yikes, I guess I really am living in the past. CHQR switched from 810 to 770 back in 1985. Thanks for pointing that error out to me Gordo.

[jon]

Clear Sky Radio - 90’s based Country - 95.3 - 54,000 watts

Could someone with some (less than 20 year old) knowledge of Country Music confirm/explain this?

Wasn't the beginning of the 1990s the beginning for "Contemporary Country" music, as opposed to "Traditional Country"?

Here is three sample hours of music from Clear Sky's CRTC application:
http://www.radiowest.ca/pics/clearskymusiccalgary.pdf
Note the number of "current century" releases. Nothing wrong with that as I've heard lots of great shows over the years that are focused on, say, '50s and '60s Blues, that play current material that is written and performed in the same spirit as the '50s and '60s Blues was.

My question to the experts is: Reading that Music List, would you say that this station is trying for a '90s Contemporary Country "sound"?

[erratics]

I was unable to open any of the pdf files in the Pattison application and was interested in the musical vision they had in mind for Calgary. Is it like the Peak in Vancouver or a more traditional AAA like the Shore? If I was in Calgary, the Pattison application is about the only one of interest to me in this round and I wish them best of luck.

[jon]

Here is three hours of sample music proposed by Pattison:
http://www.radiowest.ca/pics/pattisoncalgarymusic.pdf