CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

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CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby jon » Mon Sep 15, 2014 6:41 pm

Two homegrown Alberta broadcasters are applying for FM licenses in Ponoka and Sylvan Lake. In the unlikely circumstance that both are approved, one will be looking for an alternate frequency as they are for adjacent FM frequencies. Air distance between the two communities is 32 miles, or just over 50 km.

The Ponoka applicant is Blackgold, owner of The One in Leduc, and licensee of a new station serving Spruce Grove and Stony Plain, awarded today and also to be known as The One. Power is to be 10,000 watts (ERP) non-directional on 88.7 MHz from 111 metres above average terrain.

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Clear Sky is going after Sylvan Lake with a mix of Hot AC, Modern Rock and Alternative. Power is only 791 watts (average ERP) on 88.5 MHz at 150 metres height.

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Website: http://www.885thelake.com

Why so little power for Sylvan Lake? Red Deer is so close that anything more would have prompted interventions from existing Red Deer stations, though they may complain about losing Sylvan Lake advertisers as it is.
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby merlin » Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:13 pm

Take a guess where the lakes stick will be ?? The CBC tower !! This app will shot down before it even takes off. Besides this is Sunny 94.1 market. Maybe Ponaka has a half chance but I don't think so. The Red-Deer market is over full.
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby Rocky » Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:44 pm

Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and the whole QE II corridor is so over-radioed already.

Neither of these should see the light of day IMHO.

Modern Rock? Isn't that appealing to the demo that doesn't even know what a radio is?

Country folk are loyal listeners. Do you really think they'd ditch KG, CFCW or whatever they listen to now for a peanut whistle small town upstart?
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby jon » Thu Oct 30, 2014 4:01 pm

The CRTC today announced that Clear Sky's application for Sylvan Lake has been pulled from the November 12th Hearing, but will be heard at a later date.

No other details, including whether the decision to postpone was the CRTC's or Clear Sky's.

Odd, as it would seem in the best interests of all the parties to hear the Sylvan Lake and Ponoka applications at the same time, since they would appear to be competitive, in the sense that, at most, one of the two will be approved.
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby TRENT310 » Sun Nov 23, 2014 8:04 pm

Rocky wrote:Country folk are loyal listeners. Do you really think they'd ditch KG, CFCW or whatever they listen to now for a peanut whistle small town upstart?


I think only if they have talent or personalities that people want to listen to. That's exactly what got CJLD their listeners being said small-town upstart. Also, CJLD is very much listenable in Ponoka... but they don't actively serve that community with any current events or news items.

Otherwise they'd have to provide a super-local focus... sort of like Newcap's own small market stations CKSQ 93.3 and CIBQ 105.7 which are both fully within coverage of CKDQ 910 and one of them also within the coverage of CKGY 95.5.
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby abradioguy » Sat Jan 24, 2015 9:05 pm

Interesting that Clear Sky's Sylvan Lake application is back on the agenda. But more so that Golden West is now also competing for a Sylvan Station.

Clear Sky still going for Modern Rock. Golden West going for Country with way more power. Bet the Red Deer guys will go ballistic over Golden West especially CKGY. Should be interesting.

http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2015/2015-17.htm#bm4
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby jon » Tue Feb 03, 2015 8:25 am

Dan Sys is reporting in his Canadian Radio News Facebook page that primary coverage for both Sylvan Lake stations falls just short of Red Deer, thanks to Golden West assigning a directional pattern for its proposed 50KW blowtorch.

Even though all three stations are asking for different frequencies, they are adjacent, so only one will get a frequency. More than one could still be approved, but only one will get the frequency asked for.

I think I would still give Black Gold's Ponoka station the best chance of the three, simply because it is not so close to Red Deer. Sylvan Lake may have a higher per-capita income, but it is still a lot smaller than Ponoka, especially when you add the rural population that would get a City Grade signal from a Ponoka transmitter. Plus, Head Office for Black Gold is closer (Leduc, right by Edmonton International Airport) than Clear Sky's or Golden West's, which seems to matter these days with the CRTC.
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby abradioguy » Tue Feb 03, 2015 11:20 am

Hi Jon

Blackgold moved their frequency to 89.1 instead of 88.1 before the original November hearing.

http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2014/2014-472-1.htm

That eliminated the technical issues between Ponoka and Sylvan Lake.

So with Golden West entering the fray in Sylvan Lake, it will now be down to either Clear Sky or Golden West for Sylvan Lake and Blackhgold could also get Ponoka without any issues.
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby jon » Fri Mar 13, 2015 5:40 pm

This morning, the CRTC announced that the two applications for Sylvan Lake have been removed from the March 25th Hearing, to be rescheduled into the future.

Blackgold's application for Ponoka was considered at the November 12th CRTC hearing. The same hearing where Jim Pattison's acquisition of the majority of Rawlco stations was on the agenda, and has since been approved. There were no oral submissions, just discussions by the CRTC Panel, with decisions to be released, one at a time, later. We are still waiting for the decision on Blackgold.

The way it is shaping up, it will be a tough road to success for either Sylvan Lake applicant:
  1. Blackgold will likely have a huge head start with Ponoka on the air first
  2. Sylvan Lake just is not big enough to support a station
  3. Oil Prices have made it a tough time to start a new station
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby jon » Mon Mar 30, 2015 3:28 pm

The CRTC is now saying that they expect to released the Decision on Blackgold's Ponoka application this week.

The latest technical application reads "The station would operate at 89.7 MHz (channel 209B1) with an effective radiated power of 10,000 watts (omnidirectional antenna with an effective height above average terrain of 111 metres)."
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby jon » Wed Apr 01, 2015 8:36 pm

From Dan Sys' Canadian Radio News:
(CRTC) NEW COUNTRY STATION DENIED IN PONOKA, ALBERTA

Blackgold Broadcasting's application for a Country station in Ponoka, Alberta on 88.7 with 10,000 watts (average & maximum ERP) was rejected by the CRTC today. Antenna height would have been 111 metres (EHAAT) with a non-directional antenna pattern.

The CRTC found that the proposed station would have an undue negative impact on existing radio stations, most notably those in Wetaskiwin and Lacombe.

CRTC DECISION:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2015/2015-124.htm
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby Rocky » Thu Apr 02, 2015 8:09 am

Nice to see there is some sense in Ottawa these days. There are already too many signals in the Red Deer area.

When it comes to Sylvan Lake, let's hope those are rubber stamp denials.
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby slowhand » Thu Apr 02, 2015 8:39 am

Yeah, what Rocky said. :headbang:
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby abradioguy » Fri Apr 10, 2015 10:20 am

Well looks like the two Sylvan Lake applications are back on. http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2015/2015-136.htm

Any predictions?
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Re: CRTC Applications for Ponoka and Sylvan Lake

Postby jon » Fri Apr 10, 2015 12:29 pm

The Ponoka denial seems -- at least, to me -- a clear sign that both Sylvan Lake applications will be denied.

I wasn't surprised to see the applications scheduled for an upcoming Hearing. Nor do I think that makes it less likely that the CRTC will deny them both.
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