Roundhouse FM

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Roundhouse FM

Postby Tom Jeffries » Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:06 pm

I thought it might be enlightening to get opinions on how Roundhouse-FM will do.

I think it is safe to say that the advertising dollar is tight in the market right now.

Thoughts>?
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby Dan Sys » Mon Sep 14, 2015 7:36 am

In my opinion Roundhouse Radio should have launched on the AM band. Spoken Word stations just can't seem to cut it on the FM band in Canada, with the exception of a few in Quebec. Then there's the issue of the FM frequency that they chose.....98.3 is also the home of STAR FM (CKSR) in Chilliwack which has a very dominant signal south of the Fraser and in the eastern suburbs. I am almost certain that there will be some pretty serious interference issues on the horizon for both stations.

Nonetheless I hope that I am wrong and I wish Roundhouse Radio the best of luck. The station does have a very interesting line up.
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby jon » Mon Sep 14, 2015 2:38 pm

Dan makes a great point. Which begs the question whether the next step for the station will not be to reverse the traditional Nested Repeater approach by requesting an AM frequency, to be run simulcast, with the FM technically becoming a Nested Repeater of the AM.

It could take a few years for the station to be in a position to invest in an AM signal, though costs might be reduced if they were to co-locate on an existing set of towers used by another station. I haven't looked at the existing tower arrays to see if any would work, but 900 KHz seems the logical choice.

As an FM-only signal, success depends on getting enough listeners within the reach of their signal. I suspect those listeners will have to live within the signal's reach, as I'm not sure that workplace listening and part of the commute will be a feasible way to hold many listeners.

This could turn out to be a very clever way to get a Nested FM Repeater -- get the FM first, then the AM after -- beating CKNW and CKWX at their own game, in the sense that both want Nested FM Repeaters.
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby andysradio » Mon Sep 14, 2015 3:35 pm

I think spoken word on FM does great in Canada and the CBC thinks so too. Its tops for ratings in many markets. All that is really missing for most stations is intelligent programming!
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby Aaron » Mon Sep 14, 2015 3:59 pm

jon wrote:As an FM-only signal, success depends on getting enough listeners within the reach of their signal. I suspect those listeners will have to live within the signal's reach, as I'm not sure that workplace listening and part of the commute will be a feasible way to hold many listeners.


Then they'll have a problem. Commute and at-work are essential. And either way, AM is at this point virtually a car-only medium, especially in bigger cities. The range of an AM station vs. an FM station is increasingly irrelevant. Portable devices that have radios as an add-on (Phones, iPods) don't even have the tuners. Laptops, televisions, cable boxes and urban density make it unusable in an increasing number of homes.

It's no co-incidence that the rise of Radio One in the ratings correlates nicely with their move to FM in each city.

As an "urban talk" station, he best solution to make up for their signal's weakness will be to have quality apps and to promote them well.
Last edited by Aaron on Mon Sep 14, 2015 4:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby Tom Jeffries » Mon Sep 14, 2015 4:37 pm

AM Radio receivers are going the way of the do do, in new vehicles. So - I think an AM call would not be viable, right out of the box.

I think the tough economic headwinds, could make this a tough sell.

You won't be able to hear them, all the way home, in a lot of the Lower Mainland.

I again, wish them all the luck in the world. There are a fine team. Go Shafe!
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby radiofan » Mon Sep 14, 2015 8:18 pm

The cost of building a new AM site in today's economy would be prohibitive in a metro area.

In many cases, the property occupied by AM sites is worth way more than what the station can generate in revenue.

With the signal problems CKNW has in the downtown area, if they don't one day move NW to 730, I'm sure they will move the NW site to Delta and combine it with 730 (unless Corus decides to get out of the AM radio business and sells the stations to an ethic or religious group.)

Andy is right about the CBC. In Vancouver on Radio One you seldom hear AM 690 even mentioned anymore, it's just about all 88.1 mentions.
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby jon » Tue Sep 15, 2015 8:00 am

radiofan wrote:The cost of building a new AM site in today's economy would be prohibitive in a metro area.

In many cases, the property occupied by AM sites is worth way more than what the station can generate in revenue.

No argument, especially in Greater Vancouver.

What I was wondering is if there is a way to drastically reduce those costs by co-locating on an existing site. In a manner that did not require any new towers.

This idea was partially inspired by what CISL did. My reading of their application (which both Industry Canada and the CRTC later approved) is that they designed an acceptable (to Industry Canada) directional pattern to fit on the former CJOR-600 towers. Further simplifying matters, they use the same pattern day and night, which is why they only run 4000 watts at night, but can run 20,000 watts in the day.

Admittedly, CISL is undoubtedly paying a "pretty penny" to Pattison for use of the site, since it would otherwise be unused. I could see Roundhouse finding another transmitter site where the owner is running an existing AM station and is glad to have a few extra bucks each month to pay a small portion of site costs. For example, CJRJ-1200.
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby Dan Sys » Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:01 am

Let me know when they start testing gang. I am really curious to see if I will be able to hear them in Aldergrove with STAR FM dominating the frequency out this way.
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby erratics » Tue Oct 13, 2015 7:30 pm

Looks like they hit the air today with a mostly talk test loop. Signal is good along Hwy #1 North Shore. They seem to be clear in western line of sight areas in Burnaby. No signs of the Chilliwack station coming in while travelling through Port Moody.
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby radiofan » Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:25 pm

In New Westminster, I get Star FM with a bit of interference that is most likely Roundhouse.
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby Dan Sys » Wed Oct 14, 2015 6:40 am

No sign of them at all in Aldergrove, STAR FM from Chilliwack totally dominates the frequency.
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby jon » Wed Oct 14, 2015 10:39 am

According to this show description from the Roundhouse web site, Terry David Mulligan has moved back to Vancouver to do his show live each Lunch Hour 7 days a week. Or am I reading this wrong?
Live From Railtown is a daily one hour celebration of the arts, in all its forms. Music. Film. Stage. Literary. Culinary. Going deep with musicians, directors, actors, filmmakers, comedians - and the odd troublemaker - makes it fun and compelling. But it’s not your usual Q&A. I try to take the direct line to the person, the subject and the moment.

Radio has always been a large part of my life. The problem was I couldn’t always find myself in it. It kept shifting and changing and not always for the better. For me, what became of value was creative freedom. I’ve found it a few times at other places, but right now its right here at Roundhouse Radio.

It may only be an hour a day but I bring to those 60 minutes all of my passions, AND a living history of Vancouver. Talking, playing, connecting. Come down to the Railtown studio over lunch and we’ll crank it up!
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby radiofan » Wed Oct 14, 2015 4:49 pm

jon wrote:According to this show description from the Roundhouse web site, Terry David Mulligan has moved back to Vancouver to do his show live each Lunch Hour 7 days a week. Or am I reading this wrong?
Live From Railtown is a daily one hour celebration of the arts, in all its forms. Music. Film. Stage. Literary. Culinary. Going deep with musicians, directors, actors, filmmakers, comedians - and the odd troublemaker - makes it fun and compelling. But it’s not your usual Q&A. I try to take the direct line to the person, the subject and the moment.

Radio has always been a large part of my life. The problem was I couldn’t always find myself in it. It kept shifting and changing and not always for the better. For me, what became of value was creative freedom. I’ve found it a few times at other places, but right now its right here at Roundhouse Radio.

It may only be an hour a day but I bring to those 60 minutes all of my passions, AND a living history of Vancouver. Talking, playing, connecting. Come down to the Railtown studio over lunch and we’ll crank it up!


According to the schedule, the show also has a rerun in the evenings.

I'd assume the weekend shows are "Best Ofs" from the previous week.

Terry has been back in Vancouver for a few years and regularly attends Red's RPM lunches.
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Re: Roundhouse FM

Postby radiofan » Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:15 am

A different kind of radio

Roundhouse FM takes a hyper-local approach to attract Vancouverites

By John Mackie, Vancouver Sun October 14, 2015

Don Shafer has run some of the most successful commercial radio stations in Canada, including CFOX and Rock 101 in Vancouver, and CHUM-FM and Q107 in Toronto.

But he’s always harboured a deep, dark secret: an admiration for the CBC.

“CBC stations are almost always the No. 1 station in almost every market across Canada,” he said.

“CBC does some terrific programming. Forget all the arguments about funding and where the money goes and how much money they need. Forget that for a moment and just appreciate the creative, quality work that goes into that product.

“They do a great job, and clearly, because they’ve put so much into their product, the audiences followed.”

Shafer is using the CBC as the model for his new commercial station, Roundhouse Radio. And he hopes to attract some of the CBC’s audience, as well.

Roundhouse Radio launches Thursday at 98.3 FM out of a storefront location at 714 Alexander Street in Japantown.

The big draw on opening day will be a live performance by Sarah McLachlan from the Roundhouse studio at noon. Dan Mangan will follow with a live show at noon Friday.

McLachlan and Mangan will be performing on a daily show featuring local broadcast legend Terry David Mulligan. But most of the programming will be “spoken word” — the format will be 80 per cent talk, 20 per cent music.

Hosts include former mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe in a morning show called Our City; Rhona Raskin doing a show called Love and Lust; and Samantha Parton of Be Good Tanyas fame doing a “free-form” all-night show that mixes “classic songs, electronica, blues, experimental jazz and everything in between.”

In a departure from most stations, Roundhouse will be completely focused on the city of Vancouver. In fact, the “low power” FM station’s signal won’t be strong enough to pick up in many of the suburbs. (But anyone can listen at roundhouseradio.com.)

The “hyper-local” angle was the main pitch in the 1,000-page application Shafer submitted to the CRTC in 2013. The station was approved in 2014.

“Most radio stations, in my opinion, have to flatten their content to make it generic enough for the whole Lower Mainland,” Shafer said.

“Where we don’t. We’re just talking about what’s happening in Strathcona, or what’s happening in the east end or the West End, what’s happening in those 22 neighbourhoods (in Vancouver).”

It sounds like the kind of thing you’d hear from somebody at Co-op Radio or CITR. In fact, Roundhouse Radio may be a bit like both.

“We’re doing something a little bit different,” he said. “It will sound like NPR-meets-CBC-meets-college radio. And that’s just a different conversational (approach), more open dialogue. Not compressed, not narrowed or limited. I’m jazzed about it.”

Roundhouse’s new approach begins with its location, which is near the Downtown Eastside.

“It’s one of the poorest (neighbourhoods), and it’s got one of the highest crime rates,” he said.

“But I think it’s the best place for us to be. How can we talk about the city, if we don’t know what’s going on? How can I ask you to be part of our radio station if we’re not in it, and we’re not part of it?

“We’ve got everything going on in this neighbourhood, it’s a microcosm of everything that happens in an urban city. It’s the best and the worst. There’s some wonderful people, there’s some great residents. We’ve got lots of social housing, and we’ve got million-dollar condos.


Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/differ ... z3of4zsOmr
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