Dateline Winnipeg: Where is the Broadcast License?

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Dateline Winnipeg: Where is the Broadcast License?

Postby jon » Thu May 26, 2016 12:06 pm

Still being investigated by Dan Sys' crack team of CRTC/Industry Canada researchers at Canadian Radio News, Broadcast Dialogue reported the story this morning:
Winnipeg’s second ethnic station has begun testing. To be ID’ed as AWAZ, which means voice to East Indians, the new station occupies 92.9, the frequency vacated by Red River College in 2012. Up until now, the only Winnipeg ethnic station was CKJS...

The Winnipeg Sun also did an article on the station:
Winnipeg getting first East Indian radio station
AWAZ 92.9 will speak at least 11 languages
By Jim Bender
Winnipeg Sun
First posted: Friday, May 20, 2016 04:56 PM CDT
Updated: Friday, May 20, 2016 05:26 PM CDT

Winnipeg's Baldev Gill wants to give a voice to his culture, as well as other under-served local communities.

Gill wants to start the very first East Indian radio station in Manitoba and is just an audio test away from hitting the airwaves. He will call it AWAZ, which means "voice" in his language, Gill said Thursday.

"Being that there is a lot of newcomers here, we saw a need here, so we decided to start something for the ethnic community," he said. "Some of it (programming) will be done in the East Indian language and some in other languages, too. Anybody's welcome."

Actually, the plan is to serve nine cultural groups with a minimum of 11 languages, including English.

"It will be more like an information station," said Gill, who was born in India and came to Canada in 1959. "But it will include music, too. There will be Indian music and all kinds of other music, too."

If it passes next week's audio test, the 24-hour station will take the 92.9 FM frequency that was vacated by Red River College in 2012.

Gill and his three or four helpers will broadcast from the second floor of his Gill Taxi Meter and Radio shop on Selkirk Avenue.

"It's gonna cost thousands," Gill said. "It already cost a lot to buy the equipment and most of the equipment's been installed, but we will have advertising."

Currently, CKJS boasts of being Manitoba's only multilingual radio station.

Only potential problem is that there is no record of the station having a license, either with the CRTC or Industry Canada. At least that Dan and his team can find, including official confirmation from the CRTC that they have not issued a license.
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Re: Dateline Winnipeg: Where is the Broadcast License?

Postby Shawndx » Fri May 27, 2016 11:40 am

They have been on the air testing since May 26 2016.

Their signal is a bit erratic at best with many parts of town not even hearing them at all never mind in stereo.

I have an inquiry into Industry Canada but have no reply yet. The CRTC did admit they have no license for them but they may be exempt. How you are exempt from the CRTC for a permanent station is a good question but they have no answers to that one it seems other than quoting the fact that there are exemptions.

The owner of this station tried to get a license via the CRTC but was turned down, Now it seems he is going on air exempt from the rules he tried to follow.

One wonders if you are turned down by the CRTC why not just get an exemption from someplace and do what you wanted in the first place. Could this lead to chaos (insert sarcasm here)?
Shawn Axelrod VE4DX1SMA
Winnipeg MB
amandx (@)mymts.net
REMEMBER ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN HEAR FOREVER
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Re: Dateline Winnipeg: Where is the Broadcast License?

Postby Dan Sys » Fri May 27, 2016 3:13 pm

That might work for awhile Shawn, but the regulators will eventually catch up to you. The prime examples are the 3 "Punjabi pirates" in Surrey. These guys received license exempt status on the grounds that they were going to be low power tourist information and house of worship stations. As soon as they hit the air it became apparent what their ulterior motive was. All 3 are operating as full fledged commercial Punjabi stations with little or no programming devoted to tourism or religion. It also alleged that they are operating with much more power than Industry Canada allows.

I expect the CRTC to issue a cease and desist order to all 3 of them any day now as their illegal operations were recently dealt with at the Vancouver hearing. The CRTC should never have allowed Industry Canada to take control and rubber stamp these license exempt applications. Perhaps after this blatant abuse things will get a bit tighter.
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Re: Dateline Winnipeg: Where is the Broadcast License?

Postby Shawndx » Mon May 30, 2016 1:45 pm

They are still testing but based on my driving around the city the signals are often poor or non-existent depending where you are.

They did ID and Mr Gill announced they are running 50 watts and the call sign is CKYZ-FM.
Shawn Axelrod VE4DX1SMA
Winnipeg MB
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REMEMBER ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN HEAR FOREVER
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Re: Dateline Winnipeg: Where is the Broadcast License?

Postby rwbrown » Tue May 31, 2016 4:27 pm

Speaking of the Surrey pirate... errr, I mean, tourist stations. I was driving along King George Blvd in the Newton neighborhood on Monday morning and there was a municipal sign indicating there was a tourist info station at either 88 or 89.3. (thought it was 88.3, all confusing because there are so many can't keep track of them) Guess after the recent CRTC hearing, the city may wish to remove the sign.

“Dear Sir/Madam, I’m writing this email request to you regarding my scheduled appearance at CRTC hearing in Vancouver, B.C. on May 20th, 2016. I regret to inform your office that due to severe medical condition I’m unable to attend this hearing. Moreover, we have closed our operations. City FM no longer broadcasts on 89.3 FM. Kindly accept my apology. Doctor’s note is attached herewith. Thank you. Garpal Paul Garcha, President.”
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Re: Dateline Winnipeg: Where is the Broadcast License?

Postby jon » Tue May 31, 2016 8:45 pm

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting to hear something definitive from the CRTC on the three Vancouver area broadcasters that were being labeled Pirates less than 2 years ago: because they were using Washington AM stations.

As I understand it, two of the three continue broadcasting, with the only change made to their operation is the requirement that their staff commute to studios located in the U.S. When they first publicly addressed the issue, the CRTC seemed very clear that more than studio locations were involved in the violations they cited.
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Re: Dateline Winnipeg: Where is the Broadcast License?

Postby Dan Sys » Wed Jun 01, 2016 5:36 am

Those signs in Surrey are leftovers from a former travel information station that existed in Surrey for a few years in the mid-2000's. Cameron Bell was the guy behind it, but the ownership later switched to Guest Holdings. The station originally operated on 88.9 but had to move to 88.3 when the CBC Ici Musique service signed on in Victoria at 88.9.
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Re: Dateline Winnipeg: Where is the Broadcast License?

Postby yoshi » Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:15 pm

Industry Canada has a new Name-Innovation, Science and Economic Development just so you all know
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