Two more Saskatchewan FM's for Golden West

[Dan Sys]

The CRTC approved the applications by Golden West today for a new Variety Hits station in Humboldt at 107.5 with 96,000 watts and a Rock station in Estevan at 106.1 with 100,000 watts. A competing application by Fabmar Communications for a Classic Rock station in Humboldt also at 107.5 was rejected.

Humboldt:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-41.htm

Estevan:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-42.htm

[Justaprairieguy]

Just what Saskatchewan needs! Two more boring Golden Worst Radio stations bragging about being "local" while being voice tracked out of market.

Fabmar could have put together a far better radio station to serve the Humboldt/Saskatoon area than Golden West could ever dream of.

Thank you CRTC!

[Dan Sys]

This is the second stupid decision the CRTC has come down with in as many weeks (the other being the rejection of Barry Wall's application in Prince Rupert). In both cases voice tracked crap from other markets was chosen over locally produced programming. Has the CRTC totally caved in to the corporate giants now? What ever happened to their "local comes first" policy?

Mr. Wall & Fabmar should make an issue out of this.

[jon]

This is the second stupid decision the CRTC has come down with in as many weeks (the other being the rejection of Barry Wall's application in Prince Rupert). In both cases voice tracked crap from other markets was chosen over locally produced programming. Has the CRTC totally caved in to the corporate giants now? What ever happened to their "local comes first" policy?

Mr. Wall & Fabmar should make an issue out of this.

I learned a lot about the CRTC from the transcripts of the Edmonton hearings a few years ago. Or, more correctly, about the thinking of individual CRTC commissioners.

It came through very clearly that they wanted as many owners as possible to have more than one station in a market. Economies of scale and all that sort of thing. All of which harkens back to a CRTC mandate that goes back to the BBG and prior: unlike the FCC, the CRTC is responsible for licensing stations that will stay afloat financially.

To me, the argument about the CRTC's licensing practices is not so much whether I agree or disagree with the parameters in their licensing mandate, but in the priorities they assign to each mandate. I certainly think that they put too much emphasis on financial stability. But, at the same time, I will admit to finding it easy to forget a time less than 20 years ago when the financial viability of a lot of radio stations in this country was really in question.

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Hi Everyone, Good point Dan, I have folliowed the CRTC for many years and have always had good response from them. I have attended a lot of the hearings in the past going back to the late 70s and early 1980s. The ones with radio applications for new stations interested me the most! As far as obtaining radio information over the years they have generally been very good. However I have not had many dealings with them in the past five years so things might have changed!!!!

I've been very happy with all the low power fm stations they have licensed over the last 10 years and of course some independant commercial fms like CFSI 107.9 on Saltspring Island, B.C.. I*ve been hearing it loud and clear on my wi-fi radios with streaming audio recently, keep going strong CFSI and Sky Valley Radio operation dude!!!!

I absolutely agree with you Dan on local programming, that Prince Rupert application for Barry should have been approved over large corporate radio. Golden West isn't too bad a company by medium large standards but I like it when the independants get the OK.. Your comments are also interesting Jon and I do understand financial viability concerns but take more a free market approach to radio station viability, you either sink or swim financially and I think that should be up to the licensee and local market to determine that!!!! By the way Jon I was also listening to CIHS FM Wetaskiwn and they still program old vintage country, old southern gospel etc... However I read somewhere (some radio site that I forget where, but I think it might have been on the internet a couple months ago) that CIHS FM in Wetaskiwin was sold by the owner because of poor health, it was bought get this by the owners of KRPI 1550 Ferndale Washington which is I think Canadian or part Canadian owned. That format is East Indian/South ASian, seems strange to me if they ;bought CIHS that it still has the old format now of gospel and old country. I noticed there are hardly any commercials on CIHS when I have heard them so don't know how they are making any money to keep afloat! Haven't heard anything else about the ownership change to (radio punjab which has a parent company BBG Broadcasting I think) that owns KRPI 1550 Ferndale. Know anything about this one Dan???? Gotta get over to Maple Fridge to see you soon.

Hope everyone had a great holiday season and a happy, healthy 2011 to you all!!!!