CRTC Revokes CKLN License

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CRTC Revokes CKLN License

Postby jon » Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:49 am

TORONTO - The CRTC has revoked the licence of Ryerson University's campus radio station citing numerous regulatory violations and a lack of quality control.

In a press release, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says CKLN Radio Inc., could not convince regulators that it could properly operate the station going forward.

The investigation into station operations began in July 2009 after complaints about CKLN's management, operations and quality of programming.

The CRTC says "significant infighting'' plagued the station and the building manager on campus eventually locked out staff and management for a period of seven months, during which intermittent loops of programming went over the airwaves.

The station could not maintain a significant quality-control mechanism once regular broadcasting resumed, the CRTC ruled, and cited limited involvement from Ryerson's student body.

The station management was not able to comply with licence requirements, including submission of on-air tapes, program logs and complete annual returns.

While the decision passed by majority vote, one CRTC commissioner, Louise Poirier, "firmly opposed'' revoking CKLN's licence and said intermediate steps should have been taken before taking the station off the air.

She said the decision is "unwarranted and inequitable'' and creates a precedent regarding how to deal with stations that are non-compliant.

___

Text of CRTC decision: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-56.htm
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Re: CRTC Revokes CKLN License

Postby jon » Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:10 am

For those of us only vaguely familiar with Ryerson's campus station history, CKLN-FM is not to be confused with the legendary CJRT-FM, which signed on in 1949, where RT=Ryerson institute of Technology.

As of November 29, 1974, CJRT was no longer owned by Ryerson because of financial difficulties at Ryerson. In January 2001, the format switched to All Jazz.

CKLN began as a traditional closed circuit campus radio station in 1971, going on the air on 88.1 MHz in July 1983.
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Re: CRTC Revokes CKLN License

Postby Dan Sys » Fri Jan 28, 2011 11:00 am

That creates a great opening for the saturated Toronto FM band. Especially seeing that Canada no longer observes the bottom end of the FM band as being reserved for non-commercial stations.
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Re: CRTC Revokes CKLN License

Postby jon » Fri Feb 11, 2011 7:41 pm

A stay of execution. For now, at least:
Ryerson-based (but not Ryerson-run) campus-community radio station CKLN, 88.1 FM, has been granted a stay on the CRTC's recent decision to revoke its broadcasting license, meaning the station will remain on the air until a federal judge can determine whether or not CKLN has grounds to appeal the CRTC's ruling. CKLN staff expect that the stay will enable them to continue operating until at least April.

Under the federal Broadcasting Act, a CRTC decision can only be appealed with the permission of the Federal Court of Appeal. CKLN has not yet been given that permission, but the stay will keep them up and running until the court decides whether to grant it or not.

The full article is here:
http://torontoist.com/2011/02/ckln_will ... or_now.php
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Re: CRTC Revokes CKLN License

Postby jon » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:29 am

CKLN MOVES OFF OF 88.1 FM... For Now!
Friday, 15 April 2011 17:50
http://www.ckln.fm

The Federal Court of Appeal today announced it will not hear the appeal of CKLN Radio 88.1FM.

The campus-based community radio station had filed a leave to appeal a CRTC decision revoking its broadcast license. While the station will lose its broadcasting privileges on the 88.1FM signal, station management plans to continue as broadcasters for the Ryerson campus and the surrounding community.

CKLN Radio 88.1FM is currently weighing options and will release another public statement Monday. It is not in contravention of the Broadcasting Act to broadcast via the internet.

You can support the station by signing our petition, donating for legal costs at www.ckln.fm or writing your MP.

“It would be a terrible loss to the people of Toronto not to have a not-for-profit volunteer and student-run radio operating on 88.1FM, “said Noorez "Nunu" Rhemtulla board member and third year Ryerson University (Radio and Television Arts) student.

The court has given CKLN Radio 88.1FM no time to bid farewell on-air, we must cease broadcasting. The stay of the original revocation decision had allowed CKLN to continue to broadcast until the Federal Court of Appeal denied CKLN’s appeal.

"CKLN Listeners and supporters deserve the biggest thanks of all for standing by us," said Station Manager Jacky Tuinstra Harrison. "A community radio license is a precious, precious thing - it is the only means that Canadians have to access the airwaves that they-the public- own.”

This decision to revoke CKLN’s broadcast license sees Toronto’s oldest campus-based community radio silenced from its 28-year presence at the furthest left end of the FM frequency. It a heart-breaking step in the station's hard-fought rejuvenation efforts, but the station and its constitutents can see reasons to be optimistic going forward.

“We aren't even close to being out of the picture yet," says Chair of Board of Directors Ron Nelson "There are options. And when there's a will and community support, there's a way.”
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Re: CRTC Revokes CKLN License

Postby jon » Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:09 pm

Up to 27 applicants are going after CKLN's old frequency of 88.1 MHz in Toronto. Including a corporation named "Radio Ryerson Inc." with Jacky Tuinstra Harrison as President.

You can see all the applicants here:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/broadcast/eng/not ... 1.htm#a625
There are many familiar names.

But, be warned, there may be a few applicants mixed in who just want a Toronto radio license, not necessarily at 88.1 MHz.

Rumours "out of the East" are that the CBC application is for an FM flip for CJBC-860, which carries the CBC's French language equivalent to Radio One. If that is true, and it is a true flip, not just a request for a nested FM repeater, that would free up 860 KHz for one of those rarities, a 24/7 non-directional 50KW signal, better known as an "old style Clear Channel". 860 had been a Canada/Mexico clear channel, though there are 50KW and 10KW night signals on the U.S. West Coast today. Previously, in Vancouver on a typical evening, it was a battle between XEMO in Tijuana and CFPR in Prince Rupert. XEMO was only 5000 watts, but non-directional into a 450 foot tower. With XEMO and CFPR off the air, it was a battle between a fairly large number of 40 watt CBC LPRTs.
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Re: CRTC Revokes CKLN License

Postby Dan Sys » Sun Jan 15, 2012 8:57 am

CKLN operated with only 250 watts. Whoever is awarded the new station on 88.1 will also be restricted to a power output somewhere in that range as there is an existing 250 watt station on 88.1 in Erin, Ontario (CHES) about 30 miles from Toronto. Possible interference issues with Evanov's CKDX (Jewel FM) on 88.5 in Newmarket will also be a factor. I can't see the CBC shutting down 860 for something as restricted as this.....but you never know after they so foolishly shut down CBE 1550 in Windsor.
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Re: CRTC Revokes CKLN License

Postby jon » Sun Jan 15, 2012 8:15 pm

At 250 watts, and undoubtedly height restrictions, I cannot see much interest beyond CJBC or CFRB getting a nested repeater, Ryerson getting it back, or a few other of the smaller players.

Surely that doesn't account for all 27 applicants. Many must have other things in mind. Especially after the recent precedent of a local station in Mississauga.
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