radio - edmonton radio news 2008 - come on down!
new edmonton fm radio licence - applications received
 |
The deadline for applications for a broadcasting licence to carry on a radio programming undertaking to serve Edmonton, Alberta has come and gone and the CRTC released their list of finalists on February 8th, 2008.
Listed below are summaries and analysis of the various applications.
- CHUM Radio - CTV Limited
- CIAM Media Broadcasting Association
- Don Kay (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
- Evanov Communications Inc. (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
- Frank Torres (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
- Guldasta Broadcasting Inc.
- Harvard Broadcasting Inc.
- Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Ltd.
- John Charles Yerxa (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
- Multicultural Broadcasting Corporation Inc.
- Rawlco Radio Ltd.
- Rogers Broadcasting Limited
- Black Gold Broadcasting Inc.
- Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta
The CRTC announced that public hearings to consider the application were to be held at the recently-renovated Matrix Hotel Edmonton, 10001 107 Street, commencing on May 27th, 2008.
The hearings would also entertain submissions for radio programming undertakings to serve Drumheller and Red Deer in addition to the Edmonton applications.
Those wanting to file interventions, comments or letters of support had until May 2nd, 2008 to do so.
A complete list of all the applications for the May 27th hearing can be seen here at the CRTC site.
At the outset of the process the CRTC stated that
Applicants will be required to provide evidence giving clear indication that there is a demand and a market for the station and the proposed service. Without restricting the scope of the issues to be considered, the following should be addressed:
1. The contribution that the proposed service will make to achieve the objectives established in the Broadcasting Act and, in particular, to the production of local and regional programming.
2. The factors relevant to the evaluation of applications, as outlined in Decision CRTC 1999-480* dated 28 October 1999.
3. The means by which the applicant will contribute to Canadian Content development, with initiatives that will support, promote, train and develop Canadian musical and spoken word talent, including journalists.
* CRTC Decision 1999-480 stresses several factors: quality of the application (the business, the manner in which applicants intend to reflect their local community), diversity of news voices in the market (concerns regarding concentration of ownership and cross media ownership), and market impact (the possibility that licensing too many stations in a market could lead to a reduction in the quality of service to the local community).
Most of the stations applying hoped to broadcast from a tower owned by Rogers Broadcasting Limited, located west of Edmonton along Highway 60 just south of the Yellowhead Highway.
Numerous applications requested use of the same frequencies and the CRTC asked several of the applicants for alternative choices.
While the original call for applications suggested only one licence would be granted, on occasion the CRTC has granted additional frequencies based on the variety of submissions.
Winning applicant(s) were expected to be named in Fall 2008.
Related Last Link pages:
CHUM Radio - CTV Limited
 |
CTVglobemedia is proposing to launch a station at the 107.1 MHz frequency called Essential 107.1, with an "Essential Alternative" music format which will feature "Alternative Rock and Alternative Pop" music.
In other words, they want an older brother for CHBN "The Bounce," CTV's other Edmonton radio outlet owned in partnership with CHUM Limited and Milestone Radio.
CTV said it is looking to target adults 25-44, leaning slightly towards males over females, with half the audience over 35 and half under. This suggests they're going after Sonic-FM's slightly male-skewed demographic.
The station sees itself grabbing a 3.6 share out of the box, rising to a 5.8 by year seven.
In their application CTV states that Canadian artists would make up 40% of all music played, with 10% of all music selections coming from emerging Canadian artists.
Emerging artists is a favourite CRTC buzzphrase that it asks all music-based stations to address.
The CRTC's working definition of an emerging artist is one who has not yet achieved sales of 50,000 units on a digital single or CD and has not had a single reach top 40 spins within the past 3 years in the BDS or Mediascore Radio Airplay chart. Once an artist’s song reaches top 40 on the Airplay chart, or has reached sales of 50,000 units on a single release they remain emerging for only a 3 year window.
The station would feature alternative rock and pop music as well as alternative tracks from the past 25 years, with the majority coming from 1990s when alternative rock as at its peak.
In a proposed playlist submitted, 80% of the songs listed did not receive airplay in the Edmonton market during an early 2008 sample period.
60% of the playlist would be gold-based, ie. 18 months and older.
Out of the 126-hour broadcast week (defined as 6:00 a.m. to midnight seven days a week) the CTV application promises 84 hours of local programming, with 125 hours live to air and no voice-tracking or automation.
The station didn't address overnight programming.
14 programming staff would be hired and the station promised to broadcast its audio content over the internet. Listener interaction would be provided by means of email and cell phone text messaging. Access would also be provided to exclusive content from the "historic CHUM archives" which offer hundreds of interviews spanning 30 years of alternative music history.
CTV is arguing that their application would correct an imbalance in the market as Corus, Newcap and Astral Media all have multiple FM outlets.
The applicant cited a 2005 CRTC decision in the Ottawa-Gatineau radio market which saw a second FM station for Newcap approved to enable it to compete more effectively with CHUM Limited, which owned two FM stations and two AM stations, and Rogers, which owned two FM stations and one AM station.
Also referred to was a 2001 CRTC decision in Calgary that favoured Standard Radio and a 2006 decision, also in Calgary, that awarded Newcap a second station when the market was served with multiple operations by Corus, Rogers and Standard.
The station would air three long form music programs on Sunday nights:
Essential List - two hours of the newest releases from established and emerging artists. The show would be interactive, with listeners afforded the ability to give instant feedback on the music via cell phone text messages or online.
Demo Depot - one hour of new music from independent artists from the Edmonton region, with online and tex message voting.
Essential Roots - a syndicated weekly one-hour ongoing history of the alternative music scene in Canada hosted by Maie Pauts.
10 hours per week would be spoken word programming in the form of news and surveillance during the morning and afternoon drive shows – surveillance being another fancy word for traffic and weather.
The newsroom would be comprised of a news director and a radio journalist. These would be separate positions from The Bounce but they would share the same newsroom. CTV stated the two stations would target their news differently.
CTV proposes to contribute $15,000 a year for Grant MacEwan Community College Broadcast Journalsim Scholarhips (with matching funds to come from GMCC).
The station would commit $225,000 to an "Essential Day In The Park" concert in Hawrelak Park, and $100,000 a year to that National Campus and Community Radio Association's Alberta Cultural Diversity Program.
CHUM/CTV's entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
CIAM Media Broadcasting Association
 |
One of three applications for broadcasting ethnic programming came from CIAM Media Broadcasting Association, headed by local businessman Andrew Mak.
CIAM proposes to operate at 107.3 MHz with ethnic programming directed to a minimum of 10 cultural groups in a minimum of 10 different languages per broadcast week.
The major thrust of CIAM's application was to support diversity in Chinese languages heard on local radio.
At present, the Chinese speaking population in Edmonton is only receiving "a mere" 4.75 hours of Mandarin-language radio programming in each broadcast week through the existing commercial ethnic station, CKER's World FM.
CIAM would direct its programming primarily to the Chinese Mandarin-speaking community, which has its origin in many different countries, and would also provide programming in Japanese, Korean, Sudanese, Kurdish, Eritrean, Somali, Low German, as well as ethnic programming in English and French, and in languages familiar to Aboriginal Canadians, mainly Cree.
According to its application, CIAM Media would also be open to other minority ethnic languages having no or limited access to broadcasting in Edmonton.
98.4% of the programming in each 126 hour broadcast week would be ethnic programming, with a minimum of 60% of the ethnic programs devoted to Chinese-language programs.
14.6% of ethnic programs broadcast would be directed to a minimum of seven minority cultural groups in a minimum of seven different languages (Japanese, Korean, Somali, Kurdish, Sudanese, Eritrea, Low-German and others as needed).
23.8% of ethnic programs would be directed to programming in English (for various minority ethnic groups, especially ethnic youth and ESL), and French (for Franco-phone African minority groups such as Congo, Rwanda, Burundi etc).
7% of all musical selections broadcast would be Canadian (the current CRTC minimum for ethinc applcations).
90% of the radio station's staff would be volunteers, and the station "would not advertise per se" (non-profit groups and governmental bodies would be invited to sponsor one of 84 weekly programming "slots").
Rating share expectations were set at 0.2 in the first year, doubling to a 0.4 in year seven. The principal language of programming would be Mandarin – China's official language, spoken by 1.4 billion people worldwide.
The applicant noted CKER's Chinese language content is in Cantonese (at 85% or 27.25 hours per week). Only 4.75 hours (15%) is devoted to Mandarin programming.
One SCMO service (Guldasta Broadcasting - see below) provides ethnic radio services largely in East Indian languages, and CJSR (University of Alberta campus Radio), devotes a very small portion of its schedule to third-language ethnic programming. CHFA's all-French broadcasting was not acknowledged in the CIAM proposal.
CIAM proposes to broadcast in Mandarin for a minimum of 76 hours per week, representing 70% of total Chinese language programming.
In its proposal, CIAM states there is no Japanese ethnic programming in Edmonton. CIAM proposes to offer a minimum of 2.5 hours per week.
Similarily, there is no Korean ethnic programming and CIAM proposes a minimim of 2.5 hours of Korean programming per week.
The same promise would be made for the Sudanese population (2.5 hours) and the Eritrean population (currently 30 minutes on an existing station, it would be expanded to 2.5 hours on CIAM).
Kurdish programming would clock in at 2 hours per week, and the Somali community could expect 2.5 hours each broadcast week.
CIAM would offer a minimum of 2 hours of Aboriginal language programming weekly, initially in Cree.
Low German would be provided 4 hours weekly, and French 6 hours.
CIAM Media Broadcasting stated it wanted CJAO as their call letter. Their entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
Don Kay (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
 |
Former CHED Good Guy "Daddy" Don Kay is hoping to return to the local airwaves with a station at 107.1 MHz called THE PLANET 107.1.
In a response to the CRTC, the 107.3, 102.3 and 95.7 MHz frequencies would be acceptable (with the latter two expected to have the impact of lower revenue due to shorter signal reach).
In the application, Kay reflected that while a number of "Alternative" radio formats had recently been licensed across Canada, including in Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa, their focus is on younger listeners, specifically males between the ages of 15 and 35.
THE PLANET 107.1 would offer alternative music for the baby-boom generation who still maintain an interest in an eclectic radio format. Noted was that the appeal for the Adult Alternative format (featuring roots rock, blues, folk, reggae and world beat) ranges from 15 to 69, with an average age of 43 and the heaviest concentration between 35 and 59.
Since SONIC targets the younger alternative audience, THE PLANET will serve listeners 35-59, Kay suggested, hoping to attract an audience which evenly split between the sexes.
THE PLANET 107.1 is being proposed as a specialty format station with 40% of their musical selections to be drawn from CRTC music Category 3 which encompasses world music, folk and jazz and blues. The balance of the selections would be from Category 2 - popular music, primarily from subcategory 21 (described as music from the entire pop, rock and dance music spectrum). A detailed breakdown was not submitted.
Kay has committed the station to a minimum of 40% Canadian content both during the broadcast week (defined as 6:00 a.m. to midnight seven days a week) and in the period 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday to Friday (some stations make up for low daytime content during the evening period).
The applicant said 20% of the weekly music playlist would come from emerging Canadian artists (half of their Canadian content).
The station sees itself grabbing a 3.5 share out of the box, rising to a 7 by year seven.
Promised was 120 hours of local programming in the 126-hour broadcast week with some Canadian syndicated programs (an example offered was the Canadian Blues Awards) filling the remainder. Streaming audio would also be available on the station's web site and voice-tracking was expected for the overnight period.
The majority shareholder of the company behind Kay's proposal also submitted an application for an Adult Album Alterative station in Vancouver. A CRTC hearing was to be held in Vancouver in February 2008. If both applications were to be approved Kay said there would be some cost-sharing in terms of back-end operations.
THE PLANET 107.1 will be a green station, according to Kay. A number of initiatives would be set in place to minimise their carbon footprint including the use of hybrid and electric cars as station vehicles, choice of a “green building” for the studios and investments in alternative energy, such as solar and geo-thermal for the building and transmitters.
Station tours would be offered to the public to highlight the green opertaion and help cross-promote local green businesses. A number of programs focusing on the environment and other related issues would be broadcast to support the green commitment.
THE PLANET 107.1 would provide over 15 hours of spoken word programming each week, made up of at least 6.4 hours of news. The news staff will be made up of four full-time staff, including a reporter dedicated to environment, health and cultural developments.
In addition there will be 9.1 hours per week of information programming featuring:
PLANET Magazine - a daily one-hour magazine-style program examining issues of the day (in greater depth and detail than possible during shorter newscasts) covering news, environment, music and entertainment, health and lifestyle issues.
Once an hour and rotating during the broadcast day there would be heard PLANET Green (tips on becoming more environmentally friendly), Daily Plan-It (coverage of upcoming cultural and entertainment events), PLANET Geek Speak (highlighting changes and new products in the computing and communications industries), and PLANET Get To Know (profiles of a musical artist).
THE PLANET 107.1 will offer several special music feature programs to support emerging artists:
THE PLANET’s Pick of the Week - highlighting 52 new artists every year, to be interviewed and perform live on air. Their song would be added into regular airplay rotation and will also be the subject of a short feature called THE PLANET Get To Know (two songs and an interview clip aired on multiple occasions).
Big Sky Country - a weekly program showcasing folk music, roots rock and Alt country music. The show would 'connect the dots' between historic recordings and the songs of today.
PLANET Blues - a weekly show for adult alternative fans of popular, specialty musical styles such as the blues.
PLANET Pow Wow - a weekly show featuring a comprehensive blend of historic and contemporary recorded music of Aboriginal people hosted by Brian Wright-McLeod, author of The Encyclopedia of Native Music.
Hey Mom! I’ve Taken Over THE PLANET! - a weekly program hosted by artists themselves, selecting the music they want to introduce to their audience giving the listener insight into what inspired the artist’s music.
The State of Independents - weekly on Sunday evenings, new music from emerging Edmonton and Alberta independent recording artists.
The station would also stage THE PLANET Music and Green Festival, an outdoor family-oriented event bringing together music and all things considered 'green' or 'planet-friendly.'
A $50,000 commitment would also be made to support the Edmonton Folk Festival.
Kay's entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
Evanov Communications Inc. (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
 |
Evanov Communications is proposing to operate an Adult Album Alternative (Triple A) music format station, named Emily, at 102.3 MHz.
Failing to achieve their desired frequency, the applicant said it would consider 107.1, 106.5 or 95.7 MHz.
Emily hopes to cater to females in the 25 - 64 age bracket, with a core demographic of 35 - 54. Music emphasis will be on the artist rather than the selection. The music will not be hit-based but will be current as well reflecting the last 25 years.
The expected listenership will be 60% female, suggesting that EZ Rock 104.9 and perhaps Magic 99 would be affected.
Evanov plans that Emily will grab a 3.6 share when she signs on, rising to a 7.2 after seven years.
Of the 126-hour CRTC defined broadcast week, 100 hours minimum will be local programming. Evanov said they would likely use syndicated programming after 9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and Sundays mornings before 11:00 a.m. There are no plans to use voice-tracking or automated programs.
Emily's owners are Evanov Communications Inc., Carmela Laurignano and Ky Joseph. Evanov operates Ontario stations CKDX-FM in Newmarket, CJWL-FM in Ottawa-Gatineau, and will complete the launch of CKHK-FM in Hawkesbury during spring 2008 (all three are commonly known as 'The Jewel'). In addition, Evanov operates CKHZ Z103.5 (The Beat of Halifax), CIDC-FM Z103.5 (Toronto's only Top 40 radio station), CIAO AM 530 Brampton (a multicultural station) and co-owns, with Rainbow Media Group, CIRR Toronto (103.9 Proud FM).
Heading west, Evanov's Alberta jewel would be named after Emily Murphy, one of the Famous Five who helped determine that women were "persons" under Canadian law.
Emily's Triple A format provides for a wide range of artists, past and present, and a more eclectic mix of music: pop, alternative rock, alternative country, jazz, folk, world music and blues.
The Evanov folk described Adult Album Alternative as a spin-off of Album Oriented Rock, believed to have been established sometime during the 60's from what was then called underground or progressive music. The format uses the charts “lightly” and frequently differs in sound across markets and stations (which sounds like they're going to make it up as they go along).
Given Evanov's interest in creating more listening hours among women, Emily will play less hard rock than a standard Triple A format station.
Emily hopes to further distinguish itself through spoken content dedicated to feminine interests.
Evanov's research indicated a perception of blandness in hit radio and the male themes dominating present rock and album oriented rock services.
There will be no morning team – just an announcer and a news/traffic reporter. The presentation will reflect lifestyle, health and general interest information such as book reviews, discussions on investment and personal finance strategies, understanding the headlines, matters that are event or community related, and personal and family development.
In addition to regular news and surveillance during the drive shifts, Emily will provide a Monday through Friday half hour news program at noon. Total allocation of information and news programming equals 16 hours and 40 minutes.
Special music programming promises were somewhat vague, with Emily providing the opportunity for artists to "drop by and co-host" either music segments or an entire shift. Emily's door would always be open and the station would be a place that authors, event organizers, charities and news makers could make as an easy media stop.
Feature programming proposed include:
Maple Cuts - designed to introduce, highlight and celebrate Canadian talent with a combination of spoken word and music. The interviews and music selections would be scheduled to run five times per day, seven days a week.
Notes From Home - an hour long feature (aired twice a week – one original and one a repeat) profiling Canadian artists. The program would air interviews where available, live performances if provided and highlight the music through both discussion and airplay.
Focus - a three-hour Saturday evening program (repeated Sunday evening) addressing niche interests such as Motown, reggae, world music (particularly Latin sounds) and 80's rock.
Emily has committed to 40% Canadian content during the broadcast day and week, with 16% allocated to new and emerging artists.
Emily's web site distribute the station's live signal as well as feature on-air references to books, authors, facilities, events and guests. Also posted will be a list and links to current advertisers. Downloadable programming and text messaging of traffic updates would also be explored.
Evanov Communications' entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
Frank Torres (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
 |
Torres is proposing to operate a blues music format station, named DAWG FM, on the 107.3 MHz frequency.
106.5MHz was identified as an alternative frequency that would have a negligible affect on the applicant's business plan.
70% of the music would be mainstream blues rock music and rhythm and blues artists from the CRTC's Category 2 music selection (described as music from the entire pop, rock and dance music spectrum). DAWG FM would single out the blues rock, rhythm & blues from the fifties and sixties, soul, and contemporary rhythm & blues performances.
30% of the music will be Category 3 blues songs, which includes both historic and contemporary music in the blues traditions. Examples would include classic blues, delta blues, Chicago blues, and contemporary blues music.
Torres points out in his application that there are no independently owned mainstream English language radio stations in Edmonton (all being owned by major broadcasting firms).
This in contrast to the CTV application that suggests major players need to have equal numbers of properties on the air.
Ratings expectations were for a 5.5 share in year one, rising to a 7.1 in year seven.
40% of the selections would be Canadian, and Torres would accept 25% Category 3 blues music and 40% Canadian content as conditions of the licence.
Furthermore, DAWG FM would produce specialty shows such as
Women of Blues - a three-hour showcase of the women in the genre.
World Wide Blues - spanning the globe to bring the blues in different languages and styles.
The Sunday Morning Canadian Gospel Hour - Southern Gospel from local churches, north of the border.
Live From Quebec It’s The Blues - highlights emerging Blues artists in Quebec.
DAWG FM would make these programs available for syndication in Canada and worldwide through their web site. The shows would run on weekends in place of syndicated American programming.
DAWG FM proposes a minimum of 120 hours of local programming and that the remaining six hours of the broadcast week would be non-local.
In a response to a CRTC question, Torres said that at launch the station was not planning to carry any non-local programming, with the six hours providing a margin of error in case that position changes.
Torres also indicated the station wouild broadcast 24/7 live to air.
The applicant suggested DAWG FM would increase the plurality of news voices in Edmonton by providing a distinct, independent news voice. The station saw itself being the only independent, mainstream news voice in the market.
Newscasts would run longer than those in other music-based formats in the market. Story content would be 33% local, 33% regional and 33% national and international. Sportscasts would make local sports and athletes the priority.
Surveillance in the form of weather and traffic would be a key component, with traffic reports broadcast every 15 minutes 24/7. This would be accomplished by use of a Skywords-operated Cessna 172 fixed-wing aircraft (although it wasn't stated if the plane would fly around the clock).
Torres pointed out their service would be the Canadian counterpoint to airborne surveillance currently provided by a subsidiary of a U.S. owned company (referring to Corus Entertainment and Global Edmonton's use of the Canadian Traffic Network, a subsidiary of the Global Traffic Network).
Torres also operates the Skywords traffic service for local Newcap stations.
Spoken word content would also come in the form of
The Edmonton Event Calendar - a two minute feature that highlighting Edmonton festivals, events and concerts with a focus on local blues artists and venues.
A three-times daily business report with real-time market data.
The Green Home Minute - a one minute feature that focusing on convenient ways to help save the environment (by providing cleaning tips and ideas for re-using household).
Community Cruiser - all summer and every weekend throughout the year the DAWG cruiser would cover local events. Requests to promote charities and local groups would be accepted.
Research for the application indicated Edmonton listeners get their blues from satellite radio, CDs and the CBC Saturday Night Blues show. Torres suggested by licencing DAWG FM those listeners would be repatriated back to commercial radio and the station's impact on the existing market would be insignificant (CKUA aside).
DAWG FM promises to have a "Duplicate Full Service Web Presence." In addition to live streaming, interactive newsgathering, up-to-the-minute school bus cancellations, traffic updates on real time Google maps, listener forums and podcasts would all be on line.
Going green is the theme among several applicants – even at a blues station. DAWG FM proposes to be Canada’s first carbon emission neutral radio station, sourcing power exclusively from generators meeting or exceeding the federal government's Environmental Choice Program standard for renewable electricity. The station would use a zero footprint calculator to determine their carbon footprint and purchase offset credits to create a carbon neutral environment.
Overall audience projections were 53% male and 47% female, with 67% over 35 years of age and 33% under. For the under 35s the demographic was expected to shift to 57% female and 43% male. The core audience target would be 40 - 50, with the overall broad audience as Adults 25 - 54.
 |
Torres is also applying for DAWG-branded outlets in the Ottawa/Gatineau, Kawartha Lakes/Peterborough, Abbotsford/Chilliwack, Vancouver, and Guelph markets. A website, www.bluesincanada.com, has been created to solicit support. There is also a self-promoting video on Youtube.
Torres' entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
Guldasta Broadcasting Inc.
Guldasta Broadcasting Inc. is hoping to operate a FM commercial ethnic radio station to operate on 98.5 MHz at much lower power than other applicants. Guldasta proposes to program to a minimum of 8 groups in a minimum of 7 languages.
The principal language would be Punjabi, with programming also available in Hindi, Urdu, Gurjrati, Tamil, Bengali, and Malamyal.
The applicant is currently licenced for the same programming on CKUA's SCMO and proposes to move the programming to an over-the-air signal.
SCMO (subsidiary communications multiplex operations) is a channel – usually 67khz – adjacent to a station's main carrier. SCMO is not accessible with standard radio equipment and requires the use of a special receiver.
In the past, SCMO channels have carried such services as Muzak and Q Music. Today such background music services use satellite feeds.
Guldasta began using CKUA's SCMO in 2002, operating as "Sur Sangam."
Guldasta also leases airtime on CKJR AM 1440 in Wetaskiwin and produces a weekly 30-minute show on Access TV.
The applicant foresees gaining a 1.0 share in their first year of over the air operation, levelling off to a 2.5 in the seventh year. Confirmation of those numbers woud require Guldasta to subscribe to costly Bureau of Broadcast Measurement rating services (which is unlikely due to the modest scale of their proposed operation).
Spoken word content – comprised of the usual news, weather, sports, talk shows and open lines – would address matters of interest to the South Asian community in Edmonton. News reports from the Asian sub-continent would also be featured.
Of note in their application are services the station could offer in case of emergency of disaster:
 |
It could be said not all of these conditions might apply to the Edmonton market.
Musical selections and music-oriented programs would draw on contemporary South Asian music such as banghra and Bollywood as well as traditional folk and cultural music.
The station would operate operate 24-hours per day.
Guldasta Broadcasting's entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
While most in Edmonton have never heard of Radio Sur Sangam, they did come to the attention of city police in August 2006 after two bullets struck their studios at 9245 35 Avenue.
Harvard Broadcasting Inc.
 |
Regina-based Harvard Broadcasting Inc. is hoping to add to its half-dozen stations by introducing JENN FM at 107.1 MHz as their first foray into the Edmonton market. Proposed is a female-oriented Adult Album Alternative (Triple A) music format.
The Pattison application (below) is asking for the same frequency, also proposing a Triple A format. Pattison, too, is looking for its first licence in Edmonton.
Alternate frequencies acceptable to Harvard were 102.3 MHz or 95.7 MHz.
Harvard projects a 3.77 share in the first year, rounding off at 7.53 in year seven. No methodology was provided for these rather precise numbers.
Local and live programming would make up all 126 hours of the broadcast week, and the audience was projected at being 70% female, ages 35-54.
In their application, Harvard stated they hoped to attract female listeners who are currently disenfranchised by local radio, suggesting they have EZ-Rock 104.9 and Magic 99 in their sights.
The applicant's research indicated just under half of the Edmonton population, (40.9%), is in the 35 to 64 demographic and the number of women exceeds that of men (50.3%) – making the city older than the provincial average and slightly more female.
Referring to ever-increasing women oriented programming on satellite radio services, Harvard suggested Jenn FM will bring this programming perspective to terrestrial radio.
In addition to the usual streaming of on-air programming over the intenet, Harvard proposes to offer podcasts (both music and news) where rights have been cleared to do so.
JENN FM will offer a broader playlist with more artists and more selections. Using Triple A as a base, JENN FM would provide a playlist of 1450 tracks (they measured the average playlist for an FM music station in Edmonton at 998 tracks).
Tracks from hit albums that were not released as singles would be aired, as well as selections from an artist's lesser hit albums. Programming will stray from traditional Triple A recurrent and gold rock songs and feature more current tracks including new and emerging Canadian artists. Eliminated would be the edgier subgenres from the Alternative Rock list.
A proposed playlist suggests song duplication with current Edmonton stations would be zero to 29%.
JENN FM has committed to 40% Canadian content during the broadcast day and week, with 50% of its Canadian Content or 20% of its broadcast schedule to new and emerging artists.
Feature music programming includes shows such as:
Return Engagements - rebroadcasts of concerts stretching back as far as the first Live Aid in 1985 to recent concerts like “A Concert for Diana.”
Music Notes - a two hour music magazine about music, the artists and their recordings, with examinations of the latest trends, upcoming awards shows, concert announcements, and local performances.
Listener's Choice - music programming based on listener choice identified through the JENN FM web site.
Canadian Showcase - sixty-second profiles of a Canadian artist aired six times throughout the day, with at least three spots per day dedicated to new and emerging artists.
Instead of a morning team, guests would be invited to appear during both the morning and evening drive.
Feature spoken word programming includes "Going Home "- three minute spoken word features between 5:50 and 6:20 p.m. Monday to Friday covering topics of interest to the female target demographic.
Monday Moxie Mentoring - tips on health, fitness, spirituality and general well being.
Tuesday Financial Fitness - information on investment strategies and long-term planning.
Wednesday Book Club - a summary of what is new in the bookstores and on best seller lists.
Thursday Movie Maven - a summary of box office receipts, new releases and picks for the movie goer each weekend.
Friday Fun Guide - local events calendar for the weekend.
Newscasts will come twice per hour in the morning and evening drive times and once per hour during the day and weekends. News room staffing would be made up of one news director and three reader/reporters (who will be responsible for news gathering in the field as well as on-air reading).
Unlike other music stations, according to Harvard, weather and traffic reports will be aired at predictable times, on the quarter hour from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. and from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Harvard's entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
A web site for JENN FM was set up to pitch the concept to potential listeners.
Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Ltd.
 |
Another applicant hoping to locate a station at 107.1 MHz is the Jim Pattison Broadcasting Group with The River, also featuring the Adult Album Alternative (Triple A) music format.
The Jim Pattison Group is the third largest private company in Canada, and operates three television stations, 27 FM stations and one AM station, in 17 markets in Alberta and British Columbia. The Pattison Broadcast Group sees itself as a strong regional radio voice in Western Canada.
Should they not win their desired frequency, 107.3 MHz, 102.3 MHz and 93.1 MHz would be entertained as alternatives (although no engineering studies were performed by Pattison on the latter frequency).
While Pattison business interests in Edmonton include outdoor advertising and Save-On-Foods, they have yet to enter the local broadcast market.
When they do, they expect to earn a 2.5 share in year one and command a 6 in year seven.
Pattison's research identified Triple A as the best music format for a new FM radio station, targeting an adult audience of persons between the ages of 25 and 49, with a core audience of 35 to 44 year old adults. The projected station would have an audience split of 61% female and 39% male listeners, the audience being approximately 53% under the age of 35 and 47% over that age.
According to their application, the potential RIVER listener likes rock music but finds the hard rock played on SONIC-FM not to their taste, and while softer and more mellow music would appeal to this listener, but they likely find EZ-Rock 104.9 Rock too soft and formulaic. Pattison's research indicated today's music has an appeal to this listener, but not the hip-hop or Top 40 dance music on the BOUNCE. Also singled out was the gold based music with constant tributes to the past, such as on JOE-FM and on K-Rock 97.3 simply bore her.
The Pattison application included a map (hopefully the CRTC was provided with a clearer version) showing where the station would find on Edmonton radio's X-Y axis.
 |
Pattison is proposing a softer, acoustic based format with a heavy emphasis on current and recent material. Sixty percent of the music would have been released within the last two years, with the remaining 40% coming from the 80's, 90's and the earlier part of the current decade.
The music would be a mix of Category 21 (pop, rock & dance) combined with Category 23 (acoustic), a touch of Category 22 (country) and 24 (easy listening), and "for spice" the occasional offerings from Category 32 (folk) and 33 (world beat).
The River would open up radio to user interaction: all spoken word programs would be augmented by corresponding pages on the River web site; each with discussion groups, listener polls, blogs and podcasts. Now tradional live audio streaming would be included on the site.
News stories affecting the city of Edmonton and surrounding region would make up the greater part of scheduled newscasts, followed by national and world news. Sports would be part of scheduled newscasts and be included when the story is news. A minimum of 95 River Information Updates would account for 6 hours and 20 minutes of spoken word weekly.
Surveillance material in the form of RIVER traffic reports would air six times an hour during morning and afternoon drive periods. Traffic reports, as needed, would also air during off hours. Traffic and weather surveillance content would constitute 5 hours and 31 minutes of spoken word per week.
In other spoken word content, the station would introduce the RIVER Point Of View – a two-minute editorial heard Monday through Friday, twice daily. Five different freelance editorialists would put forward their point of view on the issues of the day and through the interactive web page, listeners would have the opportunity debate the merits of each editorial. Further guest editorialists would be recruited through the web page.
Additionally, the weekly 30-minute feature Voices would highlight multicultural voices from Edmonton's ethnic communities, supplemented by web page discussion groups, blogs and podcasts.
Talking Rocks, heard 14 times a week, would be a short form 60-second feature focusing on recent initiatives and innovations to preserve aboriginal heritage and culture. Once recorded, Talking Rocks would air as a regular, short-form feature on all Pattison radio stations in Alberta.
The RIVER EcoZone, in daily short form and weekend long form, would address concerns and efforts to protect and preserve the environment. Off-air support would include interactive support on the EcoZone web pages, with poll questions, discussion forums and blogs.
A full-time arts reporter would produce daily short form features (Into the Arts Daily) as well as a weekly 30 minute program.
Forever Fit would be a short form twice daily feature focusing on promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, with regular reports on fitness issues for persons with physical disabilities.
The "Fun Chaser" would report live several times a day from a variety of community events in the city and surrounding communities.
The total amount of spoken word for a week (including interstitial announcer content) would be 23 hours and 43 minutes. Pattison indicated it would not voice-track or automate any content between 6:00 a.m. and midnight, with exceptions including some of the short and long form spoken word programming which would be pre-recorded prior to air (a total of 3 hours and 15 minutes).
Musical selections and music-oriented programs would include pre-recorded and live material.
Basement Suite would explore the 'unplugged' roots of Adult Album alternative music, drawn from roots, folk, alt country, newgrass, acoustic blues and acoustic rock. A sixty-minute program, it would air Fridays at 9:00 p.m.
The Verge would be a showcase for Canadian and international emerging artists, airing Sunday evenings from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m.
On weekday evenings, the Daily Demo would be a 30 minute new music program spotlighting unsigned and/or not yet established artists.
Also promised on Sunday nights, from 10:00 p.m. to midnight is the Late Night Chill, the laid-back side of Adult Album Alternative music.
Sunday mornings, the RIVER would present Border Crossings, featuring culturally diverse or 'world' music. Aboriginal, Afro-Cuban, Cajun, Celtic, and Bhangra with a tinge Triple A compatibility would be heard.
Of interest to local broadcast students is NRgy, running Saturday nights at 11:00 p.m. In partnership with the Radio/TV Arts program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, NRgy would be a mixture of student interview assignments, mini-documentaries and experimental radio programming from NAIT's NR92 campus station, bringing their efforts to a wider audience.
Pattison proposes to go green with all vehicles bearing the RIVER logo being hybrids. Staff members would be encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transit to get to work, and cash incentives, in lieu of paid parking places, would be paid out to staff who find alternate transportation. Washrooms would feature low flow toilets and washroom paper, as well as stationary, would be made from recycled products.
Should the environmentally-friendly recycle re-use sound catch on, it won't be long before local media wags refer to the station as Save-On-Radio.
Pattison's entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
John Charles Yerxa (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
 |
The fourth station vying for the 107.1 MHz allocation is NEW-FM, promised by applicant John Charles Yerxa to feature a "younger variety music format" – call it "We play anything new."
According to Yerxa, this innovative format concept would target teens and young adults between 12 and 34 year with a variety of music ranging from new rock to Hip-Hop, electronica and dance, and alternative pop. 70% of the music proposed for NEW-FM is not currently being played on any station in Edmonton. Somehow Hawaiian music didn't make the cut.
40% of NEW-FM's total music selections would come from Canadian artists, and 50% of those songs will be from new and emerging artists.
93.1 MHz, 95.7 MHz and 102.3 Mhz are possible frequency options, but Yerxa said those would result in a severely “compromised” signal and the loss of potential audience, especially to the south of Edmonton.
In the Yerxa application it was stated a significant segment of NEW-FM's core audience – approximately one-third – would be repatriated to local commercial radio.
In response to the CRTC asking from where NEW-FM would repatriate the "lost audience segment," Yerxa said about one-fifth (19%) of NEW-FM's core audience would be made up of individuals who did not presently listen to any local radio stations on a regular basis, preferring music on CDs, iPods and the internet.
Another 13% of would be comprised of those who only listen to non-commercial and/or out-of-market radio services, including: CBC AM & FM, CJSR FM, CKUA AM & FM, XM & SIRIUS.
To indicate where its audience would come from and what they preferred, Yerxa's research showed
85% of 13-34 year-olds would like to hear a new FM station in Edmonton;
75% of 13-34 year-olds feel too many Edmonton radio stations play the same songs over and over again;
81% of 13-34 year-olds want to hear a greater variety of music on the local radio dial;
77% of 13-34 year-olds believe New Canadian artists do not receive enough airplay on local radio;
78% of 13-34 year-olds feel there is room for a new FM station in Edmonton which strongly supports New Canadian artists;
76% of 13-34 year-olds would personally listen to a new FM station which strongly supports New Canadian artists; and
78% of 13-34 year-olds would listen more to local radio if a greater variety of music was made available.
71% of 13-34 year-olds say they are now leaving radio for other music sources such as CDs & iPods; and
57% of 13-34 year-olds admit that, more and more, they are choosing the internet to find better music.
81% of respondents felt the CRTC should grant more radio stations to small, independent owners rather than larger companies; and
78% of respondents felt a new FM station in Edmonton should have local ownership, rather than ownership from outside the city or province.
NEW-FM would broadly target teens and young adults ranging from 12 to 34 years age, with the core target audience 15 to 29, with a slight skew in favour of women (52%). Median target age would be 22.
Audience breakdowns project males at 48% and females at 52%. The under 35s would make up 90% while those over 35, 10%.
Yerxa also provided the CRTC with an audience map, this one in colour.
 |
With Edmonton's commercial radio landscape controlled by the five largest private radio operators in Canada (Astral, Corus, Rogers, CTVglobemedia & Newcap), Yerxa hopes to bring local and independent ownership back to the Edmonton radio market.
NEW-FM would be live 24/7 with no voice tracking, and they confidently see a 4.0 share out of the box, settling at a 6. Local programming would make up all 126 hours of the broadcast week.
In addition to streaming via the internet in real-time, the applicant is also considering the possibility of broadcasting to mobile phones and by way of Wi-max when it becomes available. Songs from emerging artists would be promoted on the station web site and NEW-FM. Artist interviews would be available as podcasts. The station also promises to avail itself of any new technologies that could assist the station in extending its reach and influence over its 'technology-savvy' target audience.
The licensing of NEW-FM would also fill a void on the FM dial by offering a unique music format specifically targeted at younger residents and local businesses attempting to reach them, according to Yerxa.
Citing the tight playlist heard on many Top 40 stations, based on weekly spins the Top 10 songs total up to one-third of all weekly songs played. NEW-FM proposes no song would repeat more than twice per day and at least 100 songs would be placed in the station's top rotation category. NEW-FM's weekly music list would be comprised of 700-800 distinct selections with almost all of its songs classified as either ‘current' or ‘recurrent' as opposed to ‘gold.' The only reason any songs older than 24 months would enter NEW-FM's music mix would be due to listener requests or to add some familiarity.
Yerxa noted that younger Edmontonians expressed very little interest in the 'traditional' news approach taken by most radio stations, preferring a more concise news format reflecting their interests and concerns. The 12-34 year olds surveyed consistently put social issues at the top of their list of information requirements, with items posted on-line in order to access them on their own time. They also like to review other reader comments, participate in listener chat rooms, provide feedback, and participate in web polls.
That said, NEW-FM would have a fully functional news department with 3 full-time staff members: a morning news reader/director, an afternoon and a weekend news reader.
NEW-FM would provide 72 newscasts per week for a total 2 hours and 24 minutes. 2 minute casts would be aired every half hour in morning & afternoon drive shifts and during the morning & daytime periods on weekends. At least 90% of the total news content would be dedicated to local and regional coverage.
Yerxa's entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
A web site for NEW-FM was set up to pitch the concept to potential listeners. Facebook and Myspace applications were already in place along with a sample playlist.
Multicultural Broadcasting Corporation Inc.
 |
Multicultural Broadcasting Corporation Inc. is also applying for a commercial ethnic radio licence – to operate at 95.7 MHz. Identified as alternate frequency choices were 102.3 Mhz, 106.5 Mhz, 107.1 Mhz and 107.3 Mhz.
Called ReD FM Edmonton (Reflecting Ethnic Diversity), the station proposes to direct ethnic programming to a minimum of 23 groups in a minimum of 20 languages.
116 hours of the 126 hour broadcast week would be made up of local programming. ReD FM proposes that two programs, for a total of 10 hours a week, which would originate from Multicultural Broadcasting Corporation Inc.'s station CKYE Red FM 93.1 in Vancouver.
Spoken word content would be comprised of news, weather, sports, promotion of local events, public affairs, documentaries, radio plays and dramas, and programs of public debate including talk shows and open lines.
Musical selections and music-oriented programs, including pre-recorded and live material, would offer 10% Canadian content, above the 7% minimum set for ethnic licences.
Emerging artists would be promoted through interviews, talk shows, talent contests, local live performances and through the station's web site. ReD FM said they also anticipate an internet streaming feature on their site.
The stated station philosophy is “By the community, for the community,” and a seven-member advisory committee would be established to guide local programming. Feedback from the public would come through polls, e-mails and the web site.
Languages broadcast would include Cantonese at 21 hrs per week or 16.7% of programming, Mandarin 19 hrs/15.1%, Punjabi 31 hrs/24.6%, Hindi & Fijian 19 hrs/15.1%.
Also included would be Vietnamese, Phillippino (Tagalog), Spanish, Arabic (Lebanon, Syria, Egypt), Polish, German, Korean, Urdu, Russian, Italian, Persian (Farsi), Ukrainian, Portuguese, Serbian and Serbo-Croation, Somali, Gujarati, and English.
The applicant's research showed Edmonton's population by home language in the Punjabi community has increased by 176% over the past five years, and the Arabic community by 147%.
The increasing ethnic population serves to further ReD FM's argument Edmonton needs a second other language station in addition to the existing outlet, CKER World FM.
Pointing to large multi-station ownership groups that collectively command an audience share of 84.2% of Edmonton's radio audience, Rawlco makes note of one company owns 100% of commercial ethnic radio in the city. ReD FM will bring balance and diversity in the market, their application says.
ReD FM's proposal states CKER World FM currently serves an ethnic population that exceeds 200,000, and that other Canadian cities and towns have, per capita, more ethnic radio services than Edmonton.
Results of a survey conducted on behalf of ReD FM shows that 54.25% of the respondents do “not at all” listen to the incumbent ethnic station and only 23.35% said they listen “very frequently” to CKER World FM. Furthermore, only 24.56% said they listened “very frequently” to the unregulated SCMO services (referring to the current Guldasta operation).
ReD FM suggests many in the growing and diverse ethnic 15-49 age segment do not have access to their choice of much needed news, music and information during many parts of their listening day. In their choice of preferred formats, news made four of the top five genres followed by music.
The message received was that the local ethnic communities want to hear local programming content, and ReD FM would provide 60 newscasts per week, 38% spoken word programming and 62% music programming along with traffic and weather updates.
A newsroom consisting of a news director and six reader/reporters was promised, along with a host of talks in the various mani languages cited above.
Programming highlights include:
62% music programming in 20 languages per week;
38% spoken word programming per week;
Total of 60 Newscasts during the weekdays with 12 newscasts per day in Filipino, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Mandarin and Cantonese;
Total of 14 community updates with news from backhome in 14 different languages on weekends;
Four daily talk shows in Punjabi, Mandarin, Cantonese and English (cross-cultural) on weekdays;
Two talk shows in Punjabi and Mandarin on weekends and
Two 90 second features produced in English per day and aired four times per day.
Multicultural Broadcasting Corporation Inc.'s entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
Rawlco Radio Ltd.
 |
Saskatchewan-based Rawlco, which owns eleven radio stations in that province as well as Alberta (and CHMC Magic 99 in Edmonton), is applying for station to operate at 102.3 MHz with a new music and emerging artist format. Alternate frequencies acceptable would be 107.1 and 107.3 MHz.
Rawlco also has a recently-approved licence for a specialty FM station in Calgary that will launch soon.
The Edmonton station promises to debut on September 1st, 2009 and hopes to capture a 4.5 share in year one, rising slightly to 5.0 in year 7.
Live-to-air local programming is proposed to fill the entire 126 hours of the broadcast week.
In addition to extensive backgrounding of the emerging artists that will be featured on the station, total spoken word commitment per week would 16 hours and 58 minutes.
Broadcast will be a minimum of 40% Canadian musical content overall and between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and a minimum of 50% of Canadian musical content will be by emerging Canadian artists.
The station's web site would feature streaming audio.
In their application, Rawlco states the new music and emerging artist format would appeal to young adults 18 to 49 who have reached the stage where they have outgrown Top 40, but who still enjoy the excitement of hearing new acts and new music.
The greatest appeal would be amongst those 20 to 40 (an audience highly desired by advertisers, Rawlco noted). The station's gender breakdown would be 50/50, the age split would 50% below and above 35, with the core target audience age being between 30 and 40.
The station would feature music not currently available on Edmonton radio. An analysis of their sample music list showed a large majority of the songs were not being aired on the existing commercial stations.
Using an argument put forth by others, Rawlco told the CRTC that their CHMC Magic 99 Smooth Jazz station is the only commercial radio station that has to compete as a standalone operation. The applicant contends this places CHMC at a significant competitive disadvantage, with other owners gaining operational efficiencies, as well as cross-station programming, marketing, sales and promotion opportunities.
CRTC approval of Rawlco's application "would be an important step towards creating better competitive balance in Edmonton." Rawlco's objective is to have a strong and secure presence in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and a second FM outlet in Edmonton is key to achieving this goal, they stated.
Describing the station's sound, Rawlco said that the "new music and emerging artist format" takes over where Top 40 leaves off.
It focuses on artists who, while remaining inside the pop tradition, have had their greatest success via the internet. The target audience, described to the CRTC as "our grown-up sons and daughters," are generally ignored by commercial radio and get their musical “fix” on the internet and download it to their I-Pods.
The format was described as eclectic and international in scope, featuring artists from around the world. Rawlco stated a chart of the most downloaded songs has little in common with a chart of the most played songs on existing radio who were accused of taking a “head in the sand” approach to this change in the musical landscape.
The station would react to what people are downloading rather than what's on the Billboard charts. Arguing that this format is not niche music, Rawlco said it is only traditional radio, and not the young adult population, who fail to recognise its mass appeal.
Basically, Rawlco is looking for a younger brother for its Magic 99 Smooth Jazz outlet.
Special features on the proposed station would include:
The Music and Arts Report – covering the arts and music scene, this 90-second feature would air three times per day, seven days per week for a total of 31.5 minutes of spoken word material.
Out & About – highlighting things to do, both for children and adults, this 90-second feature would air three times per day, seven days per week for a total of 31.5 minutes of spoken word material.
Profiles – spotlighting people, places and events making news in Edmonton, this 90-second feature would air twice a day, seven days per week for a total of 21 minutes of spoken word material.
The total weekly scheduled spoken word content that includes news, sports, weather, traffic, stock market reports, community service announcements (and the special features) would be 12 hours and 46 minutes. "Pure news" would account for 3 hours and 27 minutes, with local stories accounting for 60% to 75%.
In a response to the CRTC, Rawlco stated it would operate the new station's news department independent of Magic 99, with its own news director and three full-time and two part-time "news people."
In addition, announcers would provide background information on the music and artists heard and this would account for two minutes per hour for a total 4 hours and 12 minutes per week.
Rawlco Radio's entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
Rogers Broadcasting Limited
 |
Rogers, which operates CKER World FM, CHDI Sonic 102.9 FM and Citytv in Edmonton, is hoping to launch an all news station at 102.3 MHz to be known as News 102.3.
The broadcaster already operates news/talk stations in Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Kitchener, Saint John, Moncton and Halifax.
News 102.3 would mark the first time the provincial capital had an all news station since March 1978 when CKO-FM6 signed on, first at 105.9 Mhz and later at 101.9 mhz. CKO was a network that received CRTC approval to operate twelve stations across Canada. Unable to escape an ever-accumulating operating deficit, several of the stations never made it to air and the entire network shut down on November 10th, 1989.
Update: on March 14th, 2008 Corus Radio announced that their under-performing CHQT Cool 880 station would be switched from an oldies format to an all news operation. On May 20th, a week before the CRTC hearings were to take place, iNews 880 made its debut.
Concerning alternate frequency choice, Rogers told the CRTC listeners in Edmonton currently receive the CBC Radio One service on an FM frequency and would expect comparable technical quality from their radio station.
Reacting to the Corus flip of CHQT to all news (with its extensive broadcast signal), Rogers supplemented their application and stated "we require maximum operating parameters to ensure we are on a competitive playing field as a new station and editorial voice in the market. Accordingly, 102.3 MHz is our preferred choice of frequency" and "our preferred alternative frequency is 106.5 MHz, and second preferred alternative frequency would be 107.1 MHz."
Rogers forecast their all news station would garner a 1.29 share in the first year, settling at 3.38 by year seven. Industry insiders suggested Rogers was purposely low-balling their figures.
Target demographic data was submitted as follows: overall broad audience is adults 25-54, narrow audience target is males 35-49, total audience expected to be 55% male and 45% female, with 85% of the audience 35 years and older and 15% under the age of 35.
Commitment to local and live content during the 126 broadcast week was to be exceeded as the station proposes a live 24/7 operation with 100% of the programming generated in Edmonton.
Potential listeners would be predominantly found in the 25 - 54 and 55+ age groups, which represents over 45% of Edmonton's population, according to Rogers.
News 102.3 would broadcast using a continuously updated "newswheel" similar to one already in place at 660 News Calgary and other Rogers stations.
 |
70% of the Edmonton station's news would be local and regional, 20% would be national and 10% would be international. Local reaction to international stories would reflect the Edmonton community.
In addition to news reports, News 102.3's programming would include:
A dedicated staff person responsible for covering the Alberta Legislature and key political events. Stories would be shared with sister stations in Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Medicine Hat, Banff, Invermere, Canmore, Lethbridge and Calgary.
"Traffic and weather together on the 1's" (TM) – up-to-the-minute traffic and weather reports, 24/7, relying on airborne and on-the-ground traffic reporters. Weather forecasting would come from a dedicated meteorologist currently servicing 660 News in Calgary.
Market Minute – broadcast at 13 and 43 minutes past the hour during trading hours, providing real time quotes and breaking news from the Toronto, New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong stock markets.
Business News – broadcast at 26 and 56 minute past the hour, 24/7, already the most frequent business report of any radio station in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.
Sports – in-depth reports at 15 minutes and 45 minutes past the hour, 24/7.
In addition to the usual streaming of the broadcast signal, Rogers would offer podcast downloads of certain content and make their service available on mechanisms such as SMS text messaging and audio clip downloads.
News 102.3 would have an extensive web component, updated regularly, that provides listeners with the opportunity to subscribe to “Breaking News Alerts” or “Breaking Traffic Reports” among other program features via the internet or mobile phone.
Recognising the CRTC's Diversity of Voices policy, Rogers' application would bring a new editorial voice to the Edmonton radio market, increasing the source of news and information programming available to its citizens.
News 102.3 would employ more than 30 full-time and 12 part-time journalists – the largest news staff of any privately-owned radio station in Edmonton – and would contribute $1,500,000 over seven years through Canadian Content Development initiatives to develop local and regional Canadian broadcast journalism talent.
Rogers would commit to $75,000/year or $525,000 over seven years in support of campus and community radio stations. 50% of distributed funds will be awarded to stations in Alberta with the remaining 50% to be distributed on a national basis.
A journalism workshop at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) would be funded at a level of $25,000/year or $175,000 over seven years. This program would include concurrent news sessions, with speakers from radio, television, print and new media, and focus on topics ranging from research and writing seminars to news gathering technological changes to copyright issues.
A "Radio in the Schools Program," at $42,857/year or $300,000 over seven years, would provide for the creation of radio and multi-media content by Edmonton Public High School students. This program is designed to introduce high school students to radio and multi-media production technology at a grass roots level and provide a “leg-up” to students hoping to enroll in the 2 year NAIT Radio/TV Arts program or other broadcast/journalism programs.
The Canadian Media Research Consortium (CMRC) would receive $71,428/year or $500,000 over seven years. The CMRC is a partnership of three journalism and media institutions: The School of Journalism, University of British Columbia; the Centre d'études sur les médias, Université Laval; and the York-Ryerson Graduate Programme in Communication and Culture. Since 2000, the CMRC has conducted independent research projects on leading-edge topics such as internet use in Canada; public attitudes toward the media; and youth and the media. Rogers' funding would support diversity-related research as it relates to news programming across all media.
The Rogers application will test a long-standing CRTC policy that only permits a single owner to own and control no more than 2 undertakings on a given band in a given market, regardless of market size. Rogers already owns and operates CHDI Sonic 102.9 FM and CKER World FM in Edmonton.
Rogers' response in its pre-hearing documentation, likely to be repeated at the hearing itself, went as follows:
The Common Ownership Policy for radio, as set out in Public Notice CRTC 1998-41 (1998 Commercial Radio Policy), provides that “in markets with eight commercial stations or more operating in a given language, a person may be permitted to own or control as many as two AM and two FM stations in that language.”
The two FM stations Rogers operates in Edmonton broadcast in different languages. Both of these stations were acquired in our purchase of the OK Radio Group in 2006.
CHDI FM is our modern rock station, Sonic 102.9 FM, which broadcasts in English. CKER FM, or 101.7 World FM, broadcasts in 20 different languages.
As a result, licensing of our All News radio application is permissible and would not require an exemption from the Commission's Common Ownership Policy for radio. Relevant precedents include Corus' ownership of 3 FM and 3 AM stations in Montreal, Astral Media's ownership of 3 FM and 1 AM station in Montreal and 3 FM stations in the Ottawa/Gatineau market. We further note that the impact of World FM on stations in the Edmonton market is far less significant than the impact of the official minority-language stations in the Montreal and Ottawa-Gatineau markets where the Commission has authorized the common ownership of up to 3 FM stations operating in different languages.
... We do not require an exemption from the Commission's Common Ownership Policy since our FM stations in Edmonton currently operate in different languages. Accordingly, if licensed, our proposed All News station, which will broadcast in English, will maximize our FM ownership in Edmonton for English-language stations.
(Note: what follows was contained in Rogers' original application before the launch of Corus' iNews 880 all news station).
Regarding the effect of an all news station on the existing market, Rogers said it would have no material economic impact on other local radio stations. For music station listeners, News 102.3 may simply be a second choice.
Rogers referred to their experience in the Calgary market, where there is an all news station, a talk/news station and a sports station. The introduction of Rogers' 660 News had little impact on the news/talk station in that market, which in the last BBM survey became the most listened to radio station in the market among listeners 12+.
The national broadcaster stated that an all news radio station was the next logical step in the evolution of radio formats in Edmonton. News 102.3 would fill the current void in the Edmonton radio market by introducing a new, intensely local and news-oriented voice. Edmonton, one of Canada's largest English-language Metropolitan areas, remains without an all news format.
Rogers stated their News 1130 outlet in Vancouver and 680 News in Toronto are both among the top “cuming” radio stations in their respective markets. They believe News 102.3 would have equal resonance with Edmonton listeners.
The introduction of an all news station would also provide local and national advertisers with a new opportunity to reach large and very specific audience segments in the market. Rogers suggested advertisers do not currently have access to a local commercial radio station that consistently delivers news and information-oriented listeners. Therefore, the attraction of new advertisers and advertising revenues into the Edmonton radio market, coupled with natural market growth, would have no material economic impact on other local radio stations.
Rogers acknowledged that the all news format is one of the most costly formats to operate by virtue of the number of staff required to run the station 24 hours/day. Long-term investment (involving significant initial financial losses) is required before a profit is turned. The broadcaster pointed to their proven track record for sustaining such stations during their start-up phase. Rogers' proposed station for Edmonton is anticipated to realise a profit in Year 6, consistent with the trending for their Calgary station which operates in a similar size market.
Roger's entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
Disclosure notice: the author of this web site has written a letter to the CRTC in support of the Rogers application.
The author feels that diversity in editorial policy is essential to the sustained vitality of responsible journalism, and support for the Rogers application is consistent with the opinions expressed elsewhere on this web site.
Black Gold Broadcasting Inc.
Basing itself in Leduc, Alberta – immediately south of Edmonton – Black Gold Broadcasting Inc. is hoping to land 102.3 MHz for a classic hits music format station to be known as The One FM.
The name of the station was inspired "Leduc No. 1," the oil discovery that initiated Alberta's primary industry. The corporate name, Black Gold Broadcasting Inc., also reflects the area's heritage. The principles of Black Gold Broadcasting Inc. are Mark Tamagi and Aaron Giesinger.
The metro Edmonton area's only other regional station application took place in 1976. After having it's initial application was turned down, St. Albert Broadcasting Ltd. received approval on April 13th, 1978 to operate CKST 1070 out of St. Albert, just north of Edmonton.
CKST signed on December 23rd, 1978 but immediately faced financial difficulties. Within two years the station was sold to QCTV Ltd. (a forerunner of Videotron) and later to Balsa Broadcasting L.P., a consortium of western Canada cable operators and businessman Ronald A. East. Shifting from programming directed specifically to the St. Albert community, CKST broadcast an adult gold music format relying on a syndicated taped music service.
Further ownership changes led the station to progress from an almost wholly automated station to a fully-staffed operation employing some 25 people. Approval was given to change frequency from 1070 kHz to 1200 kHz and change its call letters to CHMG.
In 1994 CHMG 1070 moved to the FM band at 104.9 MHz and became known as CFMG. More ownership changes took place and the troubled property was eventually sold by Standard Radio Inc. to Astral Media Radio in 2007. Today it's known as EZ-Rock 104.9.
Black Gold Broadcasting is hoping its attempt to provide community-based programming is more successful and promises to deliver local news, traffic and weather updates specific to the region south of Edmonton – an area that comprises Leduc County including the City of Leduc, Town of Devon, Town of Beaumont, Town of Calmar, and the Villages of Walburg, New Serepta, Thorsby (plus hundreds of rural hamlets, farms and acreages).
Black Gold hopes to realise a 10 share in its first year, rising to a 15 in year seven. Whether the station would be surveyed as part of the Edmonton market by the BBM remains to be determined.
Featured programming would include a daily "swap and shop" show, a weekly local sports show and play-by-play coverage of Leduc's two minor hockey teams. Spoken word content would account for 12 hours of the 126-hour broadcast week (all of which would be locally produced).
98 newscasts would be broadcast weekly; 5 minutes long at the top of the hour in drive times (2 minutes at the half hour) and 3 minutes long at the top of the hour during other day parts, provided by two full time news staff (the morning news anchor would also serve as the station's news director). 75% of the content of each newscast would local or regional, with the balance national and international. Business, community updates, local concert and entertainment calendars would also be featured.
Black Gold intends to stream its programming over the internet. The station's classic hits format would feature 35% Canadian content with 5% coming from emerging Canadian artists. A weekly 30-minute feature program would be focused exclusively on emerging Canadian music.
Other spoken word features would include "Energy Updates", "Agricultural Updates", "Sports Updates", "Commuter Traffic Reports" and "Stock Market Reports" to air during the morning, noon and afternoon drive hours weekdays.
Classic hits, similar in style to the "Jack/Joe" sound, was chosen based on Black Gold's research that a broad-based music format would be the best choice to serve the region. The broad target demographic would be the 25 to 54 age range.
Live-to-air programming would be 84 hours per week (6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday – Sunday), and voice-tracked or automated programming would be 42 hours per week 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. Monday – Sunday). All programming staff would be equipped with pagers and cell phones to provide live community coverage in the event of an emergency.
When the research was performed, country was the number one preference for music. However, the applicant noted the genre was well-served with two Edmonton FM stations (CISN and CKRA's Big Earl) as well as the full power 50,000 watt CFCW AM. Ironically, CKRA switched to a classic hits format two months prior to the hearings.
Leduc County currently receives radio signals from Edmonton, Camrose, Wetaskiwin and Red Deer but none of them provide content specific to the county, according to Black Gold.
The applicant stated Leduc County has 2,600 local businesses that serve the community of 50,000 residents, and although five weekly newspapers serve the region there is no local electronic medium on which to advertise. Black Gold commits, as a condition of license, not to solicit advertising from businesses within the City of Edmonton.
Black Gold Broadcasting's entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta
 |
The Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) is asking for 93.5 MHz to broacast a English and Native-language Type B station to serve the Edmonton/Yellowhead region. Also applied for are renewals for scores of FM repeaters in smaller communities, and a new outlet in Fort McMurray.
The programming would be the same as the applicant's current property, CFWE 96.7 FM in Edmonton, and would reduce AMMSA's reliance on satellite distribution via ANIK F1.
The Aboriginal Radio and Television Society was given approval to broadcast in Lac La Biche in 1987. On March 31st, 1988 AMMSA had acquired the society's licence and debuted CFWE at 89.9 MHz. Studios were later moved to Edmonton and by 2008 the station's signal was heard in some 200 communities located across British Columbia, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
The Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta's entire application can be seen here (opens as a .zip file).
Guldasta Broadcasting Inc.
 |
While most in Edmonton have never heard of Radio Sur Sangam, they did come to the attention of city police in August 2006 after two bullets struck their studios at 9245 35 Avenue.
 |
Owner Gursharan Buttar said he suspected the shooting may have been racially motivated.
"I feel very bad, very scared," he told the Edmonton Journal. "I do a program there at 10:30 at night. My staff, my family, I'm very fearful for them."
The shooters seemed to target the offices of one of his workers, he said. The bullets came from a 9mm handgun. Since the shooting, the station's eight employees no longer work alone.
Const. Robinder Gill of the Edmonton police hate and bias crime section said early in the investigation the shooting didn't seem to be a hate crime.
"I was in the building for the last eight years, and there was not a stone thrown at us," said Buttar. "And then this. I will tell you, I thought about going into a lower-profile business."
Buttar's radio experience goes back to the mid-1990s when he worked at at CKER, at Apna Sangeet (another SCMO station) and on ACCESS TV's Guldasta program. In 2001, he launched Radio Sur Sangam.
"This shooting, it's unbelievable, you know. My kids (a son at university, a daughter in high school) are not involved in any gang-related activity. My station takes a very secular approach, not controversial, not aligned with any political party," Buttar said.
"I look at my past life and at my station and I ask: Why would anyone want to harm us?"
At last word, no charges have been laid and no suspects were identified by police.
back to Guldasta application | back to list
movies | television | radio | web watch | final credits | edmonton | about this site | site map | contact us
The Last Link on the Left. Copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. Stuart P. Bayens. All rights reserved.
This page updated
13:35 2008-05-30.