The CRTC said Friday that Wingham, Ontario can sustain at least one additional FM radio station.
The decision comes after the regulator launched a proceeding to replace an existing AM station in the small community earlier this year. The proceeding followed an application by Blackburn Media Inc. to operate an English-language FM station on the 104.3 MHz frequency, instead of its existing AM facility, which it said has experienced failing equipment and infrastructure that are expensive to maintain.
The application required that the CRTC consult the public and then make a determination if adding a station would harm others in the market.
Despite opposition from stations in the market, the CRTC said the market has sustained good enough growth for a little bit more competition.
“The Wingham market has performed strongly over the past six broadcast years,” the CRTC said Friday. “It has been profitable since 2019 and has seen a modest total revenue increase since 2022. The Wingham market has also outperformed the Ontario and national rates of profitability and revenue growth. Given this positive performance, the market has proven resilient.
“The Wingham market’s profits and advertising revenues also proved to be resilient during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, declining at a slower rate than the Ontario and national markets from 2019 to 2021,” it continued. “The Wingham market’s advertising revenues have grown slightly despite some fluctuation in the past three years. In comparison, advertising revenues for the provincial and national markets have declined over the past three years.”
As a result, the CRTC has simultaneously launched a call for applications to serve the market.
