OTTAWA – The CRTC has approved Dufferin Communications plan to launch a new English language A/C station in Clarence-Rockland, located about 40 kilometres northeast of Ottawa. The station will operate at 92.5 MHz (channel 223A) with 300 watts and a non-directional antenna of about 60 metres in height.
“The proposed service would introduce a valuable first local service to the community of Clarence-Rockland and would add diversity to this market through its news and information offering, as well as provide significant local reflection,” ruled the CRTC in its decision. It also noted that there is currently no station operating in the proposed station’s market.
Dufferin has committed to devote over and above the basic annual contribution to Canadian content development (CCD), a total of $32,000 to CCD over seven broadcast years upon commencement of operations. Of this amount, at least 20% will be directed to FACTOR or MUSICACTION on an annual basis. The remainder of this additional CCD contribution shall be allocated to parties and initiatives fulfilling the definition of eligible initiatives set out in paragraph 108 of Broadcasting Public Notice 2006-158.
Dufferin, a wholly owned subsidiary of independent broadcaster Evanov Communications, indicated that it would broadcast at least 126 hours of local programming each broadcast week. Of this programming, 18 hours would consist of spoken word programming, including six hours and 25 minutes of pure news (50% of which would be local). The station would also feature weather, sports and special features such as health watch, agricultural reports, new music reports, marine/golf/ski/seasonal reports and a community calendar.
The Commission received interventions in support of the application. It also received a comment from an individual, as well as interventions in opposition to the application by Cogeco Diffusion Acquisitions (Cogeco) and Fiston Kalambay, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated (Fiston Kalambay, OBCI).
Cogeco claimed the new station could interfere with its plans to increase the power of its station CKBE-FM Montréal, which operates at the same frequency. For its part, Cogeco noted that Dufferin’s application was premised on CKBE-FM’s current operating parameters and not Cogeco’s proposal to increase its technical parameters to class C1 maximum parameters (application 2012-0441-1), also considered at the November 7, 2012 public hearing.
In addition, Fiston Kalambay, OBCI raised concerns relating to its own proposal to operate a radio station in Ottawa-Gatineau at 92.7 MHz.
In reply, Dufferin stated that it would accept the potential interference arising from the operation of CKBE-FM at maximum Class C1 parameters. Dufferin also identified a small zone of interference that would be caused by its proposed station to CKBE-FM should it operate at such maximum parameters. However, Dufferin submitted a letter from Cogeco’s engineering consultant which noted that Cogeco would accept the small zone of interference from the proposed station.
With the proposed coverage limited to Clarence-Rockland, the Commission said it does not anticipate any significant impact on existing stations in the Ottawa-Gatineau market. The Commission also noted that despite the intervention, both Cogeco and Dufferin have accepted the potential interference arising from the operation of CKBE-FM at maximum Class C1 parameters.
