WOODSTOCK and GATINEAU – One of the last available southwestern Ontario FM frequencies was awarded to Byrnes Communications today by the CRTC.
Continuing a recent trend towards speedier decisions, the Commission awarded the new FM license in Woodstock, Ont. (About 140 kms west of Toronto, close to London) less than three months after the hearing.
“We are truly humbled by the speed with which the CRTC released its decision” says Chris Byrnes, president. “We are proud to be chosen to deliver local news and information as well as the best of today’s adult music to the people of Oxford County.”
While Byrnes Media is a busy consulting company owned and staffed by experienced broadcasters, this is the first station the company will own and operate.
Industry heavyweights Standard Radio, CHUM Ltd, and Newcap Inc., were all denied their competing requests, as was an application by Sound of Faith Broadcasting to go from a low-power station to a Class A commercial one.
As for an air date for the new station – it’s ASAP, says Byrnes Communications. “The CRTC allows successful applicants 12 months to become operational, but we will do our best to be on-air in less than 6 months,” said Gord Marratto, the general manager of the new station, to be at 104.7 FM.
The emphasis will be on local news and information. It will also feature adult music by such artists as Phil Collins, Sarah McLachlan, Elton John, Celine Dion, Maroon 5 and others.
The other southwestern Ontario decision rendered by the Commission today was approval for Tillsonburg Broadcasting’s switch of country station AM-CKOT 1510 to switch it to FM. CKOT is one of the last “daytimers” in North America, where the station has to switch off at sunset so as to avoid interfering with other signals.
That decision is pending the company’s submission of an appropriate frequency, since it, too, had asked for 104.7 (Tillsonburg is about 35 kms from Woodstock).
– Greg O’Brien
