NIAGARA FALLS – The CRTC will begin three days of hearings in the honeymoon capital today focusing on a potential new TV station for the region and on six applicants for a radio station serving Woodstock and Tillsonburg, Ontario.
As reported only by www.cartt.ca last week, ITV founder Wendell Wilks is behind the well-financed, ambitious proposal for TV Niagara. He’s due up first thing this morning and is opposed by broadcasters and cable companies alike.
The roster of radio applicants for the 104.7 FM station license include Byrnes Communications, Standard Radio, CHUM Radio, Newcap Broadcasting, Sound of Faith Broadcasting, and the Tillsonburg Broadcasting Company.
While the applications from Byrnes (A/C), Standard (modern rock), CHUM (soft A/C) and Newcap (“gold A/C” – kind of like Bob/Jack, we’re thinking) are for new stations, the Sound of Faith and TBC applications are for shifts of existing stations.
Sound of Faith would like to go from a low-powered 94.3 FM station to a protected Class A FM station, with all the increases in range and power that go with it.
Tillsonburg Broadcasting runs country station AM-CKOT 1510 (and Easy 101.3 FM) and wants 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.
A number of other items, such as the renewal of the broadcast license of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and a Telus application for cable licenses in certain regions of Quebec (Rimouski, Baie Comeau, etc.), will also be considered.
