In two unrelated broadcasting decisions published Monday, the CRTC has approved Local Radio Lab’s acquisition of Vista Radio’s CJFB-FM Bolton station, and Blackburn Media-owned CFCO Chatham’s conversion to the FM band.
In the case of CJFB-FM in Bolton, Ont., new owner Local Radio Lab is expected to devote at least five per cent of the station’s musical selections in each broadcast week to selections from Canadian emerging artists. In addition, the broadcast regulator expects CJFB-FM to include indigenous musical selections on its playlist. Local Radio Lab is required to report annually on how it has met these expectations.
Although the CRTC’s Revised Commercial Radio Policy does not specify a minimum level of weekly news to be broadcast by stations, the commission reminds CJFB-FM it needs to incorporate spoken word programming of particular relevance to the communities it serves, including local news, weather, sports coverage, and the promotion of local events and activities.
As a condition of service, Local Radio Lab is required to pay tangible benefits totalling $14,326 in equal payments over seven consecutive broadcast years. CJFB-FM’s new broadcasting licence will expire Aug. 31, 2031.
In its other decision announced Monday, the CRTC has approved an application by Blackburn Media for a new broadcasting licence to operate an English-language commercial FM radio station in Chatham, Ont., to replace its existing English-language commercial AM radio station CFCO Chatham.
The new station will operate at 91.3 MHz with an average effective radiated power of 1,250 watts. Currently, Blackburn Media operates CFCO-1-FM, a rebroadcasting transmitter for CFCO’s AM signal, at 92.9 MHz. As the new FM station will cover the service area of CFCO-1-FM, Blackburn has said it will not keep the rebroadcasting transmitter operational.
Blackburn said in its application for the new FM licence that it would maintain the current format of CFCO, which broadcasts a mix of country music, local news and information programming. Blackburn proposed to continue broadcasting 126 hours of programming per broadcast week, including a minimum of 96 hours of local programming and a maximum of 30 hours of syndicated programming from other Blackburn stations. Local programming would include three hours of pure news per broadcast week.
The new CFCO FM station is also required to devote at least five per cent of its weekly musical selections to Canadian emerging artists, and it must include indigenous musical selections as well. The station’s new licence will expire Aug. 31, 2031.
Photo via Local Radio Lab
