The CRTC last week approved an application by Vista Radio to acquire CJGY-FM Grande Prairie (Reach 96.3 FM) in Alberta and its rebroadcasting transmitters in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C., from Golden West Broadcasting.
In its decision to approve the change in ownership of the Christian music format station, the CRTC said Vista Radio had proposed a value of the transaction of $1,531,576 and had requested an exception to the payment of tangible benefits to allow all of its proposed $98,000 contribution to go to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)’s Diploma in Radio Arts and Entertainment.
In keeping with its tangible benefits policy, the CRTC denied this exception and said Vista Radio is required to pay $91,895 (six per cent of the value of the transaction) in tangible benefits in equal instalments over seven consecutive broadcast years to customary Canadian content development (CCD) funds, including the Canadian Starmaker Fund, Fonds RadioStar, FACTOR, Musicaction, the Community Radio Fund of Canada, and a portion of this (one per cent of the value of the transaction) to a discretionary CCD initiative, which could include the BCIT’s Diploma in Radio Arts and Entertainment.
Vista Radio has told the CRTC that CJGY-FM would broadcast 126 hours of local programming per broadcast week and two hours of local and regional news, which the CRTC said would benefit the community of Grande Prairie and is in the public interest.
Consistent with the station’s existing conditions of service, the CRTC has ordered Vista Radio to devote a minimum of 40 per cent of its popular music selections to Canadian selections. In addition, as per the CRTC’s updated broadcasting regulatory policy, Vista Radio is expected to devote at least five per cent of its musical selections to Canadian emerging artists and to also include indigenous musical selections on CJGY-FM’s playlist.
The CRTC said it will issue a new broadcasting licence to Vista Radio for CJGY-FM and its transmitters, which will expire on Aug. 31, 2027.
