OTTAWA – The CRTC has revoked the licence of embattled University of Manitoba radio station, Flava 107.9 FM, (CJWV-FM), which ceased broadcasting last October.
The licensee, Harmony Broadcasting Corporation, has been in breach of various regulations and conditions of licence since 2005 and has failed to comply with a number of mandatory orders imposed by the commission.
Flava’s previous management had been raked over the coals by the CRTC for failing to comply with its licence. The station had strayed from its prescribed programming format and had failed to establish an education program as required by the CRTC when granting the broadcast licence.
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters filed a complaint to the CRTC regarding Harmony nearly two years ago in which it stated that its music format change from a 100% Canadian content music station to a 100% Hip Hop and R&B music was in “direct competition to the programming offered by CKMM-FM,” a commercial radio station operating in the Winnipeg market.
"The use of Canada’s public airwaves is a privilege, and the rules and regulations must be followed. Failure to do so not only contravenes the radio regulations but also puts the integrity of the broadcasting system at risk," says Len Katz, vice-chairman of telecommunications and chair of the CRTC panel.
Harmony Broadcasting was called to appear before the commission in September 2006 to explain why it had not complied with its terms of licence. As a result, in January 2007, the commission imposed six mandatory orders as conditions for keeping its licence.
These mandatory orders required that they submit on-air tapes and other information, broadcast a specified level of Canadian music including special interest music as prescribed by the regulations, news, and educational programming as required by condition of licence. Harmony Broadcasting Corporation remained in non-compliance of these mandatory orders, and particularly failed on two separate occasions to submit on-air tapes as requested by the commission.
On June 4, 2008, the CRTC held a public hearing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where interested parties of CJWV-FM were given an opportunity to appear before the commission to explain why the radio station should maintain its broadcasting licence. No convincing reasons for maintaining the licence were advanced concluded the commission.
