OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Bell Media won its desired 690 kHz spot on the dial in the Montreal radio market, while Cogeco Diffusion was shut out by a newcomer for the 940 kHz location.
The CRTC issued its decision Monday, granting Bell Media’s request for a frequency change for its TSN radio station from 990 kHz to 690 kHz. As Cartt.ca reported, Cogeco had applied for an English-language all-traffic station on AM 940 to accompany its French-language service Radio Circulation 730 that launched this fall.
The Commission also awarded two new AM radio licences for the market, which is currently served by 34 stations, 21 of which are commercial stations. Montreal has 11 French-language radio commercial stations – 8 on the FM band and 3 on the AM band; 5 commercial English-language stations – 3 FM and 2 AM, and 5 ethnic stations.
Ownership groups Astral and Cogeco dominate the market with five stations each (Astral operates two French-language and three English-language stations, and Cogeco operates four French-language stations and one English-language station).
Independent broadcaster Tietolman Tétrault Pancholy Media received frequency 940 kHz for a French-language mainly spoken word station focused on news and public affairs, intended for an audience aged 35 and over.
Evanov Radio Group subsidiary Dufferin Communications got the go-ahead to offer a French-language spoken word and musical station for Montreal’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community on frequency 990 kHz. The company already operates a similar station in Toronto.
“We are pleased to be increasing the diversity of voices in Montreal’s radio market by offering additional choices to listeners,” said CRTC vice-chairman Tom Pentefountas, in a statement. “The Commission received high quality proposals, but was unfortunately unable to approve all of them.”
The CRTC said that it considered five new applications based on diversity of voices, competition in the Montreal radio market and the impact on it, and the quality of the application.
