Wetaskiwin loses it's Cat Country

Radio news from Alberta

Postby Cliff Bashly Kinkade » Fri Oct 06, 2006 7:39 am

That's would have been so much better if you had started it, "Dear Penthouse..."
nudeswithviews.com / where right is never wrong
Cliff Bashly Kinkade
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 954
Joined: Tue May 09, 2006 11:54 am

Postby jon » Sun Oct 08, 2006 11:24 am

Finally think I caught the name of the PM Drive guy who starts Tuesday on W-1440: Vince Burke. He must have re-done the promo because the first two times I heard it, I'm sure it was a one-word name. He probably just slurred his name so badly that he had to re-do the promo.
User avatar
jon
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 9256
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 10:15 am
Location: Edmonton

Postby jon » Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:11 pm

You may well be in for a treat. Just before noon today, they ran their entire Imaging package, back to back, without interruption. I assume some quirky computer mistake, so you may hear it again.
User avatar
jon
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 9256
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 10:15 am
Location: Edmonton

Postby arthurdent » Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:42 pm

Just last Wednesday I noticed a couple of brand new towers just of the 'east/west connector' in Richmond. That will be Sushma's new station at 1200. the towers were remarkably short and seem to be aimed at roughly the NNW (protecting something in the SSE???)

In terms of available freqencies, CKDA's old 1220 could still be open as long as CJRL Kenora was protected. And then the old CKX spot at 1150 (50 kw) should still be available as well. Certainly 700 would be a good bet.
User avatar
arthurdent
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 74
Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 8:41 pm

Postby Dan Sys » Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:33 am

It looks like CJRJ 1200 is actually going to hit the air soon becomming the 4th Punjabi station serving the Vancouver area. I'm sure I recall hearing a story somewhere that they purchased the transmitter and towers from one of the Prince George stations that flipped to FM, so that might explain the abnormal towers. No idea who they would have to be protecting though as there are only 3 stations on 1200 in the Western U.S. (WOAI-San Antonio,TX; KFNW-Fargo,ND; & KYAA-Soquel,CA):
http://www.am-dx.com/lists/1200sort.htm

By the way Arthur, CJRL-1220 in Kenora flipped to 89.5 FM back in November, 2004.
User avatar
Dan Sys
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1887
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2006 7:05 pm
Location: Aldergroove, B.C.

Postby jon » Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:38 am

I'm not sure exactly how the pattern protection rules would be applied in this case, but my best guess is that CJRJ only has to protect WOAI, and only at night. Here is one set of reasoning:
  • you only have to protect stations that are "older" than you
  • North Dakota and California first went on the air on 1200 AFTER the first Western Canadian station signed on 1200
  • CJRJ would "inherit" the seniority of the first Western Canadian station on 1200
By the way, the "only have to protect stations that were there first" rule is why KCPX-1320 in Salt Lake City was allowed to have a night-time directional pattern that aimed right at Vancouver, even though CHQM (and CKNW before that) was seriously impacted. KCPX was there first, so they could do what they wanted.
User avatar
jon
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 9256
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 10:15 am
Location: Edmonton

Postby kat » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:27 am

Could someone please explain to me how all of these ethnic radio stations in Vancouver come to be - seemingly overnight?

How come there are four Punjabi stations serving this market? Why are that many needed?

How come when a commercial radio station wants to change formats it has to go through scrutiny and seek approval by the CRTC yet these ethnic stations are able go out and purchase transmitters and set up studios in malls and begin broadcasting?

Do these stations not fall under regualr CRTC regulations?

Why is it that we never hear about any of them until they are on the air and broadcasting?

It is hard to get a license to broadcast in the Vancouver market, I thought that the airwaves were already jammed with signals and that frequencies were scarce - yet here comes another ethnic station.

What gives? Please explain.
The world has two kinds of people. Cat people and idiots.
User avatar
kat
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 532
Joined: Tue May 30, 2006 9:36 pm
Location: Bellingham, WA

Postby jon » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:49 am

I actually agree with the CRTC on this one. The two existing Punjabi stations (of the four) are border U.S. stations running out of Washington State for a Greater Vancouver audience. The two new Canadian ones are presumably licensed to drive the existing two out of business, and bring the income into Canada.

The only thing I'd change, if I was the CRTC, is to license both new stations on AM, where frequencies aren't as scarce.
User avatar
jon
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 9256
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 10:15 am
Location: Edmonton

Postby Dan Sys » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:26 pm

Why is it that we never hear about any of them until they are on the air and broadcasting?

Not true Kat. Both 1200 and Red FM (CKYE) 93.1 went through all the formalities with the CRTC that everyone else is required to do (application, public notice, hearing, etc.). In fact when they were approved last year the Vancouver Sun ran a 2 page spread about them, so I would say there wasn't really any lack of exposure.

As for Jon's comments, my job involves using a taxi twice a day. As most people know the vast majority of cabbies in Vancouver are of East Indian decent. All I hear on their car radios now is Red FM. Before Red FM arrived on the scene it was either 1550 or 1600 with their inferior signals in Vancouver (destroyed by static and trolley bus lines). So the plan to bury those 2 U.S. stations appears to be working based on those cab drivers listening habits.
User avatar
Dan Sys
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1887
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2006 7:05 pm
Location: Aldergroove, B.C.

Postby jon » Fri Nov 24, 2006 7:42 pm

Back to W-1440: they seem to have addressed their transmitter problems, as their daytime signal into Edmonton is almost like a local now. Haven't checked their night pattern.

Sat next to a Wet. alderman yesterday at a Microsoft Launch event and he confirmed that they had transmitter problems. Neglect during the Cat Country days, he said.

What he didn't know, and I am still wondering, so will ask it here: anyone know whether Billy Williams is doing AM Drive from Wet. or WEM?
User avatar
jon
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 9256
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 10:15 am
Location: Edmonton

Postby jon » Fri Nov 24, 2006 10:13 pm

Nice to hear. NewCap must be encouraging their staff to live locally, as I know that the CAM-FM morning crew lives in Camrose. "Local Live" is a pretty powerful concept.

The Wetaskiwin alderman told me that they have now run out of land for new housing within city limits. And retirement facilities sell out by the time they are built.
User avatar
jon
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 9256
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 10:15 am
Location: Edmonton

Previous

Return to Alberta

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 105 guests