CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

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CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby jon » Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:01 am

CFSI-FM on Salt Spring Island and all of the CKAV transmitters across the country have until July 25th to "Get Off the Air".

At the same time, the CRTC has invited applications from those interested in serving the Urban population of Natives across Canada.

Here are the relevant decisions and press releases:
http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2015/2015-281.htm
http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2015/2015-282.htm
http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=991419

No word yet on the Salt Spring owner's Wetaskiwin license, which the owner was also defending at the recent CRTC Hearing.
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby Jack Bennest » Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:25 am

Even tho we used to say radio was a license to print money - just reading through what is
required in paperwork is staggering for a small operation.

I can see why you need to be a major chain with a compliance officer working at the top
solely responsible for keeping your license.

In these smaller operations it appears to me they should be owned by a major (with money)
who appoints a morning guy/sales lady i.e. to handle local content and have the tower and
computers maintained by corporate.

Sad that "fun" radio has been replaced by closet radio. :rockon:
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby jon » Thu Jun 25, 2015 12:34 pm

I'm of two minds on that subject. Mostly because I don't know how much expertise is actually involved in all the compliance issues, and how much the software costs to do it right.

It has always been expensive to set up a radio station properly so that you can always be in compliance with Canadian broadcast regulations. Take the example of Logger Tapes. Those ultra-low speed recorders were extremely expensive, and someone had to be there every day to change the tape, and make sure the proper tape was used for the day, so you knew what date was on each tape. Retention was either 30 days or one month, I forget which.

CHQM had an inventive solution that saved them a lot of money: a standard 4 track stereo auto-reverse machine with 0.5 mil tape. AM on the left channel and a mono version of FM on the right channel. Because it only gave them 12 hours, they had the operators scheduled to change tapes twice a day. There were 62 tapes, labeled from 1 to 31, AM and PM.

Transmitters, towers, sites and remote monitoring equipment were much more expensive in those days, too.

I guess I'm wondering if the costs and effort involved in running a station has really changed that much over the years, once you figure in Inflation, as in $1 in 1964 is probably $20 or so today. And how computers today can automatically do what would have been done manually "back then".
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby Eldon-Mr.CFAY » Thu Jun 25, 2015 2:37 pm

Greetings Everyone, Yep I thought this was coming. Not a good broadcast company operating the sttion. Don't blame the CRTC for taking their license away. Lots of problems. Could have been a good station if operated properly.
Any commentss SKY VALLEY ABOUT THIS???? Hae you heard much feedback Mike from local residents so far???
All the bes from Eldon
Bye . . Mr. CFAY "Frequently On The Frequency"
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby Dave L » Thu Jun 25, 2015 5:18 pm

jon wrote:Take the example of Logger Tapes. Those ultra-low speed recorders were extremely expensive, and someone had to be there every day to change the tape, and make sure the proper tape was used for the day, so you knew what date was on each tape..... And how computers today can automatically do what would have been done manually "back then".


Thanks for the update, Jon

Auto programmed video recorders were popular for a few years, but the tapes still needed to be changed manually. Not a problem if the station was staffed, but weekends were an issue sometimes.

Nowadays, any hand-me-down computer of any reasonable size and space can be used with plenty of free software options available. Logging programs clearly time stamp, show up/down times and have easy to manage file/copy systems. The BIOS are set to auto-start if the power flickers, as is the software installed in the Start folder. The logger must be inputted via a fixed output from the board or compressor in a manner that it cannot be inadvertently "potted down" or switched off. Low bandwidth MP3 technology can compress a series of files of less to than 20gb for an entire month. There's absolutely no reason why any station would have a logger down for an extended period. I could pull one out of my junk pile and have it online inside of an afternoon.

Technical or financial reasons are often substituted for actually submitting compelled logs, where in all likelihood the objectionable content is intentionally deleted or destroyed. Likewise compelling logs concerning periods of dead air, or misrepresented invoices may be tampered with under the guise of failure or staff neglect.

This clearly a factor in the CFSI case. The owners had something to hide from the commission as to their performance and laid blame at the feet of their staff.

A few bad apples have ruined it for everyone else with aspirations for community radio. No wonder why radio is dying.
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby jon » Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:34 pm

CRTC revokes licences of aboriginal radio stations in Edmonton, four other cities
Edmonton Journal
June 25, 2015 6:13 PM

Edmonton’s Aboriginal Voices Radio station and four sister stations are being shut down by the federal communications regulator.

In a decision Thursday “to help improve radio service for urban aboriginal listeners,” the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said it is revoking the licences of AVR stations in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa effective July 25.

The Ottawa station has been silent since last fall, the CRTC said.

CKAV-FM-4 Edmonton, known as Voices Edmonton 89.3 FM, remained on the air Thursday with a mix of adult-contemporary music.

Officials with AVR could not be reached for comment.

“Having a broadcasting licence in Canada is a privilege, and having a mandate to serve aboriginal communities is particularly significant,” CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said in a news release.

“The CRTC notes with regret that AVR has been in non-compliance since its beginning, and has not fulfilled its commitments or the specific mandate given to it.

“AVR let its listeners down by failing to inform them on issues important to them. We find ourselves in an unfortunate situation where licence revocation is not only necessary; it is the only option.”

The CRTC will seek new operators in each of the markets, giving priority to proposals for services that would serve aboriginal communities.

AVR received its licences in the early 2000s. It had appeared before the CRTC four times in the past 15 years seeking renewals, but each time the commission found “numerous, repeated and serious instances of non-compliance” with radio regulations and licence conditions.

Issues accumulated over the years even though the CRTC showed flexibility, including short-term renewals to allow AVR to fix problems, the commission said.

When AVR appeared before the CRTC in May, it failed to show an ability to resolve issues, the commission said.

It said AVR failed to file audited financial statements for each of its stations and didn’t complete annual updates on the achievement of its business objectives.

It also failed to deliver “daily local newscasts on each station that include at least five distinct local news stories of direct and particular relevance to the aboriginal community within the market served.”

The CRTC said AVR hasn’t honoured its commitments and “has not fulfilled its mandate to reflect the distinctive place of the aboriginal community in Canadian society.”
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby skyvalleyradio » Fri Jun 26, 2015 8:58 am

karma baby karma! I'm currently in the west Kootenays & am glad I'm not on the island as I'm sick to death of this debacle & just want it to go away. I'm not interested in discussing this with islanders. Jack you're way off base about small-town radio & corporate ownership. I have been driving all over the Okanagan & west Kootenays & BC's small town corporate radio sounds like shit. The only 2 stations with any useful information have been CKFR 1150 & CKNL 610. The rest of it is just automated hard-drive crap that sounds no different than their urban counterparts. The best community station I've so far encountered is CHLS 100.5 in Lillooet. Even their automated music mix is refreshing = classic rock & classic country - many album cuts not heard in a long while. Good-bye Mr Dhillon :towel:
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby jon » Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:03 am

On his Canadian Radio News Facebook page, Dan Sys is reporting:
In the meantime, Mr. Dhillon is on a shopping spree in California. He just purchased KMKY 1310 Oakland (the former legendary KDIA) as well as KIGS 620 Hanford, KQEQ 1210 Fowler, and KEBR 1210 Rocklin. They will all be flipping to Punjabi programming.
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby Jim Walters » Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:43 am

jon wrote:On his Canadian Radio News Facebook page, Dan Sys is reporting:
In the meantime, Mr. Dhillon is on a shopping spree in California. He just purchased KMKY 1310 Oakland (the former legendary KDIA) as well as KIGS 620 Hanford, KQEQ 1210 Fowler, and KEBR 1210 Rocklin. They will all be flipping to Punjabi programming.



Is Dhillon Canadian or American or some bogus hyphenated nationality?

I thought there were rules that non Canadians couldn't obtain a license to operate a radio station in Canada?

Likewise in the US.

How can someone (who doesn't seem to have a knowledge of rules and regulations) be the owner of stations in both countries?

This is very confusing.
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby jon » Fri Jun 26, 2015 12:24 pm

I don't have any answers to your specific questions, but, during the most recent CRTC Hearing on Wetaskiwin and Salt Spring Island, which were each handled separately, at one point the owner commented that he was not yet fully familiar with all the "extra requirements" in Canada, as compared to what he had to do to satisfy the FCC in the U.S.

Which I take to mean that he has not had any trouble from the FCC on the U.S. stations that he is involved with.
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby Eldon-Mr.CFAY » Fri Jun 26, 2015 2:45 pm

Greetings Everyone,
Interesting comments.. Good comments Sky Valley and I agrree with you Wrote to CHLS Lilllooet some years ago and very friendly station ... Sent great stuff and seem to know what they they are doing. A small community station who realy have their act together!!!!

Yes Jim Walters thats what i want to know , how the hell does this guy Dhillon own radio stations in two countriress? Is he Canadian or AMerican citizen? How is he getting away doing all this. Does not make sense to me either!!!! Especiallly since he since to operate so poorly.

Something does not make sense here.. Take care everyone. All the best best from Eldon.....
Bye . . Mr. CFAY "Frequently On The Frequency"
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby jon » Fri Jun 26, 2015 7:20 pm

Even APTN supports the CRTC pulling the licenses of the CKAV-FM stations:
http://aptn.ca/news/2015/06/25/crtc-rev ... ompliance/

They also offer their News Service to the winner of the forthcoming competition to actually provide what CKAV-FM failed to provide.

I was wondering why APTN did not intervene, but I see now that they were part of a joint Intervention by the Canadian Association of Aboriginal Broadcasters (CAAB), which counts APTN as a member.

One thing that I find odd is that the CRTC is reserving the frequency in Edmonton for a new round of applications, when it effectively duplicates the purpose of CFWE-FM's Edmonton license. Can two competing stations survive here? Ideally, CFWE-FM should just be given the CKAV Edmonton frequency, so they can run a full 100KW from the Sherwood Park CBC transmitter site, instead of the Spruce Grove site they now use.

On the other hand, I am also surprised that the previously surrendered CKAV-FM licenses are not being included, such as Regina and Saskatoon.
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby Jack Bennest » Fri Jun 26, 2015 7:32 pm

Hi Sky

"Jack you're way off base about small-town radio & corporate ownership." - I think my comment was designed to say that it might be hard for a small operator to handle the bureaucracy - nothing more. The big guys don't have trouble with licenses because they have the money and staff to NOT get into trouble.

I wasn't commenting on quality of product or sound. Most radio sucks from my point of view. But even if I found a great little station I would have difficulty
supporting if it could not satisfy the basics of CRTC.

As stated many times - radio to me is dead. Yes I listen to CBC but only for the essentials of news. Not sure any more what I would like if something on radio ever presented itself.

How about Shayne 1968 or the Real Roy circa 1974 - Darryl B, even the sound of Cullen would be refreshing to me.
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby PMC » Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:12 pm

jon wrote: Which I take to mean that he has not had any trouble from the FCC on the U.S. stations that he is involved with.


Since speculation is in play, how is this for the package. He builds/buys radio stations to resell. Doesn't matter which country. He makes the buy, changes the format, and sells to someone that believes the new format is a $ printing press, and is their kind of investment.

Cheers to APTN... the crtc should give them a first look at the FM'ers... assuming they could handle that.
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Re: CRTC Revokes AVR and Salt Spring licenses

Postby skyvalleyradio » Sat Jun 27, 2015 7:30 am

Jack - thanks for clarifying your comments - I understand and agree. During my 3 yrs of co-management at CFSI, all the compliance & technical issues within my control were 100% compliant. Original owner Gary Brooks had NO previous experience in broadcasting, was VERY secretive of the financial books & liked to "micromanage" The CCD, financial statements & reporting requirements were entirely under his control. I'm confident that had this task been assigned to myself & the other experienced broadcast management team (Bob Simpson, Dave Gordon) we would have been on top of this. It's do-able & other "microbroadcasters" such as the Barriere station, CKFU "The Moose" in Ft St John, once owned by broadcaster Russ Wagg NEVER had any major problems at license renewals. Whenever I needed questions answered or clarification regarding rules & regs, a phone call to the friendly staff at the CRTC usually got the answers I needed. In spite of my criticisms of the CRTC, the staff are great & have always been helpful 'staying the course'

I've never figured out how S Dhillon is able to hold licenses in both Canada & the US either. Nothing sketchy this guy does surprises me anymore

sweltering in Grand Forks...this is your Sky Captain reporting to Radiowest News :groovy:
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