CKAV-FM-9

On October 4, Gary Farmer, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated (Aboriginal Voices Radio) received approval for a new native FM station at Ottawa. In its early years of operation, the station’s programming would, in the main, originate with the proposed FM radio station licensed to AVR in Toronto. The applicant’s plans in this regard were similar to those it has for other AVR stations recently authorized by the CRTC, one in Calgary and the other in Vancouver. In the case of the Ottawa-Hull station, AVR stated that it would introduce local programming over time, increasing to as much as 14 hours, 30 minutes per week by the end of the first year of operation. The applicant set forth, as a further objective, the establishment of a full-time station staff, a parliamentary reporter and local studio facilities within the first year. AVR would operate the station as a not-for-profit undertaking. The new station would operate on the frequency 95.7 MHz, with an effective radiated power of 6,000 watts. 

On October 16, Aboriginal Voices Radio Inc. received an extension to July 4, 2003 to commence operations of its Ottawa transmitter. 

On August 27, AVR was granted an extension to November 4 to commence operations of the Ottawa station. A further extension was granted on November 14 – to April 4, 2004.

AVR received a further extension of time on July 9. It now had until October 14 to commence operation of the Ottawa transmitter.

On July 19, AVR was granted a further extension of time to begin broadcasting from Ottawa. AVR stated that it had not yet concluded a lease agreement for the new transmission facility.

On March 27, the CRTC extended to June 30, 2006, the deadline for AVR to file an application for the use of a new frequency at Vancouver and to commence operation of the FM stations authorized to serve Vancouver and Abbotsford; and to commence operation of the radio stations authorized to serve Calgary and Ottawa/Gatineau. The Commission stated this was the final extension to be granted for these undertakings. AVR provided the following status reports: in Vancouver, it was examining alternate frequencies that would be available for its radio station in that city; in Calgary, it was exploring an offer by the TsuuT’ina First Nation that would allow AVR to establish a transmitter tower for its Calgary radio station on the TsuuT’ina First Nation’s territory at no charge; in Ottawa/Gatineau, it was negotiating a lease agreement with CHUM Limited for the use of a transmitter tower for AVR’s Ottawa/Gatineau radio station; and in Montréal, it indicated its commitment to file a technical brief with the Department of Industry and an application with the Commission for the use of 106.7 MHz for the radio station in that city. 

On August 8, the licences for CKAV-FM-3 Calgary and the stations at Ottawa and Vancouver were renewed to March 31, 2007. CKAV-FM-9 signed on the air on October 30. It operated on 95.7 MHz with an ERP of 9,100 watts.

On March 30, the CRTC renewed the licences of CKAV-FM Toronto, CKAV-FM-2 Vancouver (and its transmitter at Abbotsford), CKAV-FM-3 Calgary, and CKAV-FM-9 Ottawa to April 30, 2007. The Commission heard the applications for renewal of these licences at the October 30, 2006 Public Hearing in Regina. However, it was not able to rule on these applications before the existing licences expired. 

On August 24, the CRTC renewed the licences for the Native Type B radio programming undertakings CKAV-FM Toronto, CKAV-FM-2 Vancouver, CKAV-FM-3 Calgary, CKAV-FM-4 Edmonton and CKAV-FM-9 Ottawa from 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2012. These short-term licence renewals would enable the Commission to review, at an earlier date, the licensee’s compliance with the Radio Regulations, 1986 and its conditions of licence. The Commission also imposed a mandatory order pursuant to section 12(2) of the Broadcasting Act requiring the licensee to comply at all times with the requirements contained in section 9(2) of the Radio Regulations, 1986, which deal with the filing of annual returns. 

CKAV-9 changed its name from AVR to Voices 95.7.

On June 22, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CKAV-FM-9 Ottawa, until November 30, 2012.

On November 29, the CRTC renewed the broadcasting licences for the Type B Native radio stations CKAV-FM Toronto, CKAV-FM-2 Vancouver, CKAV-FM-3 Calgary, CKAV-FM-4 Edmonton and CKAV-FM-9 Ottawa, to August 31, 2015. This short-term renewal would enable the Commission to assess at an earlier date the licensee’s compliance with the Radio Regulations, 1986 and its conditions of licence.

CKAV-FM-9 left the air in October. It was uncertain if there were any plans for it to return to the air.

On June 25, the CRTC revoked the broadcasting licences for the Type B Native radio stations CKAV-FM Toronto, CKAV-FM-2 Vancouver, CKAV-FM-3 Calgary, CKAV-FM-4 Edmonton and CKAV-FM-9 Ottawa held by Aboriginal Voices Radio Inc., effective 25 July 2015. The licensee would have to cease broadcasting by no later than the end of the broadcast day on that date. The Commission’s decision to revoke was based on AVR’s repeated and serious non-compliance with its regulatory obligations over four consecutive licence terms, as well as the Commission’s complete lack of confidence in the licensee’s ability to broadcast in compliance with those obligations going forward and therefore meet the unique needs of Aboriginal people. For the most recent licence term, AVR admitted to the following instances of non-compliance at the 13 May 2015 public hearing: failure to file complete and accurate program logs and logger tapes, failure to file annual returns for the 2013-2014 broadcast year for its five stations, failure to broadcast regular daily local newscasts on each station that included at least five distinct local news stories of direct and particular relevance to the Aboriginal community within the market served, failure to file complete annual updates on the achievement of its business objectives, and failure to file audited financial statements for each of its stations.

The Federal Court of Appeal granted Aboriginal Voices Radio a reprieve to the CRTC’s order that it shut down its radio stations in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. The four stations would remain on the air until a final disposition of the matter.