CIRF-AM

On October 21, the CRTC approved the application by Radio Humsafar Inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate a new ethnic commercial AM radio station to serve Brampton. It would broadcast on 1350 kHz with a daytime power of 1,000 watts and a night-time power of 45 watts (non-directional). The station would offer 100% ethnic programming directed to at least 14 cultural groups in a minimum of 11 languages; 80% third-language programming with the target audience being male and female listeners aged 12 and up (core audience between the ages of 18 and 55). 20% of the programming (English-language ethnic) would be directed at 2nd generation English-speaking South Asians, and 80% (third-language) would be primarily directed at the South Asian population. Spoken word programming per broadcast week would be 60%. News programming per broadcast week: 7 hours 35 minutes (news and related surveillance material) 4 hours 56 minutes local and regional, 1 hour 8 minutes national, 1 hour 31 minutes international. The licence would expire 31 August 2022.

In a letter decision dated December 7, the CRTC approved Radio Humsafar’s application to change the technical parameters of the unlaunched station by relocating the transmitter site, changing the station’s service contours and decreasing the nighttime power from 45 to 40 watts. Radio Humsafar indicated that the originally approved transmitter site was no longer a viable option and that it had carefully selected a new site located in Brampton in close proximity to the original site.

On October 3, the CRTC denied an application to change the authorized contours of the station by relocating the transmission site to an existing telecommunications tower in Mississauga, almost seven kilometres south-east from the approved site in Brampton, and by changing the class of the transmitter from C to B. Radio Humsafar stated that the previously approved transmitter site was no longer a viable option given that it was not possible to “achieve all necessary coordination” at that site. Further, it argued that the new transmitter site would not affect the communities to be served, and would not alter the grounds on which its original application to operate the station was approved.

In November, the Commission approved the Radio Humsafar’s application to extend the deadline to commence operations to 21 October 2019.

On July 9, the CRTC denied Radio Humsafar’s application to relocate the transmitter to a site in Mississauga and to change the transmitter class from C to B. The proposed technical parameters for the unlaunched station were identical to those set out in the application that was denied in 2018. The applicant submitted that neither of the previously approved transmitter sites were now available. It indicated that it had found an existing telecommunications tower located in Mississauga, approximately seven kilometres from the site approved by the Commission in 2015, from where it could easily commence operations. The applicant submitted that approval of the new site would not result in a change to the communities to be served by the unlaunched station and, as such, would not alter the grounds on which the original application for a broadcasting licence to operate that station was approved. Radio Humsafar acknowledged that the requested technical changes would result in a decrease in the Brampton population that would be served by the unlaunched station, but argued that the potential listener base in its licensed market of Brampton was not evenly distributed and that most of the targeted South-Asian listeners were located in the southern half of Brampton, on the border with Mississauga. The applicant added that its proposed transmitter site in Mississauga would allow its unlaunched station to properly serve those listeners, and that the signal within the station’s secondary contour would be acceptably clear for most Brampton listeners.

On October 18, the CRTC approved an application by Radio Humsafar Inc. to change the authorized contours of its unlaunched station. An application to extend the deadline to commence operations was also approved. The newly proposed transmitter site was located approximately 1.5 kilometres from the original site, which the Commission approved in 2015. Moreover, use of this site would result in greater coverage of Brampton, the market the station was authorized to serve, and decreased coverage of the neighbouring market of Mississauga. Radio Humsafar now had until October 21, 2020 to launch the station.

CIRF-AM began test broadcasts on December 19.