CIDI-FM

On May 6, the CRTC denied an application by Radio Communautaire Missisquoi for a broadcasting licence to operate a community FM radio station at Lac-Brome. Both the CBC and RCM proposed to operate on 101.9 MHz. The CBC’s application was approved (Cowansville). The Commission determined that the CBC’s proposal represented the best use of the frequency and would better serve the public interest. RCM indicated that its station would have operated at an effective radiated power of 800 watts and at an effective antenna height above average terrain of 50.2 metres. The applicant estimated that its station would serve approximately 15,000 English-speaking potential listeners. Its 3 millivolt per metre contour would enclose Lac-Brome, Knowlton, Sutton and Sweetsburg, and its 0.5 mV/m would enclose Dunham, Cowansville, Brigham, Waterloo and Foster. RCM stated that its proposed community radio station would respond to the needs of the community by presenting 84 hours of local, original programming each week in its first year of operation, increasing to 105 hours each week in the second year. Although the primary language of broadcast would be English, the applicant also planned to offer some programming in French and German.
 

On July 2, the CRTC approved the application by Radio Communautaire Missisquoi for a new English-language Type A community FM radio station in Lac-Brome. The Commission, however, directed the applicant to submit, within six months of the date of this decision, an application proposing the use of 99.1 MHz (channel 256A) or another frequency. RCM had proposed the use of 98.1 MHz (channel 251A) with an effective radiated power of 800 watts. The Commission considered this application at a public hearing held in Montréal from 3 to 19 February 2003. At the hearing, the Commission heard six other applications in connection with the Sherbrooke market. RCM’s application was technically mutually exclusive with a competing application by Cogeco Radio-Télévision inc. to operate a French-language FM radio station in Sherbrooke at 93.7 MHz (channel 229B) with a transmitter in Magog at 98.1 MHz (channel 251B). At the hearing, RCM stated that it had reached an agreement with Cogeco concerning their competitive applications for the use of 98.1 MHz. Consequently, RCM amended its application requesting the use of an alternative frequency, namely, 99.1 MHz (channel 256A), and proposed to operate with an ERP of 800 watts. The applicant, however, did not file the technical documentation required by the Department of Industry in support of the amendment to the application.

RCM proposed to broadcast 84 hours of local programming in each broadcast week of its first year of operation, increasing to 105 hours in each broadcast week of the second year. All of the programming to be offered by the proposed station would be local programming. Initially, all of the programming would be station produced. However, the applicant indicated that it might eventually trade up to approximately 20% of its weekly schedule with the community-based campus radio station, CJMQ-FM Lennoxville, operated by Radio Bishop’s Inc. RCM confirmed that its programming would reflect the diversity and different interests of the community to be served. While the primary language of broadcast would be English, the applicant made a commitment to devote at least 15% of the programming aired in each broadcast week to French-language programming and at least 5% to German-language programming. RCM made a commitment to devote at least 30% of the programming aired in each week to community-oriented spoken word programming. The spoken word programs would include at least one hour of news programming to be offered daily, including weekends. Of the news programming offered by the station, 70% would be local and would cover Cowansville, Sutton, Lac-Brome and surrounding areas, while the remainder will be regional and will cover the Eastern Townships and the neighbouring Montérégie area. The station would also broadcast programs that focused on community issues and special local events as well as interviews and information bulletins. RCM would offer a call-in program that would give listeners opportunities to call the station and provide their input. The Community Radio Policy required community radio stations to ensure that at least 5% of all musical selections played in each broadcast week were from category 3 (special interest music). RCM made a commitment to devote at least 40% of all its musical selections to selections drawn from category 3. The licence would expire on 31 August 2009.

On November 5, the CRTC approved the application by Radio communautaire Missisquoi to operate its new English-language FM Type A community radio programming undertaking in Lac-Brome at 99.1 MHz (channel 256A) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 496 watts. The applicant filed this application in response to the Commission’s direction in English-language FM community radio station in Lac-Brome, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2003-199, 2 July 2003. The applicant had originally proposed to operate its new station at 98.1 MHz (channel 251A). In Decision 2003-199, the Commission indicated that it would only issue a licence to the applicant for this station provided that the applicant submitted an application proposing the use of 99.1 MHz (channel 256A) or another FM frequency that would be acceptable to both the Commission and the Department of Industry.

CIDI-FM began broadcasting.

On June 9, CIDI-FM had its licence administratively renewed to August 31, 2011.

For the record, CIDI’s studios and offices were at 305B Knowlton Road, Knowlton, QC. Radio Communautaire Missisquoi’s directors and officers: Dewey Durrell (president & treasurer), Maurice Singfield (vice-president & director-general), Alan Eastley (secretary), David Anderson (advertising sales manager), Jacques Lecours (show host) and Marie Fortin (show host).

On August 31, the CRTC renewed CIDI-FM’s licence to December 31, 2011. On December 19, the station’s licence was further renewed to August 31, 2012. These were administrative renewals.

On the morning of January 16, CIDI-FM losts its transmission capabilities from Patch Hill Tower thanks to a power failure. Station employees and volunteers Justin Cuplinskas, Nathaniel Fraser and Dewey Durrell, and Pippin Technical responded quickly and CIDI was able to resume full transmission at 4:00 p.m. on January 20. 

On August 28, the CRTC administratively renewed CIDI-FM’s licence to December 31, 2012. On December 21, the licence was renewed to August 31, 2017.