CFUT-FM

On September 20, the CRTC approved the application by Denis Benoît, on behalf of a company to be incorporated, for a broadcasting licence for a developmental French-language FM campus radio programming undertaking at Shawinigan. Developmental stations operated primarily for training purposes and have a certain measure of programming flexibility. The Commission noted the applicant’s intention to serve the surrounding communities including Shawinigan, Grand-Mère, St-Boniface, St-Mathieu and St-Gérard-des-Laurentides. The Commission expected that the licensee would call upon volunteers from the campus as well as volunteer members from the communities served. The new station would replace the carrier current or closed-circuit radio service currently operated at the Séminaire Sainte-Marie. The licence would expire September 20, 2005. The station would broadcast on the FM band, on the frequency 91.9 MHz, channel 220LP, with an effective radiated power of 1 watt. The technical parameters approved were for a low-power unprotected FM service.
 

On May 8, the CRTC approved the application by Denis Benoît, on behalf of a company to be incorporated, to increase the effective radiated power of the new developmental campus radio station in Shawinigan, authorized in 2001. This undertaking would operate at a power of five watts instead of one watt as previously approved.

On January 26, the CRTC approved the application by La radio campus communautaire francophone de Shawinigan inc. to amend the licence for CFUT-FM by changing the frequency from 91.9 MHz (channel 220LP) to 91.1 MHz (channel 216LP). The Commission noted the licensee’s statement that this change would not result in any significant change to the coverage area of CFUT-FM.

CFUT-FM signed on the air.

On August 26, the CRTC renewed the licence for the French-language developmental campus radio station CFUT-FM Shawinigan, to March 31, 2006. Licensees of developmental campus radio stations receive licences for a term of three years only. Licensees interested in continuing the operation of their station after this term were expected to file an application with the Commission for a regular campus radio licence nine months before their licence expired. This licensee wished to continue operating the Shawinigan station as a regular French-language FM Type B community radio programming undertaking, in view of the community’s involvement in the project and the fact that CFUT-FM no longer fit the profile of a campus radio station. The licensee filed an application for a broadcasting licence with this intent. The Commission heard this application at the Public Hearing in Gatineau on August 15. However, it was not able to rule on the application before the licence of CFUT-FM Shawinigan expired. The Commission would issue a decision on the application for a licence to operate a French-language FM Type B community radio programming undertaking in Shawinigan at a later date.

On October 18, the CRTC approved the application byLa radio campus communautaire francophone de Shawinigan inc., licensee of CFUT-FM, for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language Type B community FM radio programming undertaking in Shawinigan, Quebec. The station would operate at 91.1 MHz (channel 216A1) with an effective radiated power of 250 watts. The station would broadcast 126 hours of programming during each broadcast week, with a minimum of 120 hours devoted to station-produced programming. The remaining 6 hours would be devoted to acquired programming featuring Francophone country music and religion. Local programming would reflect the needs and interests of the community and include local and regional news, sports, weather, current events, features, and emergency broadcast services. The applicant would continue to recruit volunteers for the station through on-air solicitation and through various other media. The applicant would ensure that volunteers were trained by the full-time staff to ensure strict compliance with the Community Radio Policy. The new station would develop local talent by providing promotional services through organizing contests and concerts. The licence would expire August 31, 2012.

On October 21, the CRTC denied an application to amend to the licence for the French-language community radio station CFUT-FM (La radio campus communautaire francophone de Shawinigan inc.). The applicant proposed to change the frequency from 91.1 MHz (channel 216A1) to 88.1 MHz (channel 201B) and modify the authorized contours by increasing the average effective radiated power from 199 to 8,235 watts (maximum ERP from 250 to 31,291 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain from 9.2 to 152.1 metres) and move the transmitter site from Shawinigan to Mont-Carmel.  

The licensee stated that the proposed changes would result in a better quality signal to listeners, advertisers and partners located in the RCM of Shawinigan, Les Chenaux, Mékinac and Maskinongé, part of its authorized service area that was experiencing poor reception of CFUT-FM. The licensee also stated that this amendment would allow it to strengthen its financial position and ensure its long-term viability. The licensee added that it expected the impact on the market to be minimal. The Commission noted that Radio Shawinigan was in apparent non-compliance with the Radio Regulations, relating to the submission of annual returns. The Commission was of the view that the proposed technical changes would help increase the quality of the station’s signal and that letters filed by Radio Shawinigan beared witness to the signal reception difficulties in the area north of Shawinigan, where the topography varied and was uneven. However, the Commission felt that other technical options could have been proposed by Radio Shawinigan to avoid too large an expansion of its licensed area. The Commission advised the licensee that the non-compliance would be considered at the time of the renewal of its licence. The Commission would therefore review the circumstances that led to the non-compliance in question, the licensee’s arguments, as well as the measures taken to rectify the situation.

On August 8, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CFUT-FM until August 31, 2013.

On May 9, by majority decision, the CRTC denied an application to change the frequency and the authorized contours of CFUT-FM, and to relocate the transmitter site.

 Although approval of the application would have allowed the licensee to improve the quality of its signal, the Commission found that the proposed technical parameters would exceedingly expand the service area and could have an undue negative impact on the market. La radio campus communautaire francophone de Shawinigan inc. (Radio Shawinigan) had proposed to change the frequency from 91.1 MHz (channel 216A1) to 92.9 MHz (channel 225A); increase the effective radiated power from 199 to 3,700 watts (maximum ERP from 250 to 3,700 watts with an effective height of antenna above average terrain from 9.2 to 123.7 metres); and relocate the transmitter site from Shawinigan to Mont-Carmel. 

On November 18, the CRTC approved CFUT-FM’s application to change the frequency from 91.1 to 92.9 MHz; relocate the transmitter site from Shawinigan to Grand-Mère; increase the average ERP from 199 to 2,100 watts (maximum ERP from 250 to 3,900 watts) and the EHAAT from 9.2 to 123.7 metres); and change the antenna’s radiation pattern from non-directional to directional.

In April CFUT moved from 91.1 to 92.9 MHz and increased power from 199 to 2,100 watts (250 to 3,900 watts Maximum ERP).