CFMV-FM

On August 9, the CRTC approved in part the application submitted by Radio du Golfe inc. The Commission approved the request for a broadcasting licence to operate a commercial French-language low-power FM radio programming undertaking in Chandler and for an amendment to the licence for the radio programming undertaking CJMC-FM Sainte-Anne-des-Monts in order to delete the transmitter in Pabos Mills. The Commission denied the addition of an FM transmitter in New Carlisle, in order to broadcast the new station’s programs. The applicant proposed a “modern rock” musical format targeted to listeners aged 18 to 54. The applicant made a commitment to broadcast 126 hours of local programming in each broadcast week. The programming would include local, regional and provincial news, weather, traffic, marine conditions and sports. The station would also offer political, economic, athletic and cultural interviews, as well as interviews with artists in order to promote Canadian talent. The spoken word programming would account for 31 hours of the broadcast week, including 7 hours devoted to news. The Commission concluded that Radio du Golfe had proposed a service that would meet the needs and interests of listeners in the Chandler region. The Commission considered that the Pabok-Côte-de-Gaspé radio market could sustain the station’s activities and that approval of this part of the application would serve the public interest and would enable the larger Gaspé Peninsula radio market to receive its own local commercial FM radio service, which would increase diversity in the market. Furthermore, the Commission found that it was appropriate to delete the transmitter in Pabos Mills because this market would now be served by the new station. With respect to the addition of a transmitter of the new station in New Carlisle, the Commission considered that such a transmitter could have a significant impact on CHNC New Carlisle and CIEU-FM Carleton, which currently serve that market. In order to limit the negative impact on these two stations, the Commission concluded that it would not be appropriate to approve the addition of a transmitter in New Carlisle. The new station would thus have no impact on the Bonaventure-Avignon radio market because the station would not reach this market. The new station in Chandler would operate at 92.1 MHz (channel 221LP) with an average effective radiated power of 10 watts.
 

CFMV-FM signed on the air.

On August 11, the CRTC approved the application by Radio du Golfe inc. to amend the broadcasting licence of CFMV-FM Chandler to change the frequency from 92.1 MHz (channel 221LP) to 96.3 MHz (channel 242B). The Commission further approved the application by Radio du Golfe inc. to change the authorized contours by increasing the average effective radiated power from 15 watts to 5,716 watts. According to the licensee, these technical amendments would allow residents in the Rocher-Percé Regional County Municipality to receive news and cultural, artistic and other information on events in their community. Radio du Golfe stated that it intended to hire two journalists to provide complete coverage of the entire area served, which would allow CFMV-FM to broadcast more complete news bulletins that include reports from the entire Rocher-Percé RCM. Radio du Golfe also proposed to set up production studios in each end of the RCM (one studio in Percé and the other in Port-Daniel), which would allow journalists to deliver live or delayed reports and conduct interviews with individuals from the various municipalities in the RCM. The journalists would also cover all youth sports through reports, interviews and commercials. Radio du Golfe added that the increase in power would allow CFMV-FM to broadcast live shows from Percé, which would introduce its listeners to Canadian artists. The Commission noted that, according to data from the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement surveys conducted in the fall of 2005, CFMV-FM seemed to be meeting a demand, given that it succeeded in capturing a 12% share of the Rocher-Percé radio market during the BBM survey period. The Commission considered that approval of this application would allow Radio du Golfe to operate the first commercial full-power FM radio station in the Rocher-Percé RCM and would enhance radio services offered to listeners in that market. The Commission recognized that there could be some negative impact on the listenership and advertising revenues of existing stations. However, the Commission considerd that the advantages to the community served resulting from the proposed journalistic coverage, the broadcast of newscasts and the installation of production studios would offset the potential negative impact on the existing stations. The Commission noted that, as a result of the approved changes, the undertaking’s authorized contours would change significantly, and that the increase in power would result in a change of CFMV-FM’s status from a low-power unprotected service to a regular Class B service.

On February 4, the CRTC denied the application by Radio du Golfe inc. to amend the broadcasting licence for CFMV-FM Chandler by adding a low-power FM transmitter in Percé (104.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 50 watts, non-directional antenna with an effective height of the antenna above average terrain of -24.6 metres). Radio du Golfe stated that the implementation of a transmitter in Percé would enable it to strengthen the station’s signal in that section of its authorized contours, which is characterized by mountainous topography. It is the Commission’s longstanding practice to deny licence amendments requested by licensees that are in non-compliance with their regulatory obligations. Given CFMV-FM’s apparent non-compliance with sections 2.2(5) and 2.2(10) of the Regulations, the Commission does not consider that a departure from this practice is warranted in this case.

On November 26, the CRTC renewed CFMV’s licence to August 30, 2014. This short-term renewal would enable the Commission to review, at an earlier date, the licensee’s compliance with the Radio Regulations, 1986 and its conditions of licence.

On April 16, the CRTC denied the application by Radio du Golfe inc. to amend the licence for CFMV-FM Chandler in order to add a low-power FM transmitter in Percé to rebroadcast the programming of CFMV-FM. The transmitter would have operated on 97.3 MHz (channel 247LP) with an effective radiated power of 50 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of -24.6 metres). The licensee indicated that the purpose of adding this transmitter was not to expand its service area, but to improve the reception quality of the CFMV-FM signal in the Percé area, where it was weakened by the mountainous terrain.