CFRZ-FM

On November 4, the CRTC approved an application by Alan Jacobs, in his capacity as the Director of Operations of Walpole Island First Nation Radio, for a broadcasting licence to operate an English- and Ojibway-language low-power Type B Native FM radio programming undertaking at Walpole Island. The station would operate at 98.3 MHz (channel 252LP) with an effective radiated power of 50 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 31 metres). During each broadcast week it would offer 56 hours of station-produced programming. The programming would include music and spoken word content, and would benefit the community by helping to strengthen and preserve the Ojibway language through the airing of ancestral language recordings. The licence would expire August 31, 2018.

CFRZ had been operating for some time without a CRTC licence. It was uncertain when the station first went on the air, but some posts on the station’s Google Community Radio page went back to 2009 when the station suffered transmitter failure due to a likely lightning strike. The same thing happened in 2010. It was not certain what frequency CFRZ had been using, but power was 25 watts. It was noted on April 20, 2012 that the station had recently moved to its new (CRTC authorized) frequency of 98.3 MHz.

On June 29, the CRTC gave CFRZ-FM a short-term licence renewal to August 31, 2023. The Commission noted the licensee’s lack of response to Commission requests for information and was concerned about the licensee’s appreciation and understanding of its regulatory requirements.