CFOI-FM

On January 24, the CRTC approved the application by the Association d’Églises baptistes reformées du Québec for a broadcasting licence to operate a French-language religious specialty FM radio station in Québec. The AÉBRQ was a duly incorporated corporation under the Religious Corporations Act and was recognized as a charity. The proposed station would operate at 96.9 MHz (channel 245LP) with an effective radiated power of 13 watts. The licence would expire August 31, 2013. The applicant proposed to broadcast 70 hours of programming per week, consisting of musical selections and spoken word programming. The applicant would not broadcast newscasts, pop songs or commercial messages. The applicant proposed to devote 50% of all musical selections broadcast to selections from subcategory 31 (Concert), 30% to selections from subcategory 24 (Easy listening), 10% to selections from subcategory 34 (Jazz and blues), and 10% to selections from subcategory 35 (Non-classic religious). The station would broadcast 12 hours and 51 minutes per week of multi-faith religious spoken-word programming. The applicant specified that the religious programming would include 2 hours and 30 minutes of balance programming. In terms of balance programming, the applicant indicated that it would broadcast a program titled Dialogues, which would include interviews and discussions with people from various religions and cultures who were doing internships at Université Laval. The station would also broadcast a program during which a pastor who was part of the evangelical movement would respond to questions posed by the audience. The applicant indicated that it would also invite members of other religious denominations to discuss, on the air, their own religious beliefs or practices.
 

CFOI-FM signed on the air.

On February 19, the CRTC approved the application by the Association d’Églises baptistes réformées du Québec to amend the licence for CFOI-FM by changing the frequency and modifying the authorized contours. The licensee proposed to change the frequency from 96.9 MHz (channel 245LP) to 104.1 MHz (channel 281A1 limited) and to increase the average effective radiated power from 13 watts to 25.6 watts (maximum ERP from 13 watts to 42 watts) and by decreasing the effective height of the antenna above average terrain from 114.5 metres to 113.3 metres. The licensee stated that the frequency change was necessary as its frequency, which was not protected, was granted to Radio communautaire de Lévis in Community radio station in Lévis, Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2009-559, 4 September 2009. The station also indicated that it needed to modify its authorized contours and move its antenna to the west to avoid potential interference on neighbouring stations, for example, CIMI-FM Charlesbourg and CFIN-FM-1 Armagh.

On January 21, the CRTC approved the application by the Association des Églises baptistes reformées du Québec to amend the licence for CFOI-FM Québec in order to add an FM transmitter in Saint-Jérôme to rebroadcast the programming of CFOI-FM in its entirety. The new transmitter would operate at 102.9 MHz (channel 275A1) with an effective radiated power of 200 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of antenna above average terrain of 47.3 metres). The licensee stated that an association of members from the Baptist church located in Saint-Jérôme participated in the programming of CFOI-FM on a regular basis, and the association wished to have access to all of CFOI-FM’s programming in their community.