In an unprecedented display of unity, all political parties in the National Assembly of Quebec have agreed not to be interviewed by Nathalie Normandeau when she returns to BLVD 102.1 (CFEL-FM) in Quebec City this fall. Normandeau is the former deputy premier of Quebec who currently faces several corruption-related criminal charges.
StatCan reports that 2015 operating revenues for private radio edged downward for the second year in a row to $1.6 billion, down 0.5 per cent from 2014. Local advertising was down 1.0 per cent to $1.1 billion, accounting for 66.7 per cent all revenues, while national and network advertising was up 0.9 per cent, accounting for 31.7 per cent of total revenues. The Atlantic provinces posted the strongest increase in profit margins while private operators in Alberta were the most profitable, with a profit margin of 22.5 per cent. Read the complete report here.
A three-hour-weekly syndicated weekend news and current affairs program hosted by CTV News Channel anchor Todd van der Heyden has been launched in its fifth market at 580 CFRA Ottawa. Viewpoints with Todd van der Heyden was originally launched on Montreal’s CJAD 800 in 2011 and can also be heard on Newstalk 610 CKTB St. Catharines, Newstalk 1290 CJBK London and CFAX 1070 Victoria.
CJLL-FM Ottawa wants the CRTC’s permission to reduce the minimum percentage of third language programming the station must air weekly from 92 per cent to 70 per cent. The owner of the station, Radio 1540 Limited, said in its application that the proposed change would better reflect the needs of the maturing multicultural community. As well, CJLL wants a requirement that the over-and-above Canadian Content Development contribution of $5,000 annually be deleted. Interventions/comments are due no later than Sept. 19.
Tomorrow (Friday) at 7 p.m. 101.9 DAWG FM (CIDG-FM) Ottawa will move frequency and rebrand as Rebel 101.7 with (Darryl) Kornicky in the Morning debuting on Monday. CHIP-FM Fort-Coulonge, which now has that frequency, will trade for 101.9. Owner Torres Media had CRTC approval to bump power to 19,500 watts from 5,500 based on it acquiring a new transmitter site. That deal fell through. As a result, CIDG-FM will remain at its present transmitter site (at 5,500 watts) until a new location is found. The CRTC granted approval in July to drop special interest music.
The CRTC has approved an application by Halifax’s French-language community radio station CKRH-FM to reduce the minimum spoken word content from 15 per cent to five per cent each week. The licence amendment is good for two years provides Coopérative Radio-Halifax-Métro limitée time to implement a recovery plan for the station. The station launched in 2007.
The Voice 97.7 FM (CIDO-FM) in Creston, BC has gone silent. The low-power community station which received its broadcasting licence in February 2005 had applied with the CRTC to renew their broadcasting licence which was due to expire August 31. But the CRTC got word on August 3 that the Creston Community Radio Society had closed the station and would not be seeking to renew the licence.
R.B. Communications Ltd. has received CRTC approval to change the authorized contours of CKYY-FM Welland by increasing its average effective radiated power (ERP) from 564 to 763 watts (maximum ERP from 3,100 to 4,250 watts). All other technical parameters remain unchanged.
