In this week’s issue… AM-FM swap in Ontario? – NYSBA names Hall of Famers – EMF’s next NYC step
By SCOTT FYBUSH
Jump to: ME – NH – VT – MA – RI – CT – NY – NJ – PA – Canada
*Will CANADA‘s regulators approve a swap of AM and FM formats, along with a power upgrade, west of Hamilton?
In the US, of course, the FCC doesn’t regulate formats, so this would be a non-issue. But north of the border, it’s a different story rooted in some recent acquisition history.
The Evanov family’s Dufferin Communications added Christian-formatted CFWC (93.9) in Brantford to its existing cluster, CKPC (1380)/CKPC-FM (92.1), in 2017 – and now it’s in front of the CRTC with an application to move CKPC(AM)’s country format to 93.9 and CFWC’s Christian format to 1380, along with a second application to move the 93.9 transmitter and raise its power from 250 watts/24 m to 1.7 kW average/3 kW max DA/34 m.
Dufferin says as the only broadcaster in Brantford, it should have wide latitude to rearrange its formats and signals for maximum coverage. Moving the Christian format to 1380, it says, will address complaints from listeners about limited range on the existing signal as well as eliminating reliability issues from the current 93.9 transmitter site (“being held together with Band-Aids,” says CFWC in its application) on a church steeple; putting country on a bigger 93.9 signal, meanwhile, would repatriate listeners who now tune to out-of-market country stations such as CHKX (94.7 Hamilton) and CIKZ (106.7 Kitchener).
Will the CRTC see things Evanov’s way? Without any competing broadcasters right in Brantford to complain, it’s at least possible, and we’ll keep you updated as these applications move through the pipeline.
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Call letter trivia – In 1993 WARW was given to 94.7 in Washington, DC when they took on the corporate “Arrow” format.
Former “The One” PD Frankie Allen I’ve learned filled the sales opening made by Mark Strusacker after he retired Radio Vermont Group after 30+ years and moved to out west. That’s what made the opening.
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