Calgary radio station’s switch from rock to chat runs into CRTC static

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A federal regulator suggests it still hasn’t located what it is searching for just after a broadcaster switched a Calgary classic rock radio station to a discuss format.

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Corus Entertainment’s go to completely transform its Q107 FM from rock songs to a simulcast of its 770 CHQR AM news and talk programming was finished final month without having the required transmitter and licence, says the Canadian Radio-tv and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

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According to commission documents . . . there are no rebroadcasting transmitters authorized to simulcast the programming of the professional AM station CHQR Calgary,” states a Jan. 24 letter despatched from CRTC senior radio analyst Laurent Robillard-Cardinal to Karen Gifford, the broadcaster’s senior director of regulatory compliance and licensing.

The licensee has not applied for a licence modification to ask for that CFGQ-FM be licensed to function in the specialty structure.”

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The letter goes on to say Corus only possesses the authorized transmitter to simulcast its information/discuss structure 24/7 in Banff.

And as it now stands, the FM station can only at the same time broadcast its AM counterpart’s material 42 several hours a 7 days, states the CRTC.

To satisfy federal polices, Corus was requested to submit information to seven inquiries — which include “does the licensee intend to continue to keep both equally stations in procedure?” — and to divulge how quite a few hours of the information/converse format a 7 days the broadcaster expects to air on the FM station.

It gave Friday as the deadline for the requested data to be submitted to the CRTC, and a lower-off for “additional interventions” was established for Feb. 13.

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Past Dec. 16, it was exposed QR107, which experienced broadcast common rock new music for the past 19 a long time and whose predecessors day again four many years, would be transforming its format in early January.

In at times emotional farewells, the station’s soon-to-be laid-off DJs signed off by playing nothing but listener requests that day.

With substantial fanfare that bundled congratulations from political figures, CFGQ FM began airing information also broadcast by its sister AM station on Jan. 9.

Nowhere in Robillard-Cardinal’s letter did it state CFGQ FM have to cease broadcasting, but it concludes by stating, “In the absence of a response on your aspect by the specified deadline, the licensee will be in a condition of apparent non-compliance” with federal laws.

On Friday, CFGQ FM was simulcasting its usual news-converse content.

The CRTC did not responded to requests for comment on Friday and a spokeswoman for Corus experienced tiny to say.

We can verify that we have obtained queries from the CRTC about CFGQ-FM and CHQR, and will be delighted to give responding info shortly,” Rishma Govani claimed in an email.

“Corus is very pleased of the in depth news, area and regional programming that its Calgary radio stations have furnished the group about the yrs.” 

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Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn