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Ottawa, 20 March 1986
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Decision CRTC 86-242
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Fraser Valley Broadcasters Ltd. Abbotsford and Chilliwack, British Columbia - 851572800 - 851571000
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Mountain FM Radio Ltd. North Vancouver, British Columbia - 851584300
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Following a Public Hearing in Vancouver on 2 December 1985, the Commission approves the applications by Fraser Valley Broadcasters Ltd. (Fraser Valley) for broadcasting licences for an English-language joint FM radio station at Chilliwack on the frequency 107.5 MHz (channel 298A) with an effective radiated power of 640 watts, and for a rebroadcaster of this station in Abbotsford on frequency 104.9 MHz (channel 285B) with an effective radiated power of 16,000 watts.
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The Commission will issue licences expiring 30 September 1990, subject to the conditions specified in this decision and in the licences to be issued.
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The Commission denies the application by Mountain FM Radio Ltd. (Mountain Radio) for a licence to operate an English-language FM radio station at North Vancouver on the frequency 104.9 MHz. This application was technically mutually exclusive with Fraser Valley's application to serve Abbotsford.
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In selecting Fraser Valley, the Commission has taken into consideration the applicant's long-standing local broadcasting experience, as licensee of CHWK Chilliwack and CFVR Abbotsford, and the extensive amount of local news and public affairs programming proposed. The licensee emphasized that its proposal was not designed to serve listeners in Vancouver, but "to serve people who live in the Fraser Valley" with a locally-oriented FM service.
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The Commission has also taken into account the more than seventy interventions submitted by community-oriented organizations, elected officials and local residents in support of Fraser Valley's proposals. including the comments made at the hearing by Dr. Barry Moore, Principal of Fraser Valley College who appeared on behalf of the Community Advisory Borad. It has also examined the results of a market study submitted by the applicant which indicates that there is a demand in this area for programming aimed at listeners 35 and over, and that the necessary resources exist to support such a service.
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Further, the Commission has noted the intervention submitted by Mountain Radio in opposition to Fraser Valley's proposed use of frequency 104.9 MHz. In its intervention, Mountain Radio claimed that the proposed station at Abbotsford would cause interference problems to the 500 uv/m coverage area of its existing station at Squamish, CISQ-FM, and to its rebroadcaster at Bowen Island. In reply, Fraser Valley stated that its proposal to use frequency 104.9 MHz had been found technically acceptable by the Department of Communications (DOC) and the Federal Communications Commission of the United States.
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In this regard, the Commission notes that DOC regulations specify that the protected service contour of Class A stations, such as CISQ-FM, extends only to 500 uv/m and do not make provision for any restriction with respect to possible interference with the reception of signals for rebroadcasting purposes, such as the Bowen Island rebroadcaster. The intervener admitted at the hearing that alternate measures are available to solve possible interference problems and South Fraser has indicated its willingness to co-operate with Mountain Radio to solve any problems which may arise.
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The proposed stations at Chilliwack and Abbotsford will be operated within the Group I Easy Listening music format, and will broadcast "music to remember", featuring "a blend of highly recognizable vocals and pleasant instrumentals".
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The Commission has noted Fraser Valley's commitment to broadcast 15 hours and 22 minutes per week of Enrichment material, in such presentations as "Fraser Valley Forum" a 90-minute weekday magazine-style program and "The Report", a 30-minute weekday feature. It will also present 4 hours 55 minutes of News programming per week from fully operational newsrooms in both Chilliwack and Abbotsford. Fraser Valley has indicated that it will be employing two full-time and one part-time news staff for the FM operations which will be supported by the 8 full-time and 3 part-time employees already in place for its AM operations.
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The Commission has also noted that Fraser Valley is only proposing to broadcast 46 minutes per week of Music-Traditional and Special Interest (category 6) programming and
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encourages the applicant to increase the amount of such programming compatible with its format.
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The Commission has noted Fraser Valley's commitments with regard to the support of Canadian talent by allocating $16,000 per year for the production and broadcast of Big Band and Sing Out concerts, twice a year. An additional $1,800 will be allocated for membership in FACTOR/CTL and for bursaries for outstanding young performers competing in the Abbotsford International Band Festival and the Upper Valley Music Festival. The Commission will follow with interest the implementation of these commitments.
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It is a condition of licence that construction of the stations be completed and that they be in operation within twelve months of the date of this decision or such further period as the Commission may, upon receipt of a request for extension before the expiry of the said twelve months, deem appropriate under the circumstances.
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Fernand Bélisle
Secretary General
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