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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2005-487
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Ottawa, 13 October 2005
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Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation
Wasaga Beach, Ontario
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Application 2004-1456-6
Public Hearing at Niagara Falls, Ontario
6 June 2005
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English-language FM radio station in Wasaga Beach
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The Commission denies an application for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language commercial FM radio station in Wasaga Beach, Ontario.
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The application
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1.
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The Commission received an application by Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation (Bayshore) for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language commercial FM radio programming undertaking in Wasaga Beach, Ontario. The proposed station would operate at 97.7 MHz (channel 249A) with an effective radiated power of 1,800 watts.
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2.
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The applicant proposed to offer a Classic Adult Contemporary music format.
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Interventions
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3.
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The Commission received interventions in support of this application from the Town of Wasaga Beach, the member of provincial parliament for Simcoe-Grey, local organizations and individuals. The Canadian Independent Record Production Association filed a general comment on the application, and an opposing intervention was filed jointly by Rock 95 Broadcasting (Barrie-Orillia) Ltd., licensee of CFJB-FM Barrie and CKMB-FM Barrie; Larche Communications Inc., licensee of CICZ-FM Midland; and Corus Entertainment Inc., licensee, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, of CKCB-FM Collingwood, CIQB-FM Barrie and CHAY-FM Barrie (collectively, the Intervening Group).
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4.
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The Intervening Group submitted that Wasaga Beach could not support a dedicated local radio station. It argued that the radio station proposed by Bayshore would clearly need to rely on revenues from outside its intended principal marketing area and would become a regional service that would compete with the many existing radio stations serving Wasaga Beach and the surrounding area.
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Applicant's reply
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5.
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In reply to the intervention by the Intervening Group, Bayshore submitted that the economy of the principal marketing area of the proposed station is strong and that the introduction of the new station would not have a negative impact on existing radio stations in the Wasaga Beach area. Bayshore further stated that its preliminary audience research indicates that the listeners in Wasaga Beach are not completely satisfied with the listening options currently available.
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Commission's analysis and determination
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6.
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The Commission is concerned with the expanded principal marketing area that the applicant has identified. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the Town of Wasaga Beach is approximately 12,400. The Commission notes, however, that Bayshore's application indicates that the population within the proposed station's principal marketing area would number 74,000. This area would clearly extend well beyond the Town of Wasaga Beach and the 3 mV/m contour of the proposed station and would encompass the entire 0.5 mV/m contour of the proposed station.
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7.
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Furthermore, the Commission is not convinced by Bayshore's assertion that there would not be a negative economic impact on existing radio services in the area if its application were approved. The Commission is particularly concerned with the possible impact on CKCB-FM Collingwood, given that Collingwood and Wasaga Beach are less than 25 kilometres apart. It notes that, for the broadcast year ending August 2004, CKCB-FM reported a margin of profitability before interest and tax that was considerably lower than the national average of 18.31%. The Commission also notes that Bayshore's application indicated that its proposed station would generate advertising revenues of approximately $511,000 in its first year of operation, increasing to approximately $1.1 million in its seventh year of operation. The Commission is therefore concerned that the introduction of a new commercial radio station in Wasaga Beach could jeopardize the quality of service currently being provided by CKCB-FM Collingwood.
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8.
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In light of the above, the Commission denies the application by Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language commercial FM radio programming undertaking in Wasaga Beach.
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Secretary General
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This decision is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined in PDF format or in HTML at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca
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Date Modified: 2005-10-13