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Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Most here will remember when Moses Znaimer's AM740 threatened to sign off for good if the CRTC didn't allow it an FM rebroadcaster, due to electrical interference in the downtown core. And so, 96.7 was born.
So when CKAR-FM in Huntsville tried the same tactic, the owners probably thought they'd get the same consideration.
They were wrong.
The station insisted it was in dire financial straits because it couldn't reach other areas of Muskoka, that it needed to reach nearby markets because its own equipment was substandard and they couldn't afford to upgrade it without the extra advertising such an expansion would bring.
"Hunters Bay stated that it currently had a loan to finance its equipment and operations and that it had run at a loss from 2013 to 2017," reads the CRTC release."According to the licensee, any extra funds generated from the transmitter would go towards replacing, repairing or upgrading equipment which is below the national standard for campus and community radio stations, as well as reducing its debt and paying its employees. "
Other stations in nearby cities intervened, claiming an extension of signal for CKAR would hurt their ad sales. And in the end, the CRTC agreed. The Commission accused the owners of trying to surreptitiously expand beyond their market of licence, that while it's not profitable yet, that's not unusual for such a station in its first licence term and that its current economic growth was already higher than estimated and any expansion could hurt other stations in the expanded area.
As a result, the Commission denied the request, which would have seen an extra transmitter added some 46 km. out of town at 104.7 FM, with an ERP of 18,000 watts.
So the question now: will they actually go out of business after crying poor? If not, was the entire attempt just another one of those cynical efforts to expand a station beyond its area of licence? (Are you listening Z103.5?) It continues to amaze me just how often stations try this. And how often it fails.
CRTC Decision
- geo
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
Actual problems include that much of the population is in Florida 'til after Easter, while those who didn't go south shop at Dollarama & No Frills, neither being a source of advertising revenue
- RadioActive
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
In fairness, I don't entirely disagree with your assessment.
But then there's this: the stations who do this kind of thing knew what the parameters were when they applied for a licence and they presumably agreed to the conditions that entailed. To suddenly shift from that deal because they plead poverty and want a bigger coverage range seems unreasonable to me, unless there's a truly unusual circumstance that's involved.
Otherwise, live up to what you were given. But it seems these "market creep" attempts never stop happening.
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Thread Starter- markow202
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
Speaking of....what happened to the Z103 last application? Its been over a year.
- splunge
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
Tim Brown said "In the interest of opposing views; I see this as just another cynical decision motivated by protectionism as opposed to public interest. Hunters Bay - a community station - was essentially asking for coverage parity with other Muskoka stations."
First, the fact this is a community station is irrelevant when applying the regs. Also, this decision was not a subjective bit of industry influence from Vista or Bayshore, nor an attempt by the crtc to protect anyone. a station needs to prove a financial or technical need to add a repeater. That is the rule, and Hunter's Bay proved neither. Finally, and most importantly, the station in question requested a repeater well beyond it's licenced market area. The station was approved to serve huntsville, not all of muskoka all the way to bracebridge, outside their approved 0,5mV contour.
The application was either a naive submission or an obvious attempt to expand its coverage area beyond it's stated parameters.
For precedent, there'sErin Radio Orangeville Repeater from 2014.
Last edited by splunge (February 5, 2019 9:21 pm)
- splunge
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
markow202 wrote:
Speaking of....what happened to the Z103 last application? Its been over a year.
still waiting. not sure if the delay is due to the commission trying to justify approval or denial. it is unusual for an app to take this long either way.
- darcyh
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
Maybe they should have just asked for a power or height increase at their existing transmitter site.
- tri-cities
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
I was camping at Arrowhead last fall. There was a widespread power failure due to the wind storm. Hunters Bay radio was on the air, live and local with information. The Moose FM outfit was not live and someone had inserted a VT that was extremely out of date after the first hour.
- Ms. C.
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
I was camping at Arrowhead last fall. There was a widespread power failure due to the wind storm. Hunters Bay radio was on the air, live and local with information. The Moose FM outfit was not live and someone had inserted a VT that was extremely out of date after the first hour.
Amazing what a $39.95 The Source drone can accomplish
- tri-cities
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
Maybe they should have just asked for a power or height increase at their existing transmitter site.
If they coupled into the Moose FM Antenna at the ex CKCO Tower at Dwight a 5 kW transmitter they would be heard everywhere! CFBK started with 3 Kw in two H pol bays and was heard everywhere. Pretty big panel antenna up there now.
- markow202
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
Maybe they should have just asked for a power or height increase at their existing transmitter site.
If they coupled into the Moose FM Antenna at the ex CKCO Tower at Dwight a 5 kW transmitter they would be heard everywhere! CFBK started with 3 Kw in two H pol bays and was heard everywhere. Pretty big panel antenna up there now.
I saw that tower once on the way to Algonquin. Seemed tucked in the woods but what appeared to be a decent hill.
Speaking of Moose FM (which I love when heading up to the area) I listen to 103.3. I wonder where their tower is...
- Forward Power
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
103.3's transmitter site is north of Parry Sound, just off the 400 & Hwy 124. [url=,-80.0385497,3a,60y,321.17h,106.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s717W7GtwBA1sOR2G6XOWeg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656]Street View here[/url]... CKLP's big antenna can be seen near the top of the tower.
- markow202
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Re: Huntsville Station Denied Extra TX, Despite Hinting It's Broke
103.3's transmitter site is north of Parry Sound, just off the 400 & Hwy 124. [url=,-80.0385497,3a,60y,321.17h,106.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s717W7GtwBA1sOR2G6XOWeg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656]Street View here[/url]... CKLP's big antenna can be seen near the top of the tower.
Oh wow. Im sure that house in front of it gets good reception!
Their range is definitely huge because I can still somewhat pick it up in Barrie while on the 400 if I tried.