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T.O. FM Uses Founder's Death As Reason For Not Playing Enough Cancon
Well, this is certainly one I haven’t heard before. CKFG, aka G98.7, was called on the carpet recently by the CRTC for not making its required contributions to Canadian content development, as well as not playing enough Canadian music.
The station responded that the sudden death of its founder, Fitzroy Gordon, was the reason for their lapse, arguing the money was tied up in his estate. I have no reason to disbelieve them, but I can’t recall ever hearing the death of an owner as being the reason for not following the conditions of licence.
The Commission is somewhat sympathetic, giving the station a 6th-month extension - until next February - to rectify the situation. They also have until November 2020 to prove they’re in compliance.
This whole thing is pretty sad, considering Gordon is thought of as a pioneer by members of some communities. While I’ve never heard this excuse used before, it appears the CRTC considers it a legitimate reason and is giving those in charge of the station the chance to make it right.
The only thing that really raised my eyebrows was a statement in the release where the CRTC laments “the harm caused to the Canadian broadcasting system through the licensee’s non-compliance with CCD contribution requirements and with the broadcast of Canadian musical selections.”
Really? A station almost no one listens to doesn’t play enough Cancon and misses a few payments and that somehow is “harming” the entire Canadian broadcasting system?
No matter how you read it, that’s a bit of a stretch.
CRTC Release
- Saul
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Re: T.O. FM Uses Founder's Death As Reason For Not Playing Enough Cancon
Anyone is permitted to stream online. You want a broadcast frequency, with various attendant benefits and privileges that go beyond an internet-only stream? Then you meet certain public obligations. Bandwidth is public space, and for now that space is limited. Some degrees of modernization may have merit, but keep in mind that anyone and everyone can stream online and compete on that playing field. But for the actual airwaves anyone wanting to use public space for either commercial profit-making purposes or for non-profit 'community/educational' purposes should have at least some obligation to serve the public interest.
Last edited by Saul (August 29, 2019 12:43 pm)
- RadioActive
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Re: T.O. FM Uses Founder's Death As Reason For Not Playing Enough Cancon
There's another weird aspect to this story. While it's very sad that Gordon passed away and his assets apparently helped fund some of the needed contributions, that doesn't explain why they weren't fulfilling their full complement of Cancon.
I can't see a scenario where the death of a station owner would interfere in any way with playing 30% Canadian content as required. It costs nothing and I'm assuming the music is already there.
I don't personally like the regs., but they're there and everyone has to follow them. A death in the family doesn't lift those obligations, especially when it would seem to have nothing to do with money.
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Thread Starter- Saul
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Re: T.O. FM Uses Founder's Death As Reason For Not Playing Enough Cancon
Payments may or may not be the best way to contribute to the public good. The question would be to figure out how, appropriately, a community station or community outlet geared towards either a group of ethnic communities or to a student/community body can serve the public good in the course of their everyday activities. For a small commercial ethnic/community station (like (G98.7 or CKNT), the obligation might be tailored to fit that class of organization. same with the big companies like Rogers. With the larger orgs, pooling big-money funds into bigger-scale efforts like talent development or whatever might make more sense.
I spent a few years at CIUT 89.5 and was on its BoD for awhile. There's lots a station like that can do in, for and with the broader community. In fact, that should be arguably THE defining feature of the station's existence and rationale. In fact I'd love to see these various economic classes of stations do more to create entities, help them become self-sustaining, and then spin them off as free-floating organizations no longer requiring life support (or at least requiring less, or from a greater diversity of sources, depending on their particular funding model).
- RadioAaron
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Re: T.O. FM Uses Founder's Death As Reason For Not Playing Enough Cancon
This is all very misleading. The missed CCD payments and Cancon levels occurred before Mr. Gordon's death, and are blaming neither on that. They're asking for an extension to correct the CCD shortfall as their finances are tied up in his estate.