It's not often that the CRTC pulls a radio station’s licence to broadcast in Canada. But now it’s happened twice in one day – and to the same owner.
 
The stations in question are CFPV-FM in Pemberton and CKPM-FM in Port Moody, both small communities in B.C. They’re owned by a guy named Matthew McBride and it turns out, he’s their only real employee. The stations are operated almost totally by automation over the Internet from Vancouver and there have been so many non-compliance issues since they signed on in 2008, that the Commission finally lost its patience with the guy.
 
You can read about all of the things he did wrong on the CRTC site, but there were a ton of them, ranging from CanCon contributions to not providing requested program logs to the Commission.   
 
There’s a lot of eye-opening wrongs in this story, and some of them take what my late grandmother would have called “extreme chutzpah.”
 
For one thing, CKPM has been off the air since April 2019, although the owner told the Commission it was 2018. Turns out, it wasn’t true.
 
Both stations would frequently air incorrect weather and traffic reports, which were either old or simply not accurate.
 
They were required to air regular announcements about their troubles, but didn’t properly live up to those commitments and failed to provide proof to the CRTC that they were ever broadcast.
 
They failed to adhere to the music or spoken word promises made when the licences were awarded.
 
And on and on it goes, with the owner blaming a poorly operating automation system and financial difficulties for all the woes.
 
But the CRTC didn’t buy any of the excuses, and has ordered both stations off the air (not a problem since one of them already is) by March 31. And they didn’t mince words.
 
“Despite several warnings from the Commission, the licensee continued to be in non-compliance, and its behaviour even grew worse. The current non-compliance is not an isolated incident. Consequently, the Commission is not convinced that a change in the licensee’s behaviour in regard to its regulatory obligations will occur.”
 
Two other affected McBride stations in B.C., CHMZ-FM in Tofino, and CIMM-FM in Ucluelet, are both being sold and their licences have been renewed on the basis of the new ownership.
 
Not a big deal in local radio, but it’s rare that the CRTC pulls a broadcaster’s licence, let alone two at the same time on the exact same day.

CFPV Decision

CKPM Decision