Amherstburg, Ontario is only about 30 kilometres from Windsor, and it's about to get a radio station to call its own. The CRTC has awarded Amherstburg Broadcasting Corporation a licence to operate a low-power commercial station, designed to serve the population of around 25,000 people. 

The format will be soft A/C and it will be on 107.9. But at only 50 watts, it's not likely to get that far out of town. 

In its decision, the Commission explains it didn't call for other applications, which it usually does when it receives a request for a new station, because it was the first to apply for a commercial outlet specifically for that community.

This is the same company's second application. The first was turned down in 2021 because of concerns about how it would potentially affect Windsor's existing stations which were "facing challenges due to market conditions and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic."

I'm not entirely sure what's changed in a year, and that last application was opposed by Blackburn, which owns CJWF-FM Windsor, CHYR-FM Leamington and CJSP-FM Leamington. (Although how far a 50-watt station will reach into that owner's area remains to be seen.) 

"Amherstburg Broadcasting indicated that the proposed service would actively seek out regional musical artists with the intention of interviewing them, promoting them (on air, online, and at live venues) and broadcasting their musical selections where appropriate within the station’s Soft Adult Contemporary format.

The applicant further indicated that the proposed station would reflect local community issues via news and spoken word content, and would provide reporting and context to area news stories each day.

It added that announcers would be encouraged to join local community groups and represent the station at fundraisers, information evenings and special events within the station’s coverage area."

I wonder how future announcers will feel about that last statement and the pressure to do remotes. The newcomer is due on the air on or before Sept. 23, 2024.

CRTC Decision