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The CRTC is considering an application from a company called Chawla News Network to take control of CJMR-AM from Trafalgar Broadcasting, a subsidiary of current owner Whiteoaks. The price: $400,000.
The announcement came in a release on the Commission's website, but here's the interesting part to me. It says this in the document:
"No lease would be assumed as the station is currently off-air due to the redevelopment of the transmitter site. There is currently an application before the Commission to amend CJMR’s technical parameters."
Yet we all know that CJMR came back on to 1320 a few weeks ago. How could the CRTC not know that? Am I misreading this in some way?
CRTC Release
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Never heard of Chawla News Network? (Ironically, also known as C.N.N.) You're not alone.
It's a company owned by a man named Dilbag Chawla, who is listed on the CJMR website as already having a show on the station and an "influential" member of the GTA's Punjabi community. He's apparently been on CJMR for some 20 years.
Now it appears he's decided to try and take over the station entirely.
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I presume Industry Canada must have been notified or involved somehow given reports of different power, location, etc... are they using the same towers and other equipment? Or am I mistaken and they've simply resumed at the old site with the same stuff? The devil will be in the details. So does the CRTC (and Industry Canada) know? Good question...
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It was recently posted on a separate thread that CJMR is broadcasting from at temporary site at 1715 Brittannia Rd. I presume that is Mississauga. 4kw days and less than 100 watts at night.
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Still does not explain why the CRTC says they're currently off the air.
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RadioActive wrote:
Still does not explain why the CRTC says they're currently off the air.
Thankfully, it's not the first time the CRTC has made confusing statements. Otherwise, we might have reason to worry about their competence! ;)
Perhaps technically CJMR is "off-air" if the new ISED changes haven't been approved. (If a radio signal falls in the forest and nobody at the CRTC can hear it, did it actually make a sound?)
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I suppose if you look at it from a different angle, it sort of makes sense. The station is supposed to be silent and that's probably what it says in the CRTC records. But I think until it's officially revoked, they still have their licence granting them permission to be on the air. So coming back on isn't technically illegal. But it certainly is confusing!
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RadioActive wrote:
I suppose if you look at it from a different angle, it sort of makes sense. The station is supposed to be silent and that's probably what it says in the CRTC records. But I think until it's officially revoked, they still have their licence granting them permission to be on the air. So coming back on isn't technically illegal. But it certainly is confusing!
But do they have IC's permission to operate at their current parameters and location. I would presume so if they're operating, but can that be confirmed?
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Broadcast Dialogue answers some of the questions about the return of CJMR. Turns out, the re-established signal on 1320 is considered a "test."
"Following the acquisition of a new antenna site, CJMR began testing its technical transmission on the 1320 frequency in August under the oversight of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). That initial mandatory testing period concludes this month...
Upon regulatory clearance, CJMR will operate as a multicultural station out of a new permanent studio facility in Mississauga, maintaining all conditions of the current broadcast licence."
CJMR 1320 Mississauga resumes AM testing ahead of $400K sale
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I read the aplication.
What I got about programming is that they will keep there existing Ukrainian and dutch programming.
But what about the southasian programs?
Will they still broaker other timeslots or produce all there own programming?
Maybe they will change there branding, but the aplication did'nt give any info about that.