http://gta.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?pid=15120#p15120

From the Vancouver Sun:

Vancouver talk radio station may yet stay on the air

If regulators actually shut a broadcaster down rather than always caving @ the last minute, might the industry take them more seriously?

You're right, absolutely nothing.  RR is completely in compliance and play by the book.  This is a funding crisis and nothing more.  I've been in these situations where the shareholders just get tired of feeding good money after good and turn off the tap.  For most involved there's no immediate 'option 2' so might as well see it through where either someone will purchase it and maintain it, or it will go dark.  

Since it's so difficult to get any type of FM presence in Vancouver, even if it's a crap signal, I'm sure it's in someones best interest to purchase the frequency, even if fo no other reason that to approach the crtc in 12 months, using this as the example to prove that the format just isn't viable, but another ethnic cash cow might be.  

No matter what happens, I don't believe the station, if it survives, will be anything like the present incarnation. 

It's unfortunately another good example of broadcasters with time on their hands, sitting around bemoaning how it 'should' be done, and 'could be done' either terrestrial or online, doing it, and within a few months realizing there are fiscal realities and political pressures that have to be met, and maybe it's not quite as easy for the 'big bad' media companies to survive and make a profit as it seemed in the coffee shop.  The initial budget outlay on facilities and staff seemed way out of proportion with what the station could possibly have generated, especially in the first 5 years.  Hindsight, yet again though, is 20/20.

who knows.

cGrant wrote:

Kilgore wrote:

If regulators actually shut a broadcaster down rather than always caving @ the last minute, might the industry take them more seriously?

I'm not sure what the regulators have to do with the potential closure or continuation of this station.
 

Still on the air on May 1st:

Roundhouse Radio, the “urban talk” station that broadcasts to the northwestern parts of the Lower Mainland at 98.3 FM, may yet be saved.The station — call letters CIRH — was set to go off the air Monday if new investors had not been found, station CEO Don Shafer announced with great regret two weeks ago.But Monday afternoon, he confirmed that there was a prospective buyer for the station and that they were going to stay on the air for the time being. “We’re still on the air,” he said over the phone. “There is a prospective buyer and we have a commitment from the board to stay on the air until it closes.”He couldn’t say who the prospective buyer was and did try to couch the news, but it was clear he was happy that there was even a chance that the station, which first went on the air in the fall of 2015, might stay open for business.Shafer and his team were enjoying pizza and beers today no matter what, as they paid tribute to their station.“I’m really blessed to have this crew.”The news they may get a new owner had also made for a practical reality: “we’re prepping for tomorrow’s shows,” he declared with obvious delight.“We’ve bought another day or two anyway.”

Last edited by tvguy (May 1, 2018 5:34 pm)

It's been almost three years since the end of this Vancouver radio experiment that featured ex-Toronto jock Gene Valaitis as its morning man and Don Shafer as the guiding hand behind its rather eclectic format. As many will remember, the place went off the air in 2018, seemingly never to return again. 

But now there's new hope that this isn't the Last Roundup for the last Roundhouse, with Durham Radio, of all companies, seeking to buy the place and possibly put it back on the air. But the CRTC notes in an announcement on its website, there's been no official deal signed yet and even then, it's not entirely sure whether the community station could make a go of it if given a second chance.

"The Commission intends to consider how the renewal of the broadcasting licence of CIRH-FM would be in the public interest with the station remaining off air and how this off-air status would serve to meet the objectives set out in the Broadcasting Act (the Act) and to provide a service to Vancouver, which it has been licensed to serve.

In addition, given the instances of apparent non-compliance...and the station’s continued off-air status without any planned resumption of service, the Commission may consider the possibility of suspending or not renewing the licence of CIRH-FM..." 

If the deal happens, Durham will be getting the place for a song. The price is expected to range from $151,000 to just over $700,000. Pretty cheap for an FM signal into a city the size of Vancouver. 

The station was a favourite of many but never really attracted a huge audience and was found in non-compliance of its licence on several occasions, which didn't impress the CRTC. This is yet another item the Commission will consider at what's becoming a very busy hearing to be held May 27th.  

CRTC Considers Allowing Roundhouse Radio Back On The Air    

Durham is proposing a Smooth Jazz/Rhythmic AC hybrid.

RadioActive wrote:

It's been almost three years since the end of this Vancouver radio experiment that featured ex-Toronto jock Gene Valaitis as its morning man and Don Shafer as the guiding hand behind its rather eclectic format. As many will remember, the place went off the air in 2018, seemingly never to return again. 

But now there's new hope that this isn't the Last Roundup for the last Roundhouse, with Durham Radio, of all companies, seeking to buy the place and possibly put it back on the air. But the CRTC notes in an announcement on its website, there's been no official deal signed yet and even then, it's not entirely sure whether the community station could make a go of it if given a second chance.

"The Commission intends to consider how the renewal of the broadcasting licence of CIRH-FM would be in the public interest with the station remaining off air and how this off-air status would serve to meet the objectives set out in the Broadcasting Act (the Act) and to provide a service to Vancouver, which it has been licensed to serve.

In addition, given the instances of apparent non-compliance...and the station’s continued off-air status without any planned resumption of service, the Commission may consider the possibility of suspending or not renewing the licence of CIRH-FM..." 

If the deal happens, Durham will be getting the place for a song. The price is expected to range from $151,000 to just over $700,000. Pretty cheap for an FM signal into a city the size of Vancouver. 

The station was a favourite of many but never really attracted a huge audience and was found in non-compliance of its licence on several occasions, which didn't impress the CRTC. This is yet another item the Commission will consider at what's becoming a very busy hearing to be held May 27th.  

CRTC Considers Allowing Roundhouse Radio Back On The Air    

Well, that took forever, but at least it's official - Durham Radio is the new owner of Roundhouse Radio, aka CIRH, which has been off the air for more than three years. But it's about to make a comeback, albeit not in the same way. Durham has been given permission to get rid of the spoken word format and replace it with what's being called "rhythmic soft contemporary jazz."

From the CRTC decision:

"Since CIRH-FM has been off air since May 2018, the resumption of the station’s operations would allow Vancouver residents to benefit from the specialty radio station approved by the Commission in 2014 although with a different format.

"As the format proposed by Durham is not currently available in the market, approval of the application would, as demonstrated by the interventions in support of the application, add to the diversity of programming available to Vancouver listeners.

"The Commission is of the view that Durham is well positioned for the challenge of taking over operations, getting CIRH-FM back on-air, and achieving long-term viability for the service. Durham is a small but experienced independent broadcaster that has the financial resources to re-launch the station.

"The proposed specialty music format would require fewer staff than the current spoken word format. Durham’s proposal would therefore result in a significant reduction in programming expenses, which would make the service more viable in the long run. Durham would also be in a position to benefit from synergies with WAVE FM, its Internet radio service that broadcasts in a format similar to that proposed for CIRH-FM, as well as with Durham’s radio stations in Ontario."

CRTC Decision