The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Orillia Station Allowed To Change Licence Condition

RadioActive · June 5, 2020 2:35 pm

CISO-FM, the Bayshore station in Orillia, has been allowed to drop a commitment in its licence that called for it to devote at least 12% of its playlist to so-called Category 3 music. (You can see what that entails here.)

The station complained it was suffering huge financial losses because of that promise and was trying to get out of it. In the end, the CRTC said OK. I found the reasons amusing.

"The licensee submitted that local advertisers are dissatisfied with their rate of return following the purchase of category 3 music block time and that there is virtually no national advertising currently carried during this block...

"Even after offering significant discounts and promotions, Bayshore was unable to improve the interest of advertisers and listeners during CISO-FM’s category 3 music programming blocks."

In this case, the Commission bought the argument about money loss as a result of playing music no one wanted to hear or sponsor, and the Category 3 vow is gone. To their credit, the CRTC noted that CISO tried to maintain the promise of performance for the entire licence term, but found it wasn't viable.

What kills me about this is that they obviously promised to play this music, knowing it was unlikely anyone in that market would have much interest in it, to attract the attention of the CRTC - which tends to love these kinds of proposals - and get the licence in the first place. It was pretty predictable it wouldn't work very well in a town like Orillia.

As we've seen so often before, the next step is to say, 'hey we tried, but it didn't work. And we may not be able to continue.' (Remember when AM 740 pulled this and threatened to go off the air unless the Commission gave them an FM repeater? That one worked, too.)

I'm of two minds on this. I can't blame them for wanting out of a programming commitment their advertisers don't want. But I also think they shouldn't have made that promise in the first place, likely knowing it was a ploy to get chosen for the licence.

CISO-FM Decision

splunge · June 5, 2020 3:06 pm

As someone with knowledge of that Orillia hearing, several applicants had tuning research to back up their arguments in support of Cat 3 programming. Bear in mind, that was in 2008, before internet streaming was really a thing for the masses.

Applicants knew at the time they were going after niche audiences, but in the evenings and late night it didn't really impact the bottom line, so why not juice up the app?

But as you said, Bayshore deserves credit at least for sticking with it for 10 years.

paterson1 · June 5, 2020 4:01 pm

I agree, the Orillia area has a long history of folk, roots, blues and traditional music performers and festivals. So at the time, the 12% category 3 music probably made sense.

Bayshore's CFOS AM in Owen Sound decades ago would play a lot of alternative folk and roots music leading up and including the popular Summerfolk Music Festival. Every Sunday 4-5pm CFOS still features Georgian Bay Roots which highlights local folk, jazz and blues artists.

Maybe they could have tried to incorporate most of the 12% category 3 music into the modern rock alternative music format that CISO already has. It would only be one song per hour and then offer an hour weekend show like CFOS. Probably would have worked a little better than a three hour block of this music everyday.

Anyway the CRTC did the right thing to agree with Bayshore. It is important that smaller companies like this survive and grow. Bayshore Broadcasting has 9 stations that are well run local radio operations with local news and good community service.

RadioAaron · June 5, 2020 8:26 pm

I don't think there are many stations left with these specialty licenses, but it's time to scrap the whole thing.

Broadcasting is just that BROADcasting - it's not a medium where "specialty" can work, save for a station or two in the biggest markets who dedicate themselves to a single niche (JAZZ.FM, for example.)

paterson1 · June 5, 2020 9:56 pm

RadioAaron wrote:
I don't think there are many stations left with these specialty licenses, but it's time to scrap the whole thing.

Broadcasting is just that BROADcasting - it's not a medium where "specialty" can work, save for a station or two in the biggest markets who dedicate themselves to a single niche (JAZZ.FM, for example.)

Well, this is true. And all of the community radio stations that are springing up seem to be filling the specialty programming "void" and usually to do a better job anyway.

But, in many smaller to smaller medium markets a few of the community stations are also sounding pretty commercial daytime, overnights and weekends. And they do tend to hire recent retirees from commercial radio, so they sound reasonably professional and most important always local.

Do you ever see community stations actually hurting some commercial operations? I know they have, and are hurting local weekly newspapers, eating into their ad revenue. And some community stations are actually getting a few national advertising campaigns which is interesting, and not even imaginable 3 or 4 years ago.

darcyh · June 6, 2020 11:45 am

When Bayshore's 104.9 Goderich station was know as "The Beach" it used to have a show in the evening called "Blues on the Beach". I would occasionally listen when in the mood for blues; there were fewer commercials during the show. Perhaps a similar situation?

The station has since switched to a country format and no longer has this program.

I'm with paterson1 on Bayshore Broadcasting. Their stations have some local flavour and a fair amount of live programing; they also (arguably) provide a stepping stone for new announcers.

splunge · June 6, 2020 12:03 pm

darcyh wrote:
When Bayshore's 104.9 Goderich station was know as "The Beach" it used to have a show in the evening called "Blues on the Beach". I would occasionally listen when in the mood for blues; there were fewer commercials during the show. Perhaps a similar situation?

The station has since switched to a country format and no longer has this program.

I'm with paterson1 on Bayshore Broadcasting. Their stations have some local flavour and a fair amount of live programing; they also (arguably) provide a stepping stone for new announcers.

You're right, i just looked on their website, no blues. but they still have a cat 3 commitment. they program country gold and bluegrass instead. just a different sub-category of cat 3.

paterson1 · June 6, 2020 2:19 pm

splunge wrote:
darcyh wrote:
When Bayshore's 104.9 Goderich station was know as "The Beach" it used to have a show in the evening called "Blues on the Beach". I would occasionally listen when in the mood for blues; there were fewer commercials during the show. Perhaps a similar situation?

The station has since switched to a country format and no longer has this program.

I'm with paterson1 on Bayshore Broadcasting. Their stations have some local flavour and a fair amount of live programing; they also (arguably) provide a stepping stone for new announcers.
You're right, i just looked on their website, no blues. but they still have a cat 3 commitment. they program country gold and bluegrass instead. just a different sub-category of cat 3.

Not too sure about that. Country gold is still category 2 music. Looking at the CRTC site country music from 1950 on would fall into category 2. Maybe their country gold is prior to 1950? Seems unlikely but possbile. Looks like Bluegrass would still be category 3. I think this show is sponsored so that could be why it is still on the air,

https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-819.htm

Last edited by paterson1 (June 6, 2020 2:25 pm)

splunge · June 6, 2020 2:39 pm

@Paterson, you might be right about how the "country gold" qualifies.... but CHWC must be compliant, they were just renewed for a full 7 year term last week.

https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2020/2020-174.htm

paterson1 · June 6, 2020 4:08 pm

Good eye splunge, you are correct. Guess the category 3 bluegrass show isn't hurting them revenue wise since they seem ok running this program and music for another 7 years.

splunge · June 6, 2020 5:57 pm

paterson1 wrote:
Good eye splunge, you are correct. Guess the category 3 bluegrass show isn't hurting them revenue wise since they seem ok running this program and music for another 7 years.

another 7 years.... unless the Orillia decision empowers them to make a change in Godrich! As others have mentioned above, that 15% cat 3 is a burden if they can't make it profitable. One thing if the audience/advertisers still support the niche shows. Entirely another if the commit ends up losing money like it did for them in Orillia.

paterson1 · June 6, 2020 6:48 pm

Absolutely, if the run of schedule advertisers don't want to be in that block of music or they can't sell it like CISO it is time to try and get rid of the 15% commitment. However now with a country format, bluegrass and it's variations aren't really a big stretch. Would have been more of a challenge when they were A/C with The Beach a few years ago. Occasionally with shows like this you actually sometimes pick up some advertisers that don't normally use radio but really love the program or music. Rare and it does happen, just not in the case for CISO.

I listened to 89.1 MAX FM for a while last night. Somewhat daring format for "cottage country" very alternative but I thought they sounded great. MAX FM has only had this format for a little over a year, and I wonder if the rest of the day is working out ok so far. Lots of funny station breaks with the very talented Jeff Lumby. Credit to Bayshore for trying this format in a small market. I even read some comments on a Buffalo radio forum from people who listen to 89.1 MAX on line and really like the station and music.

splunge · June 6, 2020 7:05 pm

ya, Max Orillia is harder and more modern than Rock 95... i guess they're hoping to catch a younger and "ediger" market not filled by country or classic-ish rock. I enjoy it, it's mostly my style of music. But still at a loss as to why they continue to brand it "Max" along with the classic hits station "Max 97.7" out of Wasaga/Collingwood. There are many areas in north Simcoe where the signals overlap. kinda confusing for both marketing and on-air presence, unless they've rebranded.... since Covid i haven't been in the area to listen OTA.

darcyh · June 6, 2020 9:30 pm

CHWC Country 104.9 airs Country Gold with Daryl MacLean Sunday evening from 19:00 - 23:00 then follows it with the Bluegrass show 23:00 - 24:00.

I often tune into the gold show for a few hours. It is well sponsored with local and national commercials. When Daryl plays requests and puts people on the air a fair amount of callers are from within CHWC's coverage area. I give Mr. MacLean good marks for playing classic country Canadian artists that you rarely hear anymore and suspect the show is fairly popular.

Usually I'll listen to a bit of the bluegrass shoe. I think its call the Bluegrass Express. It's a well done show and I believe its produced for / by Bayshore.

Gosh, with all these different classifications of music, it doesn't seem like much fun to run a radio station.

Changing gears for a moment, around 1999 - 2000 CKWR 98.5 Kitchener used to air a two hour new age music show one weeknight evening. I could reliability but just barely receive their meager signal in mono no less with my Kenwood tuner on high gain outside antenna. Despite a bit of hiss and lack of stereo I quite enjoyed the show. It ran for a year or two. Would that constitute cat. 3?

I guess there is no commercial market for the widely eclectic genre known as new age?

Last edited by darcyh (June 6, 2020 9:31 pm)

paterson1 · June 6, 2020 11:12 pm

The majority of music format radio stations in Canada play only category 2 music which is everything from Country, Rock, Top 40, Oldies,A/C, Hot A/C, Dance, New Age, New Wave, Alternative Rock, MOR, Easy Listening and sub variations of these music formats. In other words popular or mainstream music. Stations are free to change music formats or mix these types at any time within category 2.

Some broadcasters juice up their applications with a few extras thinking they stand a better chance of being awarded a new license, especially when up against competing applications from other broadcasters.

Both CISO and CHWC included 12-15% Special Interest Music (category 3) in their application. Cat 3 would include Classical, Opera, Blue Grass, Jazz, Blues, Fusion, Funk, Contemporary Christian, Swing, Traditional Latin etc. The type of music not normally heard on commercial radio.

Sounds like CHWC hasn't had much of a problem with their category 3 obligation but not so for CISO, who convinced the CRTC it was a no go and hurting them revenue wise. The commission agreed and now CISO only will be playing cat 2 music.

With the arrival of many new community radio stations over the years, commercial broadcasters should stop making promises in applications for any category 3 music or additional cancon. This shouldn't be part of the application process. Community stations are better suited for specialized block music formats and often do a better job at this than commercial broadcasters.

Last edited by paterson1 (June 6, 2020 11:29 pm)

splunge · June 7, 2020 12:41 am

paterson1 wrote:
With the arrival of many new community radio stations over the years, commercial broadcasters should stop making promises in applications for any category 3 music or additional cancon. This shouldn't be part of the application process. Community stations are better suited for specialized block music formats and often do a better job at this than commercial broadcasters.

for sure Paterson, community stations are doing a better job of providing an eclectic music mix, both because of the nature of their licence and also it's not about the money for them (theoretically). there have been very few apps for new Commercial licences recently, particularly competitive ones in ontario. competitively, neither gegorina (Torres) or grimsby (Durham) included cat 3 selections in their winning submissions

i come back to the fact that these days, blues, bluegrass, beatboxing, or whatever niche music you're into is easily available on streaming services, so OTA stations no longer need to offer them...unless in a block and featuring knowledgable hosts which can be made profitable.

In the cases of Bayshore's Orillia and Goderich stations, they were approved before such streaming services were considered mainstream. Also consider CIDG FM Ottawa, which was licenced for i think 20% cat 3 music (Blues) and made a half decent run at it before ultimately winning approval to remove that COL and went actvie rock.

FYI @Paterson, CHWC wasn't a competitive hearing. it was granted based on the app, meaning the 15% cat 3 was their own choice!

Last edited by splunge (June 7, 2020 12:42 am)

paterson1 · June 7, 2020 10:05 am

Yes, I knew it was just a renewal for CHWC. Interesting that Goderich actually has two stations, and it was a good move CHWC going to country a few years back.

My FM's 99.7 has a classic hits A/C format which would have been fairly similar to original format for CHWC The Beach. Kind of interesting a town of maybe 7,000 having two stations. I used to live in Goderich, great place to live, but really hasn't been growing much over the past 20 years. Port Elgin also has two stations.

I find it interesting small towns like Goderich, Port Elgin, Hanover, Mount Forest, Erin, Fergus etc. now having local radio stations with some of them straight commercial operations and others community. Most sound pretty good and reasonably professional.

The station in Fergus CICW (The Grand) is community radio with a A/C format all day/all night and some good classic rock and rewind shows on the weekends. They have country music 10pm to midnight through the week, and some specialized (cat 3) programming Sunday evenings.

Interesting that they employ two or three retirees from commercial radio, and Dave Schneider formerly of KFUN in Kitchener has been handling mornings for a few years and is also program director.

Pretty sure that this station led to the demise of the local weekly Fergus-Elora News Express about 5 years ago. The Grand seems to do alright with local advertisers in Fergus, Elora and Elmira. I have also noticed quite a few Guelph area advertisers, since they do reach Guelph and Waterloo. CICW does have occasional national advertising campaigns, especially auto, some retail and government.

Last edited by paterson1 (June 7, 2020 10:17 am)