There's so little room on the FM band in major Canadian cities these days that it's notable when space is still available. Which brings us to Vancouver, where an existing station, Durham Radio's CIWV-FM, has applied for a rebroadcasting transmitter to improve its signal.

The catch? They're asking for 98.7, the last free FM frequency there. 

That request has forced the CRTC to call for comments on whether that market has room for another station, even if it is an existing one. If the Commission decides there is, it could open up applications for others to apply for a licence.

"The Commission expects persons interested in serving the Vancouver radio market to express their interest during the intervention period [Feb. 19th.] Should little or no interest be expressed to serve that radio market, the Commission may publish the application for consideration during the non-appearing phase of a public hearing rather than issue a call for applications."

This one could be interesting to keep an eye on. Vancouver is an attractive market and I have to believe, even with radio's struggles, there would be a lot of broadcasters interested in grabbing that final spot on the dial, if it's decided there's room for more. The CRTC deadline on this is March 5th. 

CRTC Release