For a Commission that publicly stated recently that everything was on hold for two years while they tried to figure out how to implement all the changes to The Broadcasting Act, they've certainly been busy. After the CRTC received an application for a new ethnic FM station in Calgary, they've issued a call to determine whether there's room for such a newcomer. (Although its press release already indicates they believe there is.)

It comes just a day after it issued a similar request for Yellowknife, which was another place where it had previously determined there wasn't room for anybody else. 

There already is an ethnic broadcaster in Cowtown, which has issued an intervention against the potential newcomer. (Interestingly, CKYR-FM says it has no objection against granting such a licence, as long as it doesn't compete against its own South Asian programming, which it claims subsidizes all the rest of the shows on the station.)

And of course, Bell unsurprisingly complained that there simply isn't any viability for another outlet in the city, where it already has several stations. 

For its part, the CRTC now believes there is room for a radio newcomer - but suggests an ethnic or Indigenous format may "best serve" the Alberta city.

In an era where new stations in Canada are few and far between, it will be interesting to keep an eye on this one. Applications are due by May 14th.

CRTC Announcement