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Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
It may be a safe bet most in the Forest City aren't even aware they're getting a new FM station. It's called CIAL-FM and it's destined to be a low power ethnic formatted station at 90.9. It was supposed to be on the air by January 2025, but as often happens, circumstances mean the station has requested a delay from the CRTC.
Troubles getting the necessary ISED certificate in time led to them asking the Commission for an extension, which was granted, and the new drop dead on-air date has shifted to the first month of 2026.
What's interesting about Malayalam Community Radio is that it's considered a secondary service on an unprotected channel. Which means if a commercial station decided to apply for a licence and wanted that frequency, the newcomer would be forced to either sign off or move somewhere else.
The other thing that strikes me about this eventual entity is just where its antenna is. According to a filing with the CRTC, the station - with its entire 50 watts of power - is located on top of the Somerset Apartment building in London. Not exactly the CN Tower or First Canadian Place or a plot of land on the outskirts of town. That's a first for me, although perhaps it's not so unusual for others. 
- tdotwriter
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
I just looked up the address on Google Maps and street view. The address is actually 1209 Richmond Street, not boulevard. The building appears to be 15 storeys with a rather unusually tall ground floor. I'm not an engineer, but it doesn't seem to be a bad location for a low-power community FM station like that, and the very close proximity to Western University could prove advantageous for listenership. Such transmitter sites are not unheard of. CIDG-FM "Rebel Rock 101.7" in Ottawa has their transmitter atop an apartment building that appears to be 26 storeys in a suburban but still favorable location in the city. Antenna HAAT (height above average terrain) is listed at 322 feet. It's also a relatively strong signal with a peak ERP of 21,000 watts.
- haydenmatthews14
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
Other London FM transmitters locations that I know of is: The TVO Tower near Byron in West London, The CFPL-TV tower where CTV London’s studios are located, the CJBX-FM tower is located near the 401 and Westerchester Bourne exit, the CKLO-FM tower is located near Old Victoria Rd and the 401 in South London. Also Western 94.9 and Faith 99.9’s transmitter is on top of the One London Place building in Downtown London and CIXX-FM’s transmitter is on one of the buildings at Fanshawe College.
- turkeytop
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
Thanks for posting. I live in London and it's the first I've heard of this.
Are ethnic stations exempted from Canadian content regulations?
Last edited by turkeytop (December 12, 2024 6:50 pm)
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.
- andysradio
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
According to the documentation contained in this extension, the station is already on air in ‘test’ and are just waiting for the broadcasting certificate (now I wonder what could be holding that up).
So they should be on now. Can anyone confirm?
- RadioActive
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
Maybe it got stuck in the mail during the postal strike! 
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Thread Starter- andysradio
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
RadioActive wrote:
Maybe it got stuck in the mail during the postal strike!
Exactly 
- paterson1
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
"Are ethnic stations exempted from Canadian content regulations?" I believe ethnic stations usually play at least 7% cancon since there often isn't that much available that would qualify as cancon in the language they are programming. Although I do wonder about CHAM and their unique programming which features segments of Punjabi music. There are a number of Indo-Canadian artists and groups that are popular and sell a lot of recordings worldwide. So CHAM may be playing more than 7%. My understanding is if an ethnic station has any blocks for English music they would be bound to play 35% cancon.
Here are the regs for cancon including ethnic stations...
Last edited by paterson1 (December 12, 2024 9:40 pm)
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
"Are ethnic stations exempted from Canadian content regulations?" I believe ethnic stations usually play at least 7% cancon since there often isn't that much available that would qualify as cancon in the language they are programming. Although I do wonder about CHAM and their unique programming which features segments of Punjabi music. There are a number of Indo-Canadian artists and groups that are popular and sell a lot of recordings worldwide. So CHAM may be playing more than 7%. My understanding is if an ethnic station has any blocks for English music they would be bound to play 35% cancon.
Here are the regs for cancon including ethnic stations...
CHAM isn't licensed as an ethnic station, so they have to play 35% Cancon.
- paterson1
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
That's right, I forgot that. Is CHAM playing any English music at all? I am sure I have heard a some songs that were bilingual, mix of English and Punjabi. Sort of like the franco stations in Quebec that play some songs that are mostly French but with an English corus.
- RadioAaron
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
That's right, I forgot that. Is CHAM playing any English music at all? I am sure I have heard a some songs that were bilingual, mix of English and Punjabi. Sort of like the franco stations in Quebec that play some songs that are mostly French but with an English corus.
I haven't listened since early in their launch, but they were at the time. They're also likely dayparting and stacking as much as allowed.
- turkeytop
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
According to the documentation contained in this extension, the station is already on air in ‘test’ and are just waiting for the broadcasting certificate (now I wonder what could be holding that up).
So they should be on now. Can anyone confirm?
Yes. I checked just now. A stong signal here in east London, about 11 KM away.
That was on a good quality Sangean radio. I just now tried, using a cheap portable I have. Not a sound.
Last edited by turkeytop (December 12, 2024 10:18 pm)
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.
- LOSat
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
I was going to say I thought they were broadcasting as I have heard the station but they are only testing. The signal was clear in a parking garage downtown and I could hear it in my car as I traveled to the south end of the city.
- turkeytop
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
I was going to say I thought they were broadcasting as I have heard the station but they are only testing. The signal was clear in a parking garage downtown and I could hear it in my car as I traveled to the south end of the city.
The cheap portable to which I refered was a $15 job from Forest City surplus. I can get the signal on all my other radios. I'm going out in the car later today. I expect it will be OK on the car radio.
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.
- turkeytop
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Re: Launch Of New London, Ont. FM Delayed For Up To A Year
9:25 PM Friday. I have it on right now and they're playing some English language music.
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.