Erin Radio will have to move to a new frequency, but station officials are pleased with the outcome of negotiations at a CRTC
hearing last week.
“We’re quite happy actually,” said Jay Mowat, chairman of the station’s programming committee. “At the end of the day, we’ll likely be in a better situation than we are now.”
There is a tentative deal that will see the station move to 88.1FM from its current frequency of 101.5FM.
Erin Radio officials learned in August the 50-watt station was being threatened by three Guelph companies seeking applications to use the same 101.5 frequency.
So Erin Radio filed an intervention with the CRTC and was contacted shortly thereafter by representatives from Blackburn Radio, SkyWords Media, and the Guelph Broadcasting Corporation.
Mowat, one of the founding directors of Erin Radio, said 101.5 is the only remaining FM frequency available in the Guelph area, but 88.1 is available in the Erin area.
So all three companies have agreed whichever company wins the 101.5 frequency will also cover Erin Radio’s costs to move to 88.1, including a new antenna if necessary, engineering documents, and incidental costs such as new signs and advertising.
The new owner of 101.5 FM will also help Erin Radio in its application to become a “protected frequency,” which means increasing its power so it is not faced with the same situation again in the future. Stations that broadcast at 51 watts and higher are considered protected.
Mowat said Erin Radio will prepare an application for the 88.1 frequency and submit it once the 101.5 band issue is settled. Then the station will submit the application for more power.
“I’m hoping we will have both applications in within five to six months, maximum,” Mowat said. “At the end of the process we’ll end up with a new frequency and increased power.”
The new owner of 101.5 will likely be on the air in four to six months, Mowat noted, as the CRTC is expected to make a decision on the 101.5 applications within three to five months.
“There would not be any time we’re off the air,” Mowat stressed. In fact, he added, there’s a chance Erin Radio could be heard simultaneously on 101.5 and 88.1 for a period of time.
He told the Advertiser there was a great deal of good will on the part of the three Guelph companies to come to a suitable conclusion.
“All the applicants mentioned the amount of community support we had. I think that impressed them,” he said. “This turned out better than we could have imagined.”
And it’s no secret why the outcome was so favourable, considering the station received over 1,000 letters of support.
“The community really rallied behind us,” Mowat said. “We’re very pleased with the outcome and thankful for the support.”
