Gabriola Radio News
Monday, July 7 2008
Lots of radio news to share! The recent CRTC hearings (http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2008/db2008-117.htm) have settled some of the outstanding questions in our region and while they have closed some doors, they have certainly opened others.
The CRTC denial of CBC Radio’s application for channel 98.7 FM means two things to the Gabriola Radio Society. We will be building our own tower (albeit much smaller than if we had partnered with CBC Radio) and we have an opportunity to apply for the very same channel that was denied to the CBC.
Our technical engineer has identified channel 98.7 FM, a potential class A channel with a broad coverage area, as a spot on the dial for Gabriola’s CIUF FM. He has also identified two smaller A1 channels that are also available in this region. We have discussed our use of 98.7 with the CBC following the CRTC decision.
We have instructed our engineer to start our Industry Canada Brief (a key component of our CRTC licensing application) using 98.7 FM as our preferred channel. We have not been able to start the brief until the CRTC had ruled on the CBC’s application so our whole application has been waiting for the outcome of these hearings - so it’s full steam ahead now that the dust has settled!
We need to act now because others are interested in the channels we have identified so we have set a deadline for a tower location decision for August 15th. We are seeking feedback from our members, the public and all interested parties throughout the remaining time.
We are currently considering two tower sites… each with a list of pluses and minuses.
The Stoney Ridge Site
This site is located just off Chernoff Drive. Our engineer assures us that this 2.5-acre site would provide the best radio coverage to the largest geographical area on the island. We have the suitable permission in place from the current property owner, plus power, cable and roads are already in place.
As demonstrated by the CBC’s application, this location provides excellent coverage to the Sunshine Coast, downtown Nanaimo (including the Gabriola Ferry terminal in Nanaimo) and south down to the Malahat. This site would not provide good coverage to households in the more densely populated north end of Gabriola.
It is, however, located in a residential area and at least one neighbour has registered their concerns with both the Gabriola Radio Society and with the CRTC (in the CBC portion of the recent hearings). We take all concerns seriously and have actively sought out less populated areas to place a potential tower.
The 707 Wilderness Recreational Area
Our engineer has suggested the 707 wilderness recreation area. He believes that this site would create radio coverage to the most populated areas of the island. It is in a non-populated area of the island and it is currently under the parks management review for use and final zoning. As this area is currently being re-zoned, the Radio Society has been in discussions with the RDN staff as to our intent. It does not have power or cable nearby which could be expensive (requiring up to 1.2 kilometres of buried cable) or involve maintenance (generator, solar panels etc). Remote locations are nothing new for radio towers and this site can be fully operational without the need for hydro lines.
Our engineer identified this site as the best site for coverage to households on Gabriola. It would also reach the Ferry Terminal in Nanaimo, adequate coverage in downtown Nanaimo north to Rutherford, Sunshine Coast and Vancouver. This site will not provide good coverage to areas of the island such as Island’s View Drive and El Verano.
Under CRTC carriage regulations our radio station WILL be carried locally through the Shaw Cable system, therefore, households that do not receive the radio signal will be able to listen to the station if they have cable. Also in order to improve the reception our engineer has recommended that we use a monaural service. We could webcast in stereo if we are given sufficient resources.
So we have a bit of a dilemma - do we erect a tower that reaches the biggest geographical area of the island or the most households? Some key considerations are radio coverage of the ferry line-up and the terminal in Nanaimo, the needs of fire, ambulance and other emergency services, coverage in the Village and the elementary school.
Some other background information that might help our members consider which location is best suited to Gabriola Radio Society’s needs include:
The tower would have a 10 metre x 10 metre footprint and would be freestanding therefore not requiring any support such as guy wires etc. It would be 3-10 metres above the eventual surrounding tree height.
There is no one-tower site on the island (or even on Mt. Benson in Nanaimo) that would ensure 100% coverage due to our topography. We have cliffs and a tendency to build on the waterfront which, without a series of smaller transmitters (which could be phased in over time) would mean some households and possibly some neighbourhoods would not get full access unless they used Shaw cable.
We have held discussions with Jason Coleman from CBC’s transmission department regarding CBC working as our contractor to erect the tower. We believe their expertise, their qualified technicians and their distance from commercial interests would serve the needs of the Gabriola Radio Society best. We assume that while this might cost us more money it will grant us more autonomy. Other uses of our proposed tower, for example a cell site or 911 service, are not our primary considerations. We believe communication towers should be owned and operated by the local residents or by a public agency (i.e., the CBC).
Whichever site we choose to include in our Industry Canada Brief can be moved to another location with an amendment to the license, however our engineering would have to be re-engineered at additional costs.
The board of Gabriola Radio Society really needs your feedback on the above concerns so please feel free to contact us with your thoughts and opinions gabriolaradio@shaw.ca.
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