CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR A BROADCASTING LICENCE TO CARRY ON A RADIO PROGRAMMING UNDERTAKING TO SERVE EDMONTON, ALBERTA  

Applications received:

CTV Limited
Don Kay (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
Evanov Communications Inc. (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
Frank Torres (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
Guldasta Broadcasting Inc.
Harvard Broadcasting Inc.
Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Ltd
John Charles Yerxa (on behalf of a company to be incorporated)
Multicultural Broadcasting Corporation Inc.
Rawlco Radio Ltd.
Rogers Broadcasting Limited

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/Broadcast/eng/NOTICES/2007/07_127app.htm

Gentlemen, start your speculation ...

The market is oversaturated as it is....

Rogers already owns  2 FM stations in Edmonton - modern rock Sonic FM and World FM (CKER), an ethnic station. They bought both last year. Since CRTC rules forbid owning more than 2 AMs and 2 FMs in a single market, how could Rogers get a third FM station?

world is a specialty licence.. the law says you cant have more then 2 stations in the same market on the same band in the same language.

Quoted from newsjunkie

The market is oversaturated as it is....

I disagree with that statement. So... one city shouldn't have more than 1 chinese restaurant? Competition's good for everyone.

I hope Rogers wants to open up all-news radio on the FM in Edmonton...

Edmonton would be one of the next logical places for Rogers to take their all-news format.  There may be something to that if this recent Milkman posting means anything...

NEWS/INFORMATION BROADCASTERS
Edmonton Area

We are conducting an open call for News/ Information radio reporters in the Edmonton Area.

QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum 1 - 2 years full-time Major or Secondary market radio experience
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Proven ability to meet deadlines and work in a fast-paced environment
- Must be extremely dependable, hard working and able to work autonomously
- Highly motivated individual with excellent organization skills

Please send cover letter, resume and MP3 demo.

Send your stuff ASAP to: newsinfobroadcaster@milkmanunlimited.com

I just wouldn't make sense to me, for them to waste an FM band on an all news station. I mean, to do all news, it is a huge investment. Make it a music station, hire 4 jocks, maybe a couple more sales people, and you got it up and running.    And would Rogers already start advertising for people if they don't even have a license yet?

Quoted from AB-radio

I just wouldn't make sense to me, for them to waste an FM band on an all news station. I mean, to do all news, it is a huge investment.

Rogers doesn't seem to be afraid to invest in that format. And if you believe the market's ready for it, if it's a new station, you definitely do it on FM. It's not about sound quality, it's about urban signal quality and having your audience, expecially the young end,  actually find you.

Would love to see Don Kay get it. I'd walk over blazing hot oil to go work for that man again!

I clicked on the link but i cant seem to find the actual applications with proposed formats.. anyone know where i could find them?

They'll be made public when the hearing date is set.

there's been rumors of rogers news radio since they took over in edmonton over a year ago. doug rutherford (among others) knows it too.

quoted from lastlinkontheleft.com:

"But in the bigger corporate picture, it might all be for nought should Corus sniff competition on the news horizon. A late fall 2007 CRTC call for application might bring an all-news station rival to fellow Corus station 630 CHED.

CHED station manager and Corus VP Doug Rutherford has gone on record telling his troops the broadcaster would "defend their turf" and turn Cool 880 into a news operation."

saturated market aside (i think it's only saturated if you've already got your fave preset) and from what i think i've heard about radio revenue in edmonton, there's enough ad money to go around for another station or two.

Quoted from AB-radio

I just wouldn't make sense to me, for them to waste an FM band on an all news station. I mean, to do all news, it is a huge investment. Make it a music station, hire 4 jocks, maybe a couple more sales people, and you got it up and running.    And would Rogers already start advertising for people if they don't even have a license yet?

if you were to look at the longer trend, music radio as a whole is in trouble.  I think radio's future will be in talk.  No more AMs and only FMs and most of those will have strong talk radio formats or elements.  Even the "music" stations will have lots of chatter and produced music shows.

Listen to most big market music FMs now.  If they don't have a talk show in the morning, they have heavy personallity.  The afternoon drive is heading in that direction.

Looking at the US, the biggest ratings winners, are talk heavy programs (and generally heritage)... even on the rock or hip-hop stations.

Look in Vancouver.  Kid on top... almost NO music on his show.  Anyone could play top 40 music, but not everyone is Kid.

one could argue.. music radio -as we know it- is in trouble.. new technology should prove to make the future very interesting for radio as a whole.