Canada’s radio regulator says it’ll hold a fresh process to re-examine Cabin Radio’s bid for an FM licence to serve Yellowknife.
In a Thursday press release and notice of consultation, the CRTC said there had been a “change in circumstances” since Cabin Radio’s original application, filed in 2019.
The CRTC in effect rejected that application in 2023 – without having formally opened it – on the grounds that the city’s economy couldn’t support a second English-language commercial FM station.
On Thursday, the CRTC said the specific change in circumstance was that “the Covid-19 pandemic and the wildfires in the Northwest Territories have highlighted the importance of having increased access to radio content in the North.”
The regulator says anyone can now submit an application for a new Yellowknife FM licence by a deadline of May 13, 2024.
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After that, the CRTC will consider any applications it receives – including a second application already filed by Cabin Radio last May.
“The commission considers that the market is not as well served as it could be and that it should issue a call for applications for radio stations to serve Yellowknife,” the CRTC stated in Thursday’s notice of consultation.
“This call for applications will initiate a process that examines the broadcasting needs of citizens in Yellowknife, as well as each application received in the context of the current process, in order to determine which proposal will best serve the needs and interests of the Yellowknife community and the broadcasting system as a whole.
“The commission’s decision in this matter will be based on the public record, including applications received, comments from interested parties, and updated data regarding market conditions in Yellowknife.”
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Yellowknife is currently served by one English-language commercial FM station, True North FM, operated by Vista Radio, a conglomerate of dozens of local stations across Canada.
When Cabin Radio last applied for a Yellowknife licence, Vista Radio both objected to the CRTC that the market wasn’t big enough for a new station and also applied for a second licence of its own at the same time.
Since the February 2023 decision that Yellowknife’s market was not big enough, Cabin Radio has reapplied and also pursued a judicial review of that decision through the Federal Court of Appeal. Those proceedings are ongoing.
“This announcement represents progress,” Cabin Radio told itself in a statement.
“We’re pleased that the CRTC has recognized what residents have long been telling us: they are not as well served as they could be on the FM dial. We’re excited to demonstrate to the regulator that we are the best-positioned applicant to make a real difference in the way we support northern performers, invest in the communities around us, and report robustly and meaningfully on Yellowknife news.
“This process has already lasted nearly five years. We thank everyone for their patience and the extraordinary, unwavering support of the community.”
The CRTC’s notice reveals that Cabin Radio is applying for 93.9 FM on the Yellowknife dial.
The regulator said it had decided to open this new process “by majority decision.” The commissioner for Atlantic Canada and Nunavut, Ellen Desmond, dissented, saying “I do not agree that it is procedurally fair to process this second application at this time.”
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“I am not satisfied that Cabin Radio, in its filing, has provided the commission with sufficient reason to deviate from the established practice,” Desmond wrote.
The CRTC did not state how many commissioners reached the majority decision, nor provide comment from other commissioners.
Writing on X, media analyst Steve Faguy said Thursday’s announcement represented the CRTC “breaking its own policy and effectively reversing a decision from only a year ago.”
Peter Menzies, a former CRTC vice-chair and regional commissioner for Alberta and the NWT – who is routinely critical of the present-day regulator – said on X the announcement was a “big win” for Cabin Radio.
Menzies said the CRTC was shown to be recognizing that its “previous decision was brainless and lacked consideration for the people of Yellowknife.”
There is no firm timeline for the new process beyond the May deadline for applications.
“The commission notes that, in making this call for applications, it has not reached any conclusion on the licensing of any radio service at this time,” the CRTC added.
“The commission will announce, at a later date, the public proceeding to consider applications. As part of that process, the public will be given the opportunity to comment on any application by submitting written interventions.”
Editor’s note: Full disclosure, we’re Cabin Radio.
