In Canada, the communications regulator revoked the license of a radio station in Winnipeg.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said in its decision that the dormant campus instructional station CJWV(FM) has been in breach of various regulations and license conditions since 2005 and has failed to comply with a number of mandatory orders.
“The use of Canada’s public airwaves is a privilege, and the rules and regulations must be followed. Failure to do so not only contravenes the Radio Regulations but also puts the integrity of the broadcasting system at risk,” stated Len Katz, vice chairman of Telecommunications and chair of the panel.
The CRTC first called Harmony Broadcasting to appear in a hearing in September 2006 to explain why the station had not complied with its license terms. As a result, in January 2007, the commission imposed six mandatory orders as conditions for keeping its licence.
The CRTC required CJWV to submit on-air tapes and other information, broadcast a specified level of Canadian music including special interest music as prescribed by the regulations, news and educational programming as required by their licence. The commission said Harmony remained in non-compliance, and failed twice to submit the on-air tapes.
In another public hearing this June, Winnipeg, Manitoba, the CRTC gave interested parties of CJWV an opportunity to to explain why the radio station should keep its licence. Not hearing a convincing reason and given the licensee’s history of non-compliance, the CRTC concluded that revoking Harmony Broadcasting’s licence was warranted.
The station had been off the air since October 2007.
