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Canadian Content in Niagara

If the Canadian content requirements can be reduced for Windsor due to its proximity to Detroit, why can’t the same be the true for the Niagara region due to its proximity to Buffalo?
 
The Canadian Radio and Television Commission would likely point out that stations serving the Niagara region also serve the major population area surrounding Toronto. Buffalo is less than a third the size of Detroit. Toronto and its environs are six or seven time larger than Buffalo/Niagara. Hamilton/St. Catharines and the rest of the Niagara Region are nearly the population of Buffalo/Niagara. There isn't the disparity of population (and advertising money) that there is in Detroit/Windsor.
 
Thinking back, stations were proud that they served 2 nations and would have it in the ID or jingle. Now it is like the signal don’t cross the border to/from Buffalo or Canada. WBUF does mention that they serve WNY and southern Ontario in one ID but the funny thing is they have directional antennas pointed away from Canada.
 
The CRTC filled up Toronto with LP FMs that knocked most US stations out of the market. The growth of high-rise towers the GTA has also degraded signal penetration into the market. At this point, Buffalo radio is a non-factor in Canada's biggest market. Buffalo TV still has some impact because Buffalo stations are carried on Canadian cable systems so those audiences have access to US network TV.

There's still penetration into Canada's Niagara Peninsula, and there are potentially nearly half a million listeners available there, but competition with local and Toronto signals has diluted US listening. On this side of the border, some Canadian signals impact local radio. Several Canadian stations have excellent signals in the Buffalo/Niagara market.
 
SirRox: Agree with that. Back in the day, WBLK/93.7 was pretty big in Toronto(and if memory serves, they had a sales office in The 6).

Also, you can thank the CN Tower-for the most part-for how many Toronto signals come into the market. Just off the top of my head, we have: Boom 97.3, CHFI, CBC Radio 1 at 99.1(in some areas), 99.9 Virgin Radio, 104.5 CHUM FM and Q 107 in Toronto....Fresh Radio 95.3 in Hamilton(in some parts of the market, you can add 102.9 K-Lite and Y 108 as well)...97.7 HTZ FM, Giant FM 91.7, 101.1 More FM & 105.1 the River in Niagara...
 
Thinking back, stations were proud that they served 2 nations and would have it in the ID or jingle. Now it is like the signal don’t cross the border to/from Buffalo or Canada. WBUF does mention that they serve WNY and southern Ontario in one ID but the funny thing is they have directional antennas pointed away from Canada.
I’d think that more stations in Niagara would do that. Guess not.
Especially with 105.1 “105.1 the River — Your Two-Nation Variety Station!” really sounds sellable to me.
 
In the past, the CRTC has gotten very cranky about Canadian stations attempting to serve US audiences. Stations on the Canadian side may simply be of the opinion that it's not worth possible notice by their governmental overlords.
 
In the past, the CRTC has gotten very cranky about Canadian stations attempting to serve US audiences. Stations on the Canadian side may simply be of the opinion that it's not worth possible notice by their governmental overlords.

No doubt, the Wild 101 matter had a MAJOR influence in the CRTC's crankiness(the CliffsNotes version: back in 2002, CKEY flipped to rhythmic top 40 as Wild 101 and it entered into an LMA with Citadel(now Cumulus Media), which operated the station as part of its Buffalo cluster...until, that is, the CRTC threatened to yank CKEY's license)...
 
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