PREFACE: I am a broadcaster from the USA. Please correct any incorrect details. This is more of a comparison of LPFM in the USA and Canada
Low Power FM is a different animal than the version in the United States. Low Power FM in Canada is for community stations.
There are many requirements and content expectations from the CRTC for such stations who must earn their stripes. Literally you crawl before you walk.
Stations in Canada must provide a substantial amount of non-entertainment programming in addition to entertainment programming. This includes news, talk programming and such. You must promise a certain percentage of non-entertainment programming and prove you aired the proper amount. Renewal means doing what you said you will do over the prior term or showing evidence as to why you fell short. That means showing you tried your best but circumstances beyond your control caused the shortfall.
You must program a variety of music in most cases. You cannot, under most cases, stick to one music format. To do so requires certain reasoning as to why you do a singular music format.
You must adhere to the policy musically of playing the required percentage of Canadian artists. Expect to prove this.
You are required to record EVERY moment you are on the air and be ready to provide evidence to the CRTC upon request.
You begin with a 5 watt signal. I think after 3 years you can graduate upon showing yourself a good steward to the license, to 50 watts. Like the USA low power, there seems to be stations of various powers under 50 watts but antenna heights are always greater than the 50 watters. 50 watts is the maximum for this class of station. As you know an FM signal’s coverage is a combination of power and height above average terrain. The higher up, the less power is required to cover an area. In other words, you get a certain area to cover and whatever power level and height above average terrain (called HAAT) combination does that becomes your power and HAAT.
License renewal means you are scrutinized on every aspect of your station by the ‘Feds’ to earn that renewal. If you fall short but can provide ample reasoning for the shortfall, the CRTC is reasonable. For example, a small community of about 200-250 had a station promising to broadcast 72 hours a week and made guarantees of a certain number of hours of news and talk fell short. The station could only operate 8 hours a day and offer 3.6% non-entertainment programming but presented their case that in a community of just over 200 people there was not enough funding to hire someone dedicated to news and talk programming nor the volunteers to do so. In fact, the volunteers only managed to keep the station operating 8 hours a day. The CRTC renewed then at 8 hours a day and 3.6% non-entertainment citing the low population and minimal economy as legitimate reasons to renew as is.
Commercial stations must contribute to a fund for public radio. These Low Power FMs can apply for grants available from these funds. One station in a small town of 218 sought $20-$25 a year from listeners but managed to operate years with the help of a $20,000 grant. This station offered 3 thirty minute news summaries each day and community announcements on the hour amid a computer driven 24/7 eclectic mix of music.
The one thing the CRTC allows these LPFMs to do is sell limited advertising. I am unaware of any restriction on commercial time per hour or if there are any verbiage restrictions. Most sell thirty second spots or mentions. Most state the ads are on the quarter hours and I get the feeling we are talking single spot versus stop sets of several. I do like the idea that a small community or neighborhood can affect local spending via their respective radio station. For many businesses, it’s this little extra ‘kick’ that helps them stay vibrant. The websites frequently tout the advantages of advertising on the local community station that survives on the support of locals.
That positive of allowing some actual advertising hasn’t sent the public radio system in Canada straight to the toilet. People are not upset. If anything, what little they sell offsets the many requirements the CTRC makes for it’s stations, especially the least of those stations reaching very limited audiences and having the least income from donors and advertisers.
If you want to move beyond Low Power, a station, where it is possible, and one has shown themselves worthy, can apply for a more powerful class of community radio.
The CRTC does make a few exceptions. There was a small group of 3 stations in a remote small community proposed by an individual to operate as non-profit community stations. They all carried music formats like commercial stations. Noting the lack of radio signals and unreliable internet, his stations were exceptions from certain requirements including the minimum percentage of Canadian artist airplay. There’s a rural municipality that operates a LPFM but they simulcast a non-commercial third party internet station, interrupting for time and weather conditions with legal ID on the hour. They must be exempt from the Canadian Artist requirement as this internet station is based in the USA.
A Low Power FM can have repeaters (same as translators here but very low wattage) and several stations can combine to create a network as is the case for many of the First Nation communities.
As is the case in the USA, many of the Canadian counterparts have very little income via donations and advertising.
The CRTC will license a station to a tiny community. I found one with 35 people. It’s 5 watts with antenna at 16 feet on a pole.
We need to understand the remoteness of some places in Canada. Some may not seem so remote but as far as radio and TV are concerned they are. I can point out a town of 289. There is a CBC repeater FM station at about 40 watts plus a cable TV service bringing in ONE TV channel. They had 95 subscribers (of about 150 homes) at $4 a month. I’m sure you could have other options.
The CRTC has done a great job in getting radio service and TV service in remote areas where neither was available. I recall a talk with a guy a remote town of about 3,000 at the time. He said there were 8 radio stations and 5 TV stations. All but 1 radio station was a repeater. That’s quite a big deal in my book to have such radio and TV selection (without cable needed). The other thing I like about the CRTC is they are concerned with the economic viability of radio stations. You won't find 6 commercial stations in a town of 8,000 all after the same advertising dollars and so broke they have to be a computer in a closet.
As for my personal opinion, I think the CRTC is a bit heavy-handed on some of its regulations. I ponder how many people listen to the various talk programs and as far as the big news percentages go when there are so many options available through other media. Would the local populace determining what is right for them collectively a better choice? Is recording 24/7 really needed? Personally I dislike the percentage of Canadian artists requirement. It would seem to indicate Canadian artists are somehow subpar to other nations. I would not think that would be the case and suspect without such percentages the Canadian music industry would be just fine.
I find it over burdensome for some very small town stations to reach acceptable requirements for news and talk. In a town of 35 or 120 or 177 or even 218 people, expecting 10-15 hours of talk and the same of news is being unrealistic.
Low Power FM is a different animal than the version in the United States. Low Power FM in Canada is for community stations.
There are many requirements and content expectations from the CRTC for such stations who must earn their stripes. Literally you crawl before you walk.
Stations in Canada must provide a substantial amount of non-entertainment programming in addition to entertainment programming. This includes news, talk programming and such. You must promise a certain percentage of non-entertainment programming and prove you aired the proper amount. Renewal means doing what you said you will do over the prior term or showing evidence as to why you fell short. That means showing you tried your best but circumstances beyond your control caused the shortfall.
You must program a variety of music in most cases. You cannot, under most cases, stick to one music format. To do so requires certain reasoning as to why you do a singular music format.
You must adhere to the policy musically of playing the required percentage of Canadian artists. Expect to prove this.
You are required to record EVERY moment you are on the air and be ready to provide evidence to the CRTC upon request.
You begin with a 5 watt signal. I think after 3 years you can graduate upon showing yourself a good steward to the license, to 50 watts. Like the USA low power, there seems to be stations of various powers under 50 watts but antenna heights are always greater than the 50 watters. 50 watts is the maximum for this class of station. As you know an FM signal’s coverage is a combination of power and height above average terrain. The higher up, the less power is required to cover an area. In other words, you get a certain area to cover and whatever power level and height above average terrain (called HAAT) combination does that becomes your power and HAAT.
License renewal means you are scrutinized on every aspect of your station by the ‘Feds’ to earn that renewal. If you fall short but can provide ample reasoning for the shortfall, the CRTC is reasonable. For example, a small community of about 200-250 had a station promising to broadcast 72 hours a week and made guarantees of a certain number of hours of news and talk fell short. The station could only operate 8 hours a day and offer 3.6% non-entertainment programming but presented their case that in a community of just over 200 people there was not enough funding to hire someone dedicated to news and talk programming nor the volunteers to do so. In fact, the volunteers only managed to keep the station operating 8 hours a day. The CRTC renewed then at 8 hours a day and 3.6% non-entertainment citing the low population and minimal economy as legitimate reasons to renew as is.
Commercial stations must contribute to a fund for public radio. These Low Power FMs can apply for grants available from these funds. One station in a small town of 218 sought $20-$25 a year from listeners but managed to operate years with the help of a $20,000 grant. This station offered 3 thirty minute news summaries each day and community announcements on the hour amid a computer driven 24/7 eclectic mix of music.
The one thing the CRTC allows these LPFMs to do is sell limited advertising. I am unaware of any restriction on commercial time per hour or if there are any verbiage restrictions. Most sell thirty second spots or mentions. Most state the ads are on the quarter hours and I get the feeling we are talking single spot versus stop sets of several. I do like the idea that a small community or neighborhood can affect local spending via their respective radio station. For many businesses, it’s this little extra ‘kick’ that helps them stay vibrant. The websites frequently tout the advantages of advertising on the local community station that survives on the support of locals.
That positive of allowing some actual advertising hasn’t sent the public radio system in Canada straight to the toilet. People are not upset. If anything, what little they sell offsets the many requirements the CTRC makes for it’s stations, especially the least of those stations reaching very limited audiences and having the least income from donors and advertisers.
If you want to move beyond Low Power, a station, where it is possible, and one has shown themselves worthy, can apply for a more powerful class of community radio.
The CRTC does make a few exceptions. There was a small group of 3 stations in a remote small community proposed by an individual to operate as non-profit community stations. They all carried music formats like commercial stations. Noting the lack of radio signals and unreliable internet, his stations were exceptions from certain requirements including the minimum percentage of Canadian artist airplay. There’s a rural municipality that operates a LPFM but they simulcast a non-commercial third party internet station, interrupting for time and weather conditions with legal ID on the hour. They must be exempt from the Canadian Artist requirement as this internet station is based in the USA.
A Low Power FM can have repeaters (same as translators here but very low wattage) and several stations can combine to create a network as is the case for many of the First Nation communities.
As is the case in the USA, many of the Canadian counterparts have very little income via donations and advertising.
The CRTC will license a station to a tiny community. I found one with 35 people. It’s 5 watts with antenna at 16 feet on a pole.
We need to understand the remoteness of some places in Canada. Some may not seem so remote but as far as radio and TV are concerned they are. I can point out a town of 289. There is a CBC repeater FM station at about 40 watts plus a cable TV service bringing in ONE TV channel. They had 95 subscribers (of about 150 homes) at $4 a month. I’m sure you could have other options.
The CRTC has done a great job in getting radio service and TV service in remote areas where neither was available. I recall a talk with a guy a remote town of about 3,000 at the time. He said there were 8 radio stations and 5 TV stations. All but 1 radio station was a repeater. That’s quite a big deal in my book to have such radio and TV selection (without cable needed). The other thing I like about the CRTC is they are concerned with the economic viability of radio stations. You won't find 6 commercial stations in a town of 8,000 all after the same advertising dollars and so broke they have to be a computer in a closet.
As for my personal opinion, I think the CRTC is a bit heavy-handed on some of its regulations. I ponder how many people listen to the various talk programs and as far as the big news percentages go when there are so many options available through other media. Would the local populace determining what is right for them collectively a better choice? Is recording 24/7 really needed? Personally I dislike the percentage of Canadian artists requirement. It would seem to indicate Canadian artists are somehow subpar to other nations. I would not think that would be the case and suspect without such percentages the Canadian music industry would be just fine.
I find it over burdensome for some very small town stations to reach acceptable requirements for news and talk. In a town of 35 or 120 or 177 or even 218 people, expecting 10-15 hours of talk and the same of news is being unrealistic.