> > How about a radio station then? For Sutton/Peferlaw?
> >
> GOOD IDEA!
>
I've spent my entire life in either Virginia (a small hamlet between Sutton and Pefferlaw on Highway 48) or Port Bolster (5 minutes north of Pefferlaw on Lake Simcoe), and I'm familiar with the way the radio industry works as I have a diploma in Radio Broadcasting. Let me make a few things clear to all those who think a radio station in these parts would work.
I agree with those that say a hole in service exists. The nearest station is 89.9 located about 15 minutes south of Pefferlaw in the small town of Sunderland. It's a repeater of KX96 Oshawa. The closest thing the area has had for a local radio station was CKDX Power 88.5 Newmarket in the late 1990s. They went country as Kat, then standards as Foxy, all the while squarely targeting the Toronto market.
Firstly, the two towns are in a very unique position in that they can pick up every commercial and CBC station in the Barrie/Orillia/Midland, Lindsay/Peterborough, Oshawa, and Toronto (with the not-so-notable exception of Flow 93.5) markets. I've even caught stations like Mix 106 Owen Sound, Country 95.3 Hamilton, and 99.5 Moose FM Bracebridge in the area on occasion. ANY attempt to launch a small-scale commercial station a la the former Y92 Lindsay would not work. Plain and simple. If it would, I'd apply for one and take out a big loan to do so. Why wouldn't it work? The dial is simply too crowded and the choices available to the listener are too diverse. Want rock? Tune to 101.5, 102.1, 95.7, 94.9, or 107.1. Want classic hits? Tune to 105.9, 91.9, or 92.5. Want AC? Tune to 93.1, 97.3, or 98.1. I could go on, but I think I've made my point.
Secondly, any attempt to launch a community or volunteer station would not be able to offer a format that would appeal to enough of the market to justify its existence. The nearby Georgina Island native reserve has such a station - Nish Radio 102.7. It sounds like it's trying to offer a rock format to its listeners, but I can't tell because they go all over the musical map so often that I can't listen to it for more than a few minutes. That's what a Pefferlaw or Sutton station would sound like.
Thirdly, in order for an application to work, the station would need to make a commitment to providing daily, local news and sports. The local weekly newspaper, the Georgina Advocate, has one article from Pefferlaw and perhaps two from Sutton. The remainder of the news is from the growing (and increasingly violent) town of Keswick. As for TV, an A-Channel reporter may wander through the area once every five or six months at best and Rogers Television would have us believe that York Region's northern boundary is Green Lane just north of Newmarket. When it comes to Sutton or Pefferlaw, which aren't growing all that much and probably won't until the 404 comes in 15 years, it would be difficult to provide local content because NONE EXISTS. Anyone who even pulls off to the side of the road in either of these towns (especially Pefferlaw) knows that the biggest happening at any given time is a misspelled road sign being installed.
For these three reasons and even more, let me reiterate...a local station would not work! An *actual* Newmarket station would work. A Keswick community station *might* work. Anyone starting up a Sutton/Pefferlaw station: good luck with that losing venture.
> >
> GOOD IDEA!
>
I've spent my entire life in either Virginia (a small hamlet between Sutton and Pefferlaw on Highway 48) or Port Bolster (5 minutes north of Pefferlaw on Lake Simcoe), and I'm familiar with the way the radio industry works as I have a diploma in Radio Broadcasting. Let me make a few things clear to all those who think a radio station in these parts would work.
I agree with those that say a hole in service exists. The nearest station is 89.9 located about 15 minutes south of Pefferlaw in the small town of Sunderland. It's a repeater of KX96 Oshawa. The closest thing the area has had for a local radio station was CKDX Power 88.5 Newmarket in the late 1990s. They went country as Kat, then standards as Foxy, all the while squarely targeting the Toronto market.
Firstly, the two towns are in a very unique position in that they can pick up every commercial and CBC station in the Barrie/Orillia/Midland, Lindsay/Peterborough, Oshawa, and Toronto (with the not-so-notable exception of Flow 93.5) markets. I've even caught stations like Mix 106 Owen Sound, Country 95.3 Hamilton, and 99.5 Moose FM Bracebridge in the area on occasion. ANY attempt to launch a small-scale commercial station a la the former Y92 Lindsay would not work. Plain and simple. If it would, I'd apply for one and take out a big loan to do so. Why wouldn't it work? The dial is simply too crowded and the choices available to the listener are too diverse. Want rock? Tune to 101.5, 102.1, 95.7, 94.9, or 107.1. Want classic hits? Tune to 105.9, 91.9, or 92.5. Want AC? Tune to 93.1, 97.3, or 98.1. I could go on, but I think I've made my point.
Secondly, any attempt to launch a community or volunteer station would not be able to offer a format that would appeal to enough of the market to justify its existence. The nearby Georgina Island native reserve has such a station - Nish Radio 102.7. It sounds like it's trying to offer a rock format to its listeners, but I can't tell because they go all over the musical map so often that I can't listen to it for more than a few minutes. That's what a Pefferlaw or Sutton station would sound like.
Thirdly, in order for an application to work, the station would need to make a commitment to providing daily, local news and sports. The local weekly newspaper, the Georgina Advocate, has one article from Pefferlaw and perhaps two from Sutton. The remainder of the news is from the growing (and increasingly violent) town of Keswick. As for TV, an A-Channel reporter may wander through the area once every five or six months at best and Rogers Television would have us believe that York Region's northern boundary is Green Lane just north of Newmarket. When it comes to Sutton or Pefferlaw, which aren't growing all that much and probably won't until the 404 comes in 15 years, it would be difficult to provide local content because NONE EXISTS. Anyone who even pulls off to the side of the road in either of these towns (especially Pefferlaw) knows that the biggest happening at any given time is a misspelled road sign being installed.
For these three reasons and even more, let me reiterate...a local station would not work! An *actual* Newmarket station would work. A Keswick community station *might* work. Anyone starting up a Sutton/Pefferlaw station: good luck with that losing venture.