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Vancouver's 50,000 Watt AM Stations

Yes, let's see what happens. There are plenty of South Asian stations coming from both sides of the border. I would not be surprised if some of those vacant a Vancouver AM channels come back as South Asian formatted stations. Mandarin remains a growth market on the lower Mainland BC.
Given that 980, 1040, and 1410 were all licensed before, so it’s possible they could come back to life with multicultural programming (to use the Canadian term). Though it’s debatable of what that could and will look like. The FM dial is pretty packed, and with the stricter CRTC rules, I don’t think many changes will happen on FM. If anyone wants to do multicultural programming, it’s more likely to be AM.

Making use of the U.S. border blasters is probably the easiest solution. Pay to play, and then get the programming on the dial.
 
Yes, let's see what happens. There are plenty of South Asian stations coming from both sides of the border. I would not be surprised if some of those vacant a Vancouver AM channels come back as South Asian formatted stations. Mandarin remains a growth market on the lower Mainland BC.
Those who are more familiar with Canadian regulations can expand on this, but I believe that stations not authorized for either English or Francophone programming can not be 100% in just one language; they have to present a variety of "other" tongues.

IIRC, the Italian station on 1540 in Toronto going back perhaps 40 to 50 years tried to be allowed to do 100% Italian programming, but was required to do segments in other languages as well.
 
Those who are more familiar with Canadian regulations can expand on this, but I believe that stations not authorized for either English or Francophone programming can not be 100% in just one language; they have to present a variety of "other" tongues.

IIRC, the Italian station on 1540 in Toronto going back perhaps 40 to 50 years tried to be allowed to do 100% Italian programming, but was required to do segments in other languages as well.
Yeah it’s a bit of a complicated situation. The Fairchild Media Group owns 96.1 and 1470. These two stations alternate between Cantonese and Mandarin programming. In the morning, one airs Mandarin (while the other airs Cantonese). In the afternoon, the schedule flips. Weekend programming is a mixture of other foreign language shows to ensure the appropriate quota for foreign language programming in all designated languages is met.

It’s a similar story with 1320, but this station seems to primarily air Cantonese programming around the clock (with notable exceptions on the weekend). So perhaps they have a special deal with the CRTC or are just grandfathered in somehow.

For anyone new who wants to come along and try to build a radio station from scratch in a foreign language, it’s certainly a challenge. Leasing from a company in the states may be the easiest way to get your programming on the air and test the waters. It’s worked for the Punjabi broadcasters for years.
 
A bizarre situation existed before until 1981. At that time KAPS switched to 660 kHz and upgraded to 10 kw D / 1 kw N. Before that era KAPS was a 500-watt directional daytimer on 1470 kHz. Yes, co-channel with CJVB Vancouver. That must have been ugly during local sunrise/sunset times!
 
79 through 81, CJVB was 50kW day and night while KAPS was flea powered, and yet the Vancouver station was so directional that it really wasn't the issue you would have thought that it would be. Ground conductivity is really awful around here, excepting the salt water areas of course. The Chuckanut mountain range does a really decent job of blocking Vancouver AMs from the Skagit Valley. And vice-versa.
 
79 through 81, CJVB was 50kW day and night while KAPS was flea powered, and yet the Vancouver station was so directional that it really wasn't the issue you would have thought that it would be. Ground conductivity is really awful around here, excepting the salt water areas of course. The Chuckanut mountain range does a really decent job of blocking Vancouver AMs from the Skagit Valley. And vice-versa.
There was also 1470 in Centralia; talk about being hemmed in!
 


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