Welcome to Vernon Community Radio Society - 97.9 Valley FM

Vernon Community Radio Society is a not-for-profit organization, registered under the Societies Act of British Columbia. We are a group of community volunteers dedicated to the creation of a new over-the-air FM broadcasting undertaking. In accord with CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) regulations governing community radio, our proposed station will offer programming that is materially different  from content currently provided by private broadcasters and by the CBC.   

Ownership and Governance

• Private commercial stations are owned by corporations, the shares of which can be bought and sold.
• Community stations cannot be bought or sold. The assets and operations remain in the care of the governing Society.

Earnings

• Profits of commercial stations accrue to corporations and shareholders, while profits from community stations are used to support local programming, local talent and worthy community projects.

Programming

• The CRTC has very few rules governing commercial radio, while community stations are held to minimum and maximum quotas for certain types of program content. 

Service / Coverage Area

• Vernon's two commercial stations, CJIB-FM and CICF-FM, operate at the maximum allowable radiated power of 100,000 watts.
• Our proposed community station will have a smaller footprint, intended to serve the Greater Vernon area only. Reception in Lumby, Enderby and Falkland will be unlikely, or poor.

Building a community radio station requires three key elements:

• A license to operate issued by the CRTC.
• Money. Construction of studios, transmission facilities and offices will require a successful fund-raising initiative.
• Volunteers. Once up and running, the new community station will employ a small number of paid personnel, who will be involved in training volunteers, anchoring key time slots, maintaining compliance with CRTC conditions of license and in the sale of advertising.  Volunteers are critical - to round out a full broadcast day and to provide diversity of content.

Timeline

• July-August 2018, preparation of a technical brief to submit to Industry Canada and the CRTC.
• September 2018, submission of application to the CRTC.
• NEW!  On January 30th, The CRTC issued a Public Call For Comments arising from our application.  Click here to read the full text. 
• Vernon Community Radio needs YOUR support.  Click here for info you need to file a supporting intervention!.
• A decision as to whether the CRTC chooses to add our application as a non-appearing item on a Public Hearing Agenda will be made after the CRTC considers all responses from the January 30th call for comments. 
• After a favourable CRTC decision, our fundraising will start in earnest. Construction would begin once funds are in hand , with test broadcasts hopefully beginning in late 2019.