What will we
broadcast?
Programming Summary
This brief summary of programming objectives and strategies will provide some insights into 97.9 Valley FM's plans to serve the Greater Vernon Area. Our call letters will be CFAV-FM and our assigned frequency will be 97.9 MHz.
Opportunities at 97.9 Valley FM
Volunteers are invited to participate in all areas of the station, including on-air slots as a DJ / Host / Presenter; Journalism; Producer; Operator; Copywriting; Admin assistance; Promotions and more.
For on-air positions: Volunteer applications will be accepted in late summer. We will announce intake dates. Do not submit your information until then.
The majority of opportunities will be open for applicants in late August.
Block Program Schedule
Our proposed block programming schedule may change as our launch date approaches. The community is invited to submit ideas for original local programming.
CRTC Requirements
The Federal regulatory body governing broadcasting is the Canadian Radio-television and telecommunications commission. (“CRTC”). Under CRTC policy and regulations, low power FM community stations are subject to some requirements that do not apply to regular commercial stations.
- These requirements include conditions of license that require at least 15% spoken word content. The CFAV-FM schedule calls for 20% spoken word programming, which includes news, public affairs, interviews and public access programming such as an open line radio show.
- In addition, at least 5% of the total musical selections broadcast on the station must be in the form of specialty music, defined by the CRTC as “Category 3” music. (Further detail below). Valley FM will broadcast up to 15% "category 3" music, which includes Jazz & Blues, Folk and folk oriented, Classical, electronic music and more.
- In each broadcast week, the licensee shall devote no less than 20% of its musical selections to musical selections from content subcategories other than content subcategory 21 (Pop, rock and dance) . The Valley FM schedule will devote no less than 30% to content other than Pop, Rock and Dance.
- Governance is entirely different between conventional private broadcast stations and a community station. With a non-profit society, there is no share capital issued, meaning the station cannot be bought or sold.
- Other than as noted above, there are no material operating differences between commercial stations and community stations.
Our Content Objectives
Unlike conventional commercial stations, the station will not establish a narrow demographic as a programming target. Broadly speaking, niche access programming excepted, the appeal of the station will be persons of all ages with an equal distribution of men and women.
- 97.9 Valley-FM will broadcast 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
- The new undertaking will operate with a deep music playlist of over 2,000 selections at any given time, with the playlist periodically refreshed from a library of over 5,000 musical selections providing significantly less repetition than on existing commercial stations.
- The station will employ “block programming” principles which will encourage appointment tuning. Like CBC programming strategies, listeners will soon become acquainted with scheduling patterns. The diversity of content will ensure a broad audience reach in the market.
Canadian Content
97.9 Valley FM will broadcast 40% Canadian content in music, with a special emphasis on new and emerging Canadian artists, which often struggle to obtain airplay on commercial stations. (CRTC requirement: minimum 35%).
FAQs
97.9 Valley FM FAQ’s
What are the call letters?
- Industry Canada has assigned the call letters CFAV-FM
When will you begin broadcasting?
- Our target sign-on date is October 1, 2021.
How will you fund the costs of building the studios and transmitter?
- We have set a target of $200,000 to fund our capital requirements. 97.9 Valley FM has applied for a number of grants. Our fundraising committee is canvassing potential donors and we anticipate operating a ticket lottery and a crowdfunding website page.
In your fundraising campaign, do you expect a pledge to be paid in full immediately?
- No. Major donors may amortize payments over either a two or three-year period.
Can you issue a tax receipt?
- Regrettably, the Canada Revenue Agency does not consider Community Radio to be a charity. However, most businesses account for donations as a sponsorship, a common business expense.
Community Radio is new to me. How common is it?
- Over 131 non-profit campus and community radio stations are licensed in Canada. Communities throughout B.C. enjoy community radio, including Salmon Arm, Kamloops, Nelson, the Kootenays, Fraser Valley, Burnaby, Vancouver, Lilloet, Revelstoke, Penticton, Prince George, Mackenzie, and more.
At what power will you broadcast?
- Average effective radiated power will be 630 watts, and peak power will be 1,000 watts.
Will you sell commercials and how many minutes per hour should we expect to hear?
- Yes, 97.9 Valley FM will be dependent on local ad sales and sponsorships. Unlike major commercial stations, which require 8 to 12 minutes of ads per hour, our community station will be viable with 3 to 5 minutes of advertising per hour.
Will your signal reach Lumby or Enderby?
- No. Once the Greater Vernon facility is established, it may be possible to extend coverage to Lumby and Enderby via a re-broadcast transmitter.
Will you stream the station’s audio online?
- Yes.
If the Vernon Community Radio Society (VCRS) turns a profit, what will they do with it?
- We will re-invest in programming, volunteer training, capital improvements and scholarships or bursaries for students.
Does Greater Vernon have the capacity to support another radio station that sells advertising?
- The CRTC carefully evaluated the market and reviewed the financial performance of existing commercial stations. They concluded that a new community station would cause no harm to incumbent broadcasters and that the Vernon Community Radio Society would depend on just 5% of the total radio advertising market in the North Okanagan.
Recent layoffs and cutbacks at Bell Media and other stations are attributed to a decline in radio ad revenues. Will the new station be affected?
- The trends affecting the large conglomerates do not seem to be affecting small, community stations. Data in the most recent published CRTC shows non-profit community radio with a 3.2% increase in revenues.
Can the station ever be sold?
- No. There are no shares in the enterprise. The Vernon Community Radio Society is a registered non-profit society.
Where will studios be located?
- Studios and offices will be located in the downtown core, within DVA boundaries at a location yet to be determined.
How to volunteers get involved?
- Membership in the Vernon Community Radio Association is open to all residents of legal age, as well as minors with parental consent. Annual dues are $30. Additional, project-specific volunteers are welcome at any time. We anticipate that about 60 volunteers will be involved in the first year.
New questions not answered here?
- - Please relay your question to Gord Leighton, President of the VCRS by email: [email protected].