Hi guys!!!
I’m very happy to talk with you. Sorry if my text has some errors, because I can read in english very well but to write is something …loll
Hi guys!!!
I’m very happy to talk with you. Sorry if my text has some errors, because I can read in english very well but to write is something …loll
I’m a french canadian, I live in Quebec. I read always yours topics in the forums with pleasure. I’m a amateur radio and i have my own webradio online. I want share to you a speech of Konrad von Finckenstein from the CRTC(the canadian radio and television regulator) about the possibility of a futur “license exemption” of the AM band here in Canada.
This is the speech:
“But we cannot stand still. The rules for common ownership of radio stations are defined in terms of both FM and AM. But as you know, AM is losing market share, and it has been a long time since we had a single application for a new AM licence. The question arises: Should we still be regulating the AM market? Is there a case to be made for letting it go by way of exemption?”
This is very interesting!!! But here in canada the other department of government to rule the airwaves is “industrie Canada” .But this part is just for frequency assigment and technicals specifications…not to rule the market and content… etc….this is the crtc job!
We will wait and hope about this here in Canada for the next years maybe……
Frédéric Parent
VE2 FPV
gaspesielive.com
Konrad von Finkenstein
Herr Konrad von Finkenstein, Chairman of the CRTC, naturalized Canadian citizen and German national, is a fringe politician, even by Canadian standards. The Prime Minister wants him out now, although his term ends in 2012. As a judge, he sided with Internet pirates.
I don’t think that his comments about about AM licensing in Canada are to be taken seriously, since he is widely recognized as a nut case.
I miss the CBC on the AM band
Hi Frederic: I am an AM broadcast band DXer, and have been
since the late 1960s.
My brother and I used to love to listen to the
CBC at night on 740 and 940 kHz here in
Connecticut. Eventually 740 and 940 switched
over to FM. I still listened to the CBC on some
other AM frequencies that were harder to receive
here – 1070 and 1550.
I have heard the CBC here in Connecticut on these
frequencies, (unfortunately most have been
turned off):
690 CBF French
740 CBL (?) English
860 CJBC French
940 CBM (?) English
1070 CBA English
1140 CBI (?) English
1550 CBE (?) English
I may have listed some of these callsigns
incorrectly. I do not have my AM log here.
Best Wishes,
Bruce, MICRO1690/1700
reply
Here in the Province of Quebec only 4 or 5 commercials stations run on AM band(the population is 9 000 000 of peoples) All relay transmitters for cbc radio in french has switch to fm band. Am band is dead here:( This is the reason about this speech of possibility for the CRTC to exempted AM stations of a broadcasting license. Some webradios can reach more audience that some small AM stations. The contribution of the AM market to the industry this years is very small compared to fm market. The AM band can survive only if some radio entousiast peoples keep the interest. The big money is no more for this band but the passion with some pepoels like me and you on this website can give a second life for the AM radio. Part15 is funny but too limited. The laws about radiodiffusion must be refresh to follow the news medias technologie and maybe change some old part of this law to open new possibility for other alternatives radios. Media is a Media(intenet radio, tv, cellphone,social network, FM and AM…etc. This is the reality!!
Thanks
what do you think about that??
Fred
Hi Fred:
I don’t know why, but it makes me sad that so many
AM radio stations have been turned off in Canada.
Maybe I just want things to be the way they always
have been.
One station I still listen to here on the radio is CHML,
900 kHz, in Hamilton, Ontario.
Back in the 1960s, when I was a teenager in Connecticut,
at night most of my friends on my street listened to CKLW, 800,
in Windsor, Ontario. It was then called “The Big 8” and was
very popular here. CKLW played all of the popular rock and
roll hits of the time. We really liked it a lot.
I suppose you will just have to wait and see what happens with
the AM band in Canada. I can’t think of any suggestions.
But, maybe, some day, there will be some kind of low power
broadcasting in Canada that is better than what our two
countries have now on the AM band. Do you know any
other people or organizations in Canada that would share
your idea?
I also find it interesting that, some of the Canadian stations
that have left the AM band and gone over to FM, have less
signal coverage than they had before.
Best Wishes,
Bruce, MICRO1690/1700
the ideas make the progress!!
I worked 2 years in a AM commercial 1Kw radio station in my area and many years for community fm radio in others places. What you say is true:”I also find it interesting that, some of the Canadian stations
that have left the AM band and gone over to FM, have less
signal coverage than they had before.” In my location I can’t hearing nothing on Am band during daytime since the stations gone over fm. This is very sad!!I’m relatively young man only 33years but I can remember my teenage years when I listening 5 or 6 stations broadcasting on the band…some located 100 miles away. But this time is the good old time…BUT….. If the regulation begin more “adapted”, I can personnaly buy a tower and a land and open a AM radio station in my town with oldies ans country song for example. Not to make money but just for the passion…like my webradio….I pay for my webradio and I don’t make money for this…But actually We must give a good business plan to the CRTC before start a radio station. Many guys think like me and if this exemption become the true, many Am radio will be on air quickly….I’m sure. Anyway Industry Canada will regulate the airwave spectrum after this and will coordinate all the frequencies….The outcome of this? more choices for audience and more voices…The other rules about the copyright etc stay in place….Radio business is like other businees….like a store or a garage lolll The difference is the share of the radio spectrum…but this is the job of Industry Canada not the CRTC. I can just wait and dream for a second life of the AM band.
You can say I’m a dreamer but…..;)
Thanks
Fred
Canadian Thoughts
In 1980 I worked at 690 AM in midwest U.S., daytime only, and remember the manager explaining that by Treaty 690 was protected in favor of Canada, and there are three stations on 690 Canada. I was on duty when a telegram arrived from the F.C.C. giving the station nighttime authority at 64-Watts. I thought that was kind of neat, but the manager only laughed at the idea. Now the station is on at night with new owners.
1610 AM is super popular for Part 15 in the U.S. because it is totally open, another Canadian channel, with only three stations in Canada, two in Ontario and one in Quebec. One of them is 10kW day /1kW night; the other two are only 1kW.
If AM radio becomes somewhat free, so to speak, over in Canada, maybe some of us can move there and put on a border-blaster like they once had from Mexico.
The Other Border
I have to amend part of what I just said about border blasters. I went over to radio-locator.com and found two of the originals are still operating!! XEG is 150,000 Watts and XERF is 250,000 watts and both put fat signals well into Texas.
Returning you now to Canada…
690 and 1610
The 50Kw 690 (INFO 690) Montreal is shutdown since approx one year(not financially viable) and a other shutdown in the same time is 940khz also in Montreal. The 1610Khz 1Kw Montreal is a ethnic radio, and a request from this station to CRTC has be made to move at 1410khz with more power (10Kw). This has be approved by CRTC one year ago but the station is always on 1610khz after one year. In the “DX” band, 1650 is a others ethnic radio in Montreal and 1690 is a University radio(1Kw for each). The US and Canada has the same standarts about power and conformity. In the night time I can heard many stations from the US east coast. And on somes “locals” frequencies like 1340, 1490 etc… I heard just rummmble. I can heard a clear channel on 1560khz RADIO DISNEY HEYY lolll
AM BCB Listening
Hi Fred!
I believe I have heard the 1610, 1650, and
1690 kHz Canadian stations you have mentioned
here in Connecticut. I’ll have to check my log.
Also, with the 690 kHz Canadian station off, I
have heard the BBC from England quite clearly
on 693 kHz two or three times. And there is
an oldies station in West Virginia on 690 kHz
that is listed as 500 watts day and (I think)
14 watts nighttime. The callsign is WELD.
I have heard them at night, although I find
it difficult to believe that they could have been
running 14 watts. Perhaps they were running
daytime power by mistake.
You mentioned the low power channels,
1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450, and 1490 kHz.
I found the only way to DX those frequencies
is to use a tape recorder with a timer set for
the top of the hour plus or minus about 3 minutes.(Or
(whatever you think is best for you.)
A multi-event timer is good because you can
record several times in a night. Or computer
recording software is also good.
Then you can play back the recording as many
times as you want and listen to the callsigns or
any other clues that may tell you what you are
hearing. I have heard about 30 stations in this
way on these frequencies. My best DX is 399 miles
(642 kM).
I am not a serious am DXer, but I do it once in a
while and it is really fun.
Best Wishes,
Bruce, MICRO 1690/1700