Tuesday, January 22, 2008

SAY NO to CBC RADIO ONE REQUEST

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC

SAY NO to CBC RADIO ONE REQUEST


CBC Radio One is making a request to the CRTC that they be allowed to transfer over to FM.

This transfer if approved would make it extremely difficult for many residents of SRO's and other lower income folks in the Oldtown area who can't afford higher-tech radios and still rely on the older radio models, including the transistor type.

It would be an absolute shame if lower-income citizens become disengaged in public affairs as a result of CBC being successful with its application.

Why CBC can't move forward on pushing to improve AM technology is something which needs answering and as yet they haven't explored this angle.

CBC states they want to convert to FM for the following reasons:


- AM reception is poor in the core of Vancouver. Making the move to FM is the only way to ensure that all of the people of Vancouver are able to receive Radio One's unique and distinctive service.


- CBC carried out a survey of Radio One listeners in Vancouver (Foundation Research, 2004) that told us that almost 40% of respondents experienced signal reception difficulties (often or occasionally) with CBU either at home, at work or in their car.

-Tuning to the AM band is in decline and has been for years. Four out of ten Vancouver radio listeners do not listen to the AM band at all. Making the move to FM is an investment in Radio One's future. It's about being relevant and staying connected to the people of Vancouver.


- Radio One is currently available on FM in every major city in Canada except Vancouver. This transition to FM is long overdue.

Please dear reader, let the CRTC know that a move by CBC Radio One to FM will disenfranchise many poorer citizens of the Metro Vancouver region and this would be tragic.

In a world where more and more citizens are being left behind, the move by CBC, if successful, would put another nail in the coffin of those already struggling to survive. Engaged citizens create a much healthier society and for the betterment of society, to prevail, we don't want citizens to become disengaged .

The deadline for contacting the CRTC is Wednesday, Jan, 23, 2008 (tomorrow).

Please act immediately and contact CRTC. Go directly to the form on the CRTC website at http://support.crtc.gc.ca/rapidscin/default.aspx?lang=en and click on the button *#2007-18*. Then, check the box beside *#200714239* (in the list, this is the second CBC application) and go to the bottom of the page and select *Next

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com

4 Comments:

At 5:12 PM, Blogger Paul Hillsdon said...

This is possibly the worst argument I've ever heard - almost so ridiculous I'm wondering if you are even serious.

Poor people would no longer have access to the CBC?!

*ALL* radios have FM and AM, first off. Then, portable ones are like $10 at most! I doubt many homeless or poor people listen to the radio, let alone the CBC.

The benefits far outweigh any disadvantages. I can't believe you are trying to make this argument!

 
At 8:24 PM, Blogger Jamie Lee Hamilton said...

Mr Hillsdon

you are so pathetic claiming that poor people don't listen to the radio or CBC. You are nothing but a poor basher.

 
At 8:47 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice comeback. Paul's point, I think, is that this change will not disenfranchise anyone because there is practically no radio made in the last 30 years that cannot receive FM. I'd challenge you to find one, even in the DTES.

 
At 9:02 PM, Blogger Jamie Lee Hamilton said...

Hi Anonymous

Well I challenge you to show me talk or public affairs programming on FM. I don't listen to it much but when I have, at times, there can be quite a bit of interference although I must admit, my radio is a clock radio. My radio has much better AM quality.

My understanding is that AM has much stronger signalling than FM and again I reiterate that many poor people do not have the luxury of better quality radios and I don't believe lower-income citizens, who I believe benefit from public affairs programming should be left out of citizen engagement due to CBC wanting to move onto the FM dial which makes no sense

 

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