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All’s quiet at 97.7 FM

Where did mysterious broadcast come from?

KIRSTEN MURPHY

Stop, hey, what was that sound?

People tuning into 97.7 FM this month heard a three-week run of Top 40 melodies in Iqaluit. Which day the music died is unclear. What’s certain is the airwaves are now silent.

"To my knowledge, the only people in town with equipment like that [other than CBC] is the John Howard Society," said Kevin Wright, an Eastern Arctic Television technician.

Martin Geraghty, a John Howard Society spokesperson, confirmed a JHS member was responsible for the all-rock, no-talk experiment.

"The individual responsible for [playing music] was performing periodic trial broadcasts solely to test the equipment. It is not currently being broadcast, nor has the individual been authorized by the John Howard Society to operate a radio station on behalf of the John Howard Society," Geraghty said.

Two key pieces of equipment are needed for radio broadcasts: a FM transmitter and an antenna. The JHS has both units as part of its televised bingo programs.

The JHS submitted a CRTC application to run a public radio station in October 2002. Until the CRTC and Industry Canada approve the application to operate a community Aboriginal radio station, 97.7 will remain quiet.

The musical interludes caused confusion among radio listeners awaiting CHIQ, Iqaluit’s first private radio station at 99.9 FM.

Raven Radio, an Evaz Group business, won’t be on the air until April, maybe later, said Teri Chegwyn, CHIQ station manager.

"We’re waiting for a back-ordered antenna," she said.

So who was encroaching on her turf?

"I have my suspicions. I think I know but I don’t want to get in the middle of it. It’s really easy to broadcast. The tough part is getting a licence. You have to go through the CRTC and there are rules you have to follow," Chegwyn said.

No record of a licence for 97.7 FM exists with the CRTC yet, said Joanne Lafontain, public relations officer with the broadcasting watchdog.

"It could be an exempt service. It could be broadcast illegally. I’m not saying they are. It could be any number of things," she said.

A spokesperson for Industry Canada, a branch of the federal government that enforces CRTC regulations, the matter is under investigation.

Community stations, like the Francophone Association’s 107.3 CFRT, operate without a CRTC broadcasting licence because the station is not-for-profit. Aboriginal community radio shows would also qualify for an exemption.

In the meantime, keep tuning into 99.9 FM.

"When we go on the air you’re going to know we’re on the air," Chegwyn said.

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