More French? Really!

In June 2007 the CRTC called for applications to operate radio stations in the Ottawa area, for the last two remaining FM frequencies: 99.7 and 101.9. No fewer than eleven applicants made their bids, and a year later the CRTC announced the winners: DAWG at 101.9 and EVE at 99.7. DAWG's genre: blues, aiming at the age 25 to 54 demographic, featuring Canadian and local bands. EVE's audience, professional women ages 35 to 54, entertainment geared to soft adult contemporary music, local news and talk.

Presumably a large enough target audience for both. And presenting a somewhat different agenda. But one of those who lost their bid was RCFO (Radio de la communite francophone d'Ottawa), who undertook to appeal to the Privy Council, complaining that the CRTC had not taken minority language rights into account. Their genre, French-language news-talk radio and French-Canadian music, to target francophones in Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, Gatineau and the Outaouais.

Bloody hell. Privy Council responded by bringing Heritage Minister James Moore on board, who then ordered the CRTC to 'reconsider'. Two anglophone stations given the go-ahead just doesn't make it, ostensibly because the 'balance' between francophone and anglophone stations on the FM band would be upset. No one can deny francophones are well served within the Province of Quebec. And they're equally well-served in the Ottawa area.

There currently exists five francophone commercial radio stations in Ottawa-
Gatineau, and ten anglophone stations. Reflecting in large part the language of the majority population, and generously reflecting the minority population of francophones. RCFO objects that all of the francophone stations are located in Gatineau, unreflective of issues in Ontario. Well, pardon me.

If francophones are so interested in Ontario-based issues, they're more than welcome to listen to English-language stations to clue in on the Ontario issues. Anglophones who enjoy listening to the francophone stations get Quebec-oriented news, by and large. As it is, the airwaves are swollen with francophone stations and television stations beamed into Ontario appear to overwhelm the numbers of anglophone stations.

Ontario doesn't need more francophone stations in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. We're drowning in them as it is. But, given the order, the CRTC is going through the entire process of inviting applicants to re-bid, before once again making their selections. Initial re-applications have proceeded, and RCFO was informed by CRTC chairman Konrad van Finckenstein he was 'disappointed' in their unpractical presentation.

The two anglo stations hoping that their original acceptances will be reinstated, are bending over backwards to ingratiate themselves, both with the CRTC and with francophone community radio stations. EVE-fm, if granted a license is prepared to contribute over a half-billion to Radio Enfant-Ado. While DAWG-fm has offered to contribute $350,000 to a fund for francophone community radio.

Over-compensation for the francophone presence in Ontario is an absurdity. Particularly when it diminishes the anglophone presence, which it invariably succeeds in doing. It's needless to repeat once again that this type of anomaly doesn't exist in the Province of Quebec; only Ontario and the Federal Government, seeking to further satisfy francophone demands.