CIRH-FM

CIRH-FM (98.3 FM) was an English-language radio station licensed by the CRTC in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was an urban talk/music radio station owned by, and doing business as, Roundhouse Radio. The station ceased operations on May 6, 2018, at 7:32 PM PDT,[1] pending CRTC approval of the sale of the station to South Fraser Broadcasting Inc., who operate CISF-FM in Surrey, British Columbia.[2]

CIRH-FM
CityVancouver, British Columbia
Frequency98.3 MHz (FM)
BrandingRoundhouse Radio
SloganOur City, Your Voice
Programming
FormatUrban Talk w/ music
Ownership
OwnerRoundhouse Radio
(0971197 B.C. Ltd.)
History
First air date
October 15, 2015
Last air date
May 6, 2018
Call sign meaning
C I Round House
Technical information
ClassA
ERP1.7 kilowatts
HAAT87.5 metres
Links
Webcasthttp://cirh.streamon.fm/
Websitewww.roundhouseradio.com

History

The idea for the station came in 2012. Don Shafer, his partner Yvonne and a few friends were discussing what they would do if they owned a radio station and wrote the ideas on the back of a napkin from the Alibi Room.[3] The idea was to create a radio station that was local and inclusive, different than traditional talk radio stations and more like CBC, NPR and the BBC.[3]

CIRH was licensed on August 6, 2014 by the CRTC which described the station format as "niche spoken word" targeting adults aged 25 to 64 in Vancouver. It was one of only two licenses granted in 2014, with the CRTC turning down nine others.[4] Control of the station is exercised by Pushor Family Holding Corp., Okanagan Valley Business Consulting Ltd., Daudrich 2007 Family Trust and Craig and Candace Cameron, Don Shafer and Yvonne Evans, collectively Roundhouse Radio.[5][6] The station broadcasts on FM 98.3, a low-power station covering the city of Vancouver.[7]

The building for studios and offices is located in Railtown, a neighbourhood within Vancouver on the Downtown Eastside.[3] This location was chosen due to the station having street access.[8]

Roundhouse Radio began broadcasting live on October 15, 2015.

In April 2018, the station's board of directors announced that due to financial considerations, the station will shut down at the end of the month unless a last-minute financial arrangement can be made to save it.[9]

At the end of April it was reported that the station had found a prospective buyer and that the board intended to keep the station on the air until the prospective sale was concluded.[10] The station shut down on May 6, 2018 pending approval by the CRTC of the station's sale and transfer of its broadcast license.[1]

Programming

CIRH broadcast 20 percent music with the remaining 80 percent on talk.[3] Its programming included news, weather, sports, local event promotion, public affairs, documentaries, radio plays and dramas, slam poetry, programs of public debate such as talk shows. In addition to broadcasting in FM, the station streamed live from its website where archived content could also be downloaded.[3]

CIRH programming had an evening show hosted by Kirk LaPointe, former CBC ombudsman and former mayoral candidate.[3] Other programs included IMPACT with Don Shafer, focusing on community and non-profit organizations, middays with Jody Vance, Live from Railtown with Cory Price, a weekly blues music show hosted by Jim Byrnes, a daily afternoon drive magazine series hosted by Janice Ungaro and Cory Ashworth, a food and wine show hosted by Terry David Mulligan and weekday mornings with Gene Valitis.[11]

The station's news and content director was Krystle Landert after the 2016 departure of Marcella Bernardo for News1130 Vancouver. The station's former director of programming, Tracey Friesen, was eventually ousted and replaced by founder and CEO, Don Shafer.

References
  1. https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/roundhouse-radio-sold-will-cease-broadcasting-on-sunday
  2. https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2018/2018-434.htm
  3. Sieniuc, Kat (11 August 2015). "Roundhouse Radio: Bringing the hyperlocal to Vancouver's airwaves". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  4. Korstrom, Glen (27 March 2015). "Jim Pattison and other investors see radio as better business than TV". Business In Vancouver. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  5. Parry, Jacob (22 July 2015). "Who is killing the community newspaper?". British Columbia Business. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  6. "Roundhouse Radio Owners Group". Roundhouse Radio official website. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  7. "New FM stations signal more change in local radio market". Business In Vancouver. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  8. Duggan, Evan (31 March 2015). "Vancouver eastside neighbourhood shifts from industrial to mixed commercial". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  9. "Vancouver's Roundhouse Radio needs cash injection or it will close down at the end of April". Vancouver Sun, April 16, 2018.
  10. https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/another-round-for-roundhouse-radio-station-may-stay-on-the-air
  11. "Roundhouse Radio 98/3, Vancouver, Unveils Programming Lineup" Archived 2015-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. Broadcaster, October 6, 2015.
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