Listener-supported _commercial_ stations

[Garrett Wollman <wollman>]

<<On Tue, 24 Aug 1999 14:12:29 +0000, Dan.Strassberg@att.net said:

> I gather that Canada allows such stations.

No, but they do allow non-commercial stations to run commercials. :-)

The rule as I understand it is that such stations are allowed to run
advertising, up to some maximum level in minutes per hour, but can
only be licensed to non-profit community organizations, and can in no
circumstances maintain a positive cash flow.

The CBC is different; they were at the time licensed as a commercial
broadcaster.  (Of course, they were also the regulatory agency back
then, so they could write their licenses any way they wanted.)  The
CBC's current licenses, on the radio side, prohibit advertising, but
do allow the CBC to promote events run by others of which the CBC is a
sponsor.  All of the CBC's broadcast licenses -- except for Quebec
City, for some reason -- are up for renewal next spring.  (That
includes all of the TV and radio broadcast stations, the four radio
and two TV networks, and the two cable all-news channels.  It does not
include their satellite DAB service, Galaxie.)

- -GAWollman

- --
Garrett A. Wollman   | O Siem / We are all family / O Siem / We're all the same
wollman@lcs.mit.edu  | O Siem / The fires of freedom 
Opinions not those of| Dance in the burning flame
MIT, LCS, CRS, or NSA|                     - Susan Aglukark and Chad Irschick

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