a re-print from “The Record”
Boy is it hot or what? When I come home after work these days I see what seems to be a dead cat on my deck. Smoke (better known as Smoke the Singing Cat) completely collapses in 30 degree-plus temperatures. Imagine wearing a fur coat in this weather.
This whole thing of community radio in Brome Missisquoi and Shefford, CIDI 99.1 FM, has pretty much the same effect on me as the warm and sticky summer weather has on Smoke. It’s an incredible challenge and energy drainer. You know Harry S. Truman’s saying: “if you can’t stand the heat then get out of the kitchen”. Well, the team at CIDI plans to keep on cooking.
All the same, it’s perfectly normal to back away from the heat once in a while, relax and restore the life forces so to speak. However, I just don’t understand why the cat needs to recharge his batteries so much. Hot weather or not, I see him in a sleep mode most of the time.
Well, it wouldn’t be good for us as a community to fall asleep at the wheel at this point. CIDI has gotten the approval to broadcast, from Industry Canada, as a result of a three week broadcast-test period with our new transmitter and tower at the beginning of June. The problem is, there is another station, CFNJ FM, that broadcasts out of Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon in the Lanaudière region of Quebec on the same frequency as CIDI.
The operative word here is “same”. When there are two broadcasters using the same frequency in the same area, the higher powered transmission pushes the lower one out. In our case we don’t have a chance against CFNJ as they have 10,000 watts to our 1,450.
The CRTC and Industry Canada have already given CFNJ the right to broadcast at 10K with their current setup. They also gave CIDI the right to broadcast in a certain protected area that CFNJ is now encroaching upon. What a mess. If I were in CFNJ’s shoes, listening to the inevitable protectionist concerns from CIDI over their broadcast turf being overrun, I’d be angry. Not at CIDI, but at the Feds.
After paying big bucks to erect a tower and transmission system, which the CRTC sanctioned in 2004 (the same year CIDI received its okay to broadcast into Brome Missisquoi), I’m sure they will have something to say about the matter. The only solution I see is for the CRTC to render a decision asking St-Gabriel to back off their power in the direction of Brome Missisquoi. The thing is, they might have to change their antenna as a result. But, at what cost? And, who will pay?
At the moment Foster, The Town of Brome Lake, Fulford, Bromont and other communities in CIDI’s protected broadcast region have trouble picking us up, due to interference caused by CFNJ. I can be travelling in my car from Bromont to Bondville with Patch Hill (our tower’s summit) in sight, and get CFNJ cutting in and out. I don’t know about you, but I think this just may be a job for Smoke the cat, CIDI’s singing cat and mascot.
Even though at the moment he is on his back battling the heat wave with curled-up paws, I know he will save the day. Never mind that he deserted us a couple of years back after Christmas time for about a week. I still have faith in him. And, we never knew what he was up to. Sometimes the heat in the kitchen gets a little too hot.
Smoke, as an independent artist, needs a voice, and because CIDI plays his newly released album, Do You Think I’m Sexy, on RCM records, he has graciously accepted to take the lead in defending our airspace. Regular listeners of CIDI, whenever you hear Smoke sing, ask your neighbours if they can pick him up on their radios as well. It ain’t over ’til the cat sings.
If you phone CIDI at 450-242-9873 and identify the time and song he sings, we’ll let you know where your neighbours can sign Radio Communautaire Missisquoi’s petition asking the CRTC to request that CFNJ back out of Brome Missisquoi. You’ll also be eligible to win a pair of tickets to the upcoming “Oliver Klaus is Coming to Town” fundraiser concert for CIDI this December 11 at the Maison de la Culture in Waterloo, along with a copy of Smoke’s CD. There will be many other prizes to win as well, to be announced shortly.
So we ask you to join us in defending our territory against intruders, by signing our petition and showing support for YOUR radio station. CIDI.
This is the strength of community, supporting each other to achieve a greater goal, and building a stronger network that benefits everyone.
Being who we are is CIDI, lots of great shows, lots of wonderful hosts and terrific volunteers. Give us a listen, send us your comments and suggestions, we always want to hear from you all and play the stuff you want to hear.
For those of you who can’t pick us up on the radio, go to our website rcmmedia.org and click on the live-streaming button. If you missed a show you can listen to it on the CIDI player or go to the show/host pages and listen to past programs.
The photos are courtesy David Anderson.
Maurice Singfield, is a Radio Communautaire Missisquoi volunteer. Tel: 450-242-9873 / 1-888-539-2098.
Tags: Brome-Missisquoi, CFNJ FM, CRTC, Industry Canada, Lanaudière, petition, Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, Shefford, Smoke the Singing Cat
