CHRF

CHRF (Radio Fierté) is a radio station in Montreal, Quebec that is expected to launch in 2014.^[1] Owned by Evanov Communications, the station will broadcast a French language LGBT-oriented music and talk format similar to Evanov's English language station in Toronto, Ontario, CIRR-FM.^[1]

The station was awarded a license by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on November 21, 2011,^[2] to broadcast at the 990 AM frequency previously occupied by sports radio station CKGM, which moved to 690 AM on September 4, 2012.^[3] At 990 kHz, the station was to have begun operations in 2013, operating with a power of 50 kW as a class B station, a signal that would broadcast directionally at night in order to protect two other stations at that same frequency, Class-A clear-channel stations CBW in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and CBY in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador.

On July 25, 2013, Evanov filed a request with the CRTC to relocate CHRF to 980 AM, due to potential coverage problems in light of directional broadcasting due to CBW and CBY on 990. The station has chosen 980 AM, as there are no clear channel stations using that frequency, nor are there any close by that broadcast there currently – the closest ones are CFPL in London, Ontario; WCAP in Lowell, Massachusetts; WOFX in Troy, New York; and WTEM in Washington, D.C. In addition, the closest 980 allocation to Montreal, in Quebec City, has remained vacant since 1997, when CBV relocated to FM. The frequency change was approved on December 4, 2013; Evanov has until November 2014 to launch CHRF (it requested the delay from 2013 in its request, citing the proposed change of frequency).^[4] CKGM, the former occupant of 990, relocated there from 980 in 1990.^[5]

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