New 100,000-watt transmitter to serve Grande Prairie

Wednesday, September 6th, 2017 12:53pm

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Grande Prairie, Alta. area will now get CFWE-FM radio.

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The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has approved an application by CFWE-FM Edmonton to expand its services in Grande Prairie, Alta. with a new FM transmitter.

In its notice published Sept. 6, the Commission said it did not receive any interventions regarding the CFWE-FM application.

The new transmitter will operate at 105.7 MHz (channel 289C1) with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts.

The new transmitter would provide service to Indigenous residents in Grande Prairie and Grande Prairie County, including those living off reserve, and would allow the Aboriginal Multi Media Society, owners of CFWE-FM, to decommission two of its low-power transmitters currently serving Horse Lake Reserve and Duncan’s Band Reserve.

“This is such awesome news,” said CFWE-FM CEO Bert Crowfoot. “The addition of Grand Prairie is a major building block in the growth of CFWE and the Aboriginal Multi Media Society in our goal of providing the highest quality communications to the Indigenous people of Alberta.”

The transmitter would help increase awareness of issues, events and news from the region and expose the population to Indigenous languages, which would have a positive effect, reads the CRTC notice.

The transmitter must be operational at the earliest possible date and in any event no later than 24 months from the date of the decision.

LISTEN: Jeremy Harpe of CFWE-FM interviews CEO Bert Crowfoot about the announcement.