Commercial radio comes to Iqaluit

KIRSTEN MURPHY

A city councillor’s weather anxieties give Terri Chegwyn hope for commercial radio in Iqaluit.

Kirt Ejesiak told council during a Jan. 22 meeting that faulty weather detection equipment might be behind recent unfulfilled blizzard warnings. Were his concerns newsworthy? Not really, Chegwyn admits. Local media never ran it. Were his observations worthy of commentary about the city’s priorities? Absolutely, she said.

Chegwyn sees Raven Radio CHIQ 99.9 FM as a blend of coffee shop-talk and top-40 rock music. “You know when you sit in the driveway and continue to listen to a story to have a good laugh? My hope is to entertain people to the point they want to listen that badly,” said station manager Chegwyn.

The station is owned by Evaz Group which has travel, office supply and construction interests in Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet. The company’s unconventional leap into media has not been done hastily, Chegwyn said. It’s backed by years of feasibility studies and market research.

“This is definitely a departure [for Evaz],” she said

The station’s application to the CRTC in the final stage, and 99.9 FM is expected to hit the airwaves this fall. The last hurdle is gathering public input, which the CRTC is expected to solicit in the coming month.

Chegwyn’s vision includes current affairs call-in shows, swap and shop spots, public service announcements, weather warnings and a slot for volunteer DJs. Music will range from the Beach Boys to Beck. Broadcast News, a syndicated news service, will air in the place of top-of-the hour local newscasts. Two hours of Inuktitut programming will be aired during the day. Pre-recorded music will air from midnight to 6 a.m.

Chegwyn and three staff members will host shows, select music and sell ads.

After 14 years as travel agent, Chewgyn is learning about hooking up live feeds and avoiding dead air. She wants 99.9 FM to reflect the community. Even so, she makes no bones about the bottom line: making money.

CBC Radio in Iqaluit is publicly funded and does not rely on advertising revenue. So is 99.9 potential competition for a station with thousands of dedicated listeners?

Patrick Nagle, CBC area manager hesitated to comment until he knew more. “CBC co-exists with commercial radio stations in lots of markets across the country, including Yellowknife and Whitehorse. Until I’m better acquainted with what exactly their proposing to do, it’s hard for me to say anything. I can tell you we are curious,” Nagle said.

Chegwyn seems confident there’s enough business to go around. “We’re a growing city and a commercial radio station is just another step in our growth,” Chegwyn said.