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The Bear facts

93.1 radio The Bear in Barriere receives a landslide of support thanks to Star/Journal

‘The Bear’ just might make it out of hibernation after an overwhelming social media response to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has produced a promise to expedite the application process wherever possible for licensing the radio station.

Barriere radio guru Steven Shannon, contacted the Star/Journal last week to ask if we could help him to get the word out to those in the community who wanted the radio station to be back “on air”.

Shannon told us that on October 11, of 2012,  a 58 page document was filed with the CRTC as an application for a full time, full service Barriere Radio Station.

The application process takes six to eight months.  In mid February of 2013 he was contacted by the commission in Ottawa and asked to expand on three points regarding our application.  The updates were inserted into the full application and re-filed with the commission a week or so later.

“We were informed at that time that the updates  would “cause no delay” in the application process.” said Shannon, “But on April 9, just about six months after the initial application submission, we made a call to the CRTC to get a status update on the application. We were informed that the “no delay” comment was incorrect and was made by a misinformed CRTC staffer. Understanding that a further six to eight month delay in getting our radio station “on air” would be devastating to Barriere, we were asked by a CRTC rep  to submit a request for an “expedited process”, who noted that a show of support from members of the Barriere community would help greatly in getting this expedited process moving.”

As a result Shannon started to put word out that those wishing to show their disappointment with the CRTC delays, and those who would like to stress their feelings about getting 93.1 The Bear back onto the air, could email their thoughts directly to the CRTC rep that he had spoken to.

Shannon also asked the Star/Journal last Wednesday afternoon to help get the word out.  Which we immediately did, by uploading his request to our website, and by starting a Facebook campaign that flooded the CRTC rep’s computer  with numerous emails requesting the station be approved and back on the air for the community.

The next morning Shannon contacted the Star/Journal and requested we ask folks “to hold”, due to the fact the point had been made quite impressively with the CRTC, and that they have stated they will make all possible effort to expedite the application.

“Wow”, said Shannon, “In talking to the CRTC this morning I was told that the response has been unbelievable.  We have all made our point (big time), however we need to hold off now. Thanks Star/Journal, you are amazing; and so are all those listeners of The Bear who joined in.”

Shannon also noted that the lady who received the emails at the CRTC “...is wonderful and got a real kick out of the zillion emails that she received from Barriere radio lovers.”

The community is still without its radio station, but perhaps after showing such impressive support, getting back “on the air” will now be sooner than later.