Photo-Op
HRM to Get New Community FM Radio Station
(Wednesday, June 26/2002)-- Mayor Peter Kelly will assist tomorrow in the official launch of a new FM community radio station, designed to provide a variety of local information to both visitors and the residents of Halifax Regional Municipality.
Mayor Kelly will be recording a Message of Welcome to visitors which will be broadcast on the new Halifax Information Radio station 97.9 FM. The message will be recorded on a computer remote at City Hall and be sent directly to, and inserted in the program log, of the station's computer centre.
The new station has a low power output of 10 watts and is not intended to compete against commercial radio stations. It will feature such things as daily reports of community events and attractions; regular weather updates from Environment Canada; road reports from the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation; snow and ice clearing information, road construction reports, transit updates and Emergency Measures Organization broadcasts from the Halifax Regional Municipality; as well as bridge reports from the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission.
The information will be broadcast on a loop, which will be repeated at 10, 20 and 30 minute intervals, depending on its importance. It will be updated throughout the day, sometimes hourly.
Station owner Jack McGaw, formerly of the CTV network and former host and producer of the national "Live It Up" consumer program, says 97.9 FM will provide helpful and interesting information about HRM to visitors to the area, as well as to local residents.
Mr. McGaw said "Road construction detours, storm warnings or weather updates, festival and entertainment event information in the local area should be of interest to both visitors to HRM and to local residents. Listeners who tune into to us for only 10 to 12 minutes any time of day should get a good idea of what's going on in the community."
The station is now broadcasting a test service message and plans to begin a complete broadcast schedule, including the Mayor's Message, on Friday night.
Mayor Kelly will record and send his Welcome Message at 12 noon tomorrow (Thursday, June 27th) in the Corporate Communications Office, Main Floor, City Hall.
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John O'Brien
Corporate Communications Officer
(902) 490-6531
