Canadian Government Drops Gavel; RKO Owned CKLW Must Change Hands to Canadian Ownership Or Must Dispose Station’s Assets
TORONTO — The Canadian Radio Television Commission has ruled that radio station CKLW in Windsor, Ont., will receive its license renewal until Sept. 1, 1970. But within that period of time, the station must divest itself of its U. S. ownership or lose its broadcasting license altogether.
The CRTC said that, according to its records, the issued shares in Western Ontario Broadcasting are now owned by RKO Distributing Co. of Canada, which is owned by RKO General Inc. in the U. S.
These shares must change hands to a Canadian-owned company within a year and a half or the station will lose its license. This decision was based on a Canadian government order of Sept. 20, 1968, which ruled that any Canadian broadcasting outlet must be “effectively owned and controlled by Canadians.”
CKLW applied for an exemption from this order based on its geographic and economic situation – the Detroit area which adjoins Windsor directly across the river. The CRTC could have recommended such an exemption if it had so chosen but in so doing it would have had to satisfy both itself and the federal cabinet that this action would not be contrary to public interests.
The commission said that after careful consideration of the petition of CKLW, it could not make such a recommendation.
The commission noted that it was granting the temporary license renewal to “give the licensee an opportunity to comply with its provisions or to dispose of the assets of the station.” END
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Information, credit and news source: Billboard; April 19, 1969
