It is a rare thing these days for a new radio station to begin over-the-air broadcasting. It is not surprising the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is pretty tight with licences. In major urban centres, the availability of allotments on the FM band is at or near exhaustion.
The process is also somewhat daunting. Even if a new venture qualifies, it has to go through a public process that can take from eight to 18 months.
Melville’s Steven Schneider and Emily MacNeill are hopeful and confident their Parkland Rock Radio will soon be the new kid on the block.
“Currently our station broadcasts online from our website www.parklandrocks.com to 6,500-plus daily listeners within 100 kilometre radius of Melville to any wi-fi enabled device such as smartphones, tablets and all new model vehicles,” Schneider said, adding their CRTC application is in .
On November 29, the couple held a fundraiser to help pay for a transmitter and broadcast tower they plan to install on their recently acquired property on 5th Avenue West in Melville. In addition to the equipment some of the money raised from the fundraiser will go toward putting on an all-ages food, culture and music festival Schneider and MacNeill are spearheading for next summer at the Agri-Park.
The fundraiser, which was held at Melville’s Royal Canadian Legion Hall, featured a sale of vinyl records, vintage video game consoles, used music equipment, band t-shirts, CDs, posters and other sundry music-related items. Vendors were also on hand selling various things such as sports memorabilia, jewellery and homemade pies.
There was also a pancake breakfast and live music performances.
Schneider and MacNeill also shared the day with a Going Bananas to End MS fundraiser.
Going Bananas to end MS is a Melville multiple sclerosis fundraising phenomenon founded by Wade and Michelle Walz in honour of Michelle’s uncle Wayne Nowoselski, who suffers from the debilitating disease.
Every year, Michelle and Wade participate with Team Nowo, Uncle Wayne’s MS Bike group that who ride in the annual Waskesiu fundraiser. Last year, the couple was looking for a fundraising idea for the ride and figured out they could sell Michelle’s banana bread for $5 a loaf.
The bread was so popular, Wade said, she baked up 1,700 loves last year and they raised more than $5,000 after expenses. This year, in addition to banana bread sales, they are going run a raffle with three prizes of travel vouchers worth $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively.
