Squamish might get a new 24-hour local television station if the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) gives the go ahead.
Corus Audio and Advertising Service Ltd. has filed a request for a station license for a channel tentatively called My Local 1 in Squamish and 63 additional cities across Western Canada including Dawson Creek, Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw and Flin Flon.
Squamish's My Local 1 is an English language station scheduled to offer a mix of 100 per cent Canadian content in the form of local news as well as information about local events, activities, weather, news feeds, environmental features and road reports using video, text, graphics and audio.
"Some broadcasters are reducing or cancelling local TV programming in many Canadian markets. We think it's the wrong choice. So we have applied to the CRTC for a brand new TV channel," reads the station website www.mylocall.ca.
According to the My Local 1 website, Corus plans to showcase several pieces of information on the screen at any one given time, giving the screen a multi-layered look.
The CRTC licensing application for the station indicates that each hour of programming would air no more than 12 minutes of advertising with up to six minutes of local advertising.
Comments in support or in opposition of the new license for a 24-hour local news station are invited and can be submitted online on or before Monday March 15.
For more information on programming for the Squamish station or to view the CRTC application visit www.mylocal1.ca.
The CRTC is expected to review the application at a public hearing on Wednesday April 14 2010.
A spokesperson from Corus was reached but unable to comment due to the pending status of the CRTC license.
