Iqaluit’s new CBC Radio transmitter a moot point for pirate listeners
You’ve gotta admire him. Bryan Pearson (not pictured here), owner of the Astro Theatre in Iqaluit, has been quietly running a not-quite-legal rebroadcasting, uh, “service” — oh hell, I’ll say it, a pirate station — carrying CBC Radio for 13 years now.
He started it when CBC dropped Saturday Afternoon at the Opera from its AM broadcast. “That’s the only show that I listen to religiously,” he told a local paper. “So I got pissed off and bought a radio transmitter and a satellite dish.”
Pearson used to operate the station from his home, but later moved it to improve the signal’s reach. Still, on rainy days, some people in Iqaluit have trouble picking up the signal. It operates on only 1.8 watts of power, although the actual broadcasting licence he has is for 1/600th of a watt. “The same as your toaster,” he lamented.
Pearson says he’s never been hassled about the station, despite it being illegal.
CBC Radio now has a new station in Iqaluit, at 88.3 FM. Pearson says he’ll leave his station running anyway.
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Well, if he finds new content of his own to broadcast to Iqaluitians(?), I think we can let him be. Consider this an informal request to the CRTC per the “Diversity of Voices” doctrine.
People from Iqaluit = Iqalummiut.
Someone send him a t-shirt Quick!
Neither the CRTC nor the CBC gives a fig about a diversity of voices. They like to have a bunch of left wing voices from different communities.
Pirate away Bryan. I hope others in Canada do the same.
Sirius Radio is diverse. It’s unfortunate that it’s a pay service. There is a group of voices out there that will never make their way onto Canada’s CRTC/CBC approved airways. More’s the pity.
> People from Iqaluit = Iqalummiut.
What is the pronunciation for that?
Tod: Hmmm. Well, it’s hard to show you on paper, but here’s the closest I could come (someone who speaks Inuktitut would be able to do this better than I can):
ee-kal-OOM-ee-oot
Except you’ll want to make a noise sort of like you’re clearing your throat on the “kal”. Inuktitut has a lot of sounds you’ll never hear in English.
Megan: thank you!
*scribbles notes to make sure he doesn’t forget this…*
We need more of these “locally” run stations – whenever I travel in BC, AB – I can’t believe how spotty CBC is. No wonder there’s Western Alienation!
Pearson is a national treasure. Former mayor, MLA, coroner, restauranteur, video arcade operator, B and B operator and everything else, he is a foul mouthed, politically incorrect delight who now operates Iqaluit’s tiny, perfect movie theatre, the Astro.
Your tag says “Iquluit” instead of “Iqaluit.” Sorry for nit-picking.
Hi your comments about Saturday afternoon at the opera is how I came to your site. I am trying to find out if I can get a copy of the Dec 1 broadcast or find out if that programming (Transit of Venus opera and interviews) will be re-broadcast in the future. I would love to have a copy of the broadcast for local interest. (Winnipeg). Cheers!