Steve Faguy reports Bell Media recently submitted an application to revoke the license of the broadcasting transmitter CKCO-TV-2, located in Wiarton, due to a dispute with a neighbour.
Faguy clarifies that CKCO-TV-2 is not a television station, but a transmitter for CKCO-DT Kitchener. Bell Media owns the property where the transmission tower is located. The only way to access the tower is through an adjacent property. Bell Media had a verbal agreement with the previous neighbour who allowed Bell Media entry to the access road. However, Bell is now having trouble accessing the transmission tower due to the new owner of the access road. The new owner had a falling out with Bell Media after Bell rightfully prevented the new owner from cutting down trees located on Bell’s property. The blog states the new owner demanded Bell to pay $1,000 a month to use the access road, in addition to $34,000 in back pay going back to when the new owner first purchased the property. Faguy agrees with Bell that this demand was a “ridiculous sum and offered to pay $5,000 a year, with no back pay.” The owner refused Bell’s act of good faith.
Bell Media also has a tenant (Spectrum Communications) on the tower who pays $14,000 annually until the lease expires in August 2015. Faguy maintains that this lease payment is not enough to justify the $91,000 a year cost to run the tower and its transmitters.
Bell experienced even further frustration with the transmitter when the power went out at the tower causing CKCO-TV-2 to go off air. Faguy states, “Bell discovered a serious fault in the electrical system which required a series of repairs, but again the owner of the road denied access.” There was one other way to access the tower through a tiny strip of land connecting Bell’s land to the road. This tiny strip of land could only be travelled via snowshoe.
The blog further goes on to say that Bell has decided to “give up on the 230-metre-high-tower and hand back the license for CKCO-TV-2.” Faguy reports there are no plans to move the transmitter since the station received very little response about the CKCO-TV-2 being off air. Faguy criticises Bell’s decision and commitment to try to restore CKCO-TV-2 back on air. The blog cites the full text of Bell’s application.
