Residents fighting a controversial proposal to relocate a series of radio transmission towers to Point Roberts are holding another town hall meeting in Tsawwassen next week.
Set for Tuesday, March 18 at Tsawwassen United Church, the forum will be another opportunity for people to find out the latest on the application by BBC Broadcasting Inc. and what they can do to voice objections.
The radio station wants to construct five 45-metre (150-foot) steel towers at an undeveloped lot on McKenzie Way just south of the international border. The towers would transmit South Asian radio station KRPI, AM 1550, which broadcasts from studios in Richmond.
Also known as Sher-E-Punjab AM 1550, the company broadcasts using antenna in Ferndale, WA, but wants a stronger signal in the Lower Mainland.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a construction permit for the towers but a conditional use permit is still required from Whatcom County, where a public hearing will be held in the coming weeks.
Organizers with the cross-border Coalition to Stop the Towers say next Tuesday's meeting will include information on several fronts, including legal action taken with the FCC and steps to stop the conditional use permit.
The greatest concern with the towers being relocated to Point Roberts is the blanketing interference they would cause with all manner of household electronic devices, a situation that has plagued Ferndale residents for years.
In his lengthy submission to the FCC, Point Roberts resident Arthur Reber outlined what he said are serious flaws, including omissions, in the application. He noted the community of Tsawwassen was never
mentioned in the original application BBC submitted to the FCC to relocate the towers. It is, therefore, likely the FCC was unaware of the blanketing interference that would impact more than 20,000 Canadian residents.
"It is clear that BBC is aware of Tsawwassen. As noted, KRPI's studios and offices are in Richmond, B.C. just to the north. Their officers would have had to drive through Tsawwassen to get to their property in Point Roberts," Reber said.
"Unless someone at the FCC who was reviewing this application knew that many thousands of homes, schools, churches and businesses were directly to the north of the planned tower array there would be no reason not to grant it."
Reber noted the mission of Sher-E-Punjab, KRPI and BBC Broadcasting has always been to serve the South Asian community of the Lower Mainland. The failure to provide benefit to the host community is in violation of FCC standards and is additional grounds for denying renewal of BBC's licence, he said.
Next Tuesday's public meeting at Tsawwassen United Church (693-53rd St.) takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information about the meeting or to make a donation to the campaign, check www.notowers.webs.com.
