Star Ray TV
Encyclopedia
Star Ray TV is a community television station
in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. The station, which broadcasts on channel 15 in Toronto's Beaches
neighbourhood, was launched in 1997 when Jan Pachul, an amateur radio
operator, applied to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for licence to serve the community. Star Ray TV has temporary authority from Industry Canada to transmit on UHF channel 15 in Toronto with call sign VX9AMK.
station.
Pachul appeared before the CRTC on September 19, 2001, and was ordered to shut the station down by November 15 of that year. In December, the CRTC published a new policy permitting the development of community stations on LPTV.
At one point in 2002, Star Ray broadcast on UHF 15 as text-only, based on a loophole by which it claimed text did not constitute "programming" and was therefore not prohibited. More recently, Star Ray has faced allegations that its operations interfere with VHF channel 13.
In recent years, the station has broadcast over the Internet. Pachul applied for another broadcasting licence on June 3, 2004, but as of 2008 the CRTC has not published a decision either approving or denying the 2004 licence application.
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The station, which broadcasts on channel 15 in Toronto's Beaches
The Beaches
The Beaches is a neighbourhood and popular tourist destination located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the east side of the "Old" City of Toronto. The original boundaries of the neighbourhood are from Fallingbrook Avenue on the east to Kingston Road on the north, to Woodbine Avenue...
neighbourhood, was launched in 1997 when Jan Pachul, an amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
operator, applied to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for licence to serve the community. Star Ray TV has temporary authority from Industry Canada to transmit on UHF channel 15 in Toronto with call sign VX9AMK.
Pirate broadcasting
On August 21, 2000, after five interventions from established broadcasters, the CRTC turned down Pachul's application, on the grounds that it did not meet with the CRTC's LPTV policy, but Pachul alleged that the CRTC was simply protecting established corporate broadcasters who had already failed in their responsibility to provide programming of community interest. On September 9, the station began broadcasting illegally as a piratePirate broadcasting
Pirate broadcasting is illegal unlicensed broadcasting, referring to:*pirate radio*pirate televisionSee also: broadcast signal intrusion, when a licensed broadcast signal is overridden by an unauthorized signal, more akin to real piracy....
station.
Pachul appeared before the CRTC on September 19, 2001, and was ordered to shut the station down by November 15 of that year. In December, the CRTC published a new policy permitting the development of community stations on LPTV.
At one point in 2002, Star Ray broadcast on UHF 15 as text-only, based on a loophole by which it claimed text did not constitute "programming" and was therefore not prohibited. More recently, Star Ray has faced allegations that its operations interfere with VHF channel 13.
In recent years, the station has broadcast over the Internet. Pachul applied for another broadcasting licence on June 3, 2004, but as of 2008 the CRTC has not published a decision either approving or denying the 2004 licence application.