Star Ray TV is an independent pirate community television

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station, which broadcasts in

digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Technology and computing Hardware *Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals **Digital camera, which captures and stores digital i ...

on channel 22 in Toronto's Beaches neighbourhood, was launched in 1997 when Jan Pachul, an

amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communic ...

operator, applied to the

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; french: Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes, links=) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasti ...

(CRTC) for a licence to serve the community. Star Ray TV has temporary authority from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada from 1993 to 2015) to transmit on

UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter (on ...

channel 15 and 22 in Toronto with call sign VX9AMK.

History

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

low-power broadcasting Low-power broadcasting is broadcasting by a broadcast station at a low transmitter power output to a smaller service area than "full power" stations within the same region. It is often distinguished from "micropower broadcasting" (more commonly " ...

(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 pirate 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 Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (radio waves) from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter. Frequencies immediately below VHF ...

channel 13, home to

CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...

's CKCO-DT in

Kitchener Kitchener may refer to: People * Earl Kitchener, a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom ** Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (1850–1916), British Field Marshal and 1st Earl Kitchener ** Henry Kitchener, 2nd Earl Kitchener (1846–1937) ...

. 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. Since its inception, Star Ray broadcast on UHF channel 15. However, since CHCH-DT moved its signal to UHF 15 on December 2, 2013, Pachul moved Star Ray TV to UHF channel 22 and began broadcasting in digital with a new

ATSC Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) standards are an American set of standards for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable and satellite networks. It is largely a replacement for the analog NTSC standard and, like that ...

transmitter on December 13, 2013, with the virtual channel remaining 15 via PSIP.

References

External links

Star Ray TVVX9AMK (STAR RAY) history
- Canadian Communication Foundation
Internet Broadcasting from Toronto

TOchat, Star Ray's online forum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Star Ray Tv Television stations in Toronto Mass media regulation in Canada Pirate television stations Canadian community channels Television channels and stations established in 1997 1997 establishments in Ontario