Liard looking for volunteers to keep signal
Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Liard (Dec 15/00) - Earlier this month, there was no radio signal for almost a week in Fort Liard.
But that is nothing new for the hamlet and frustration is growing for those trying to tune into CBC radio.
A volunteer society is needed to help raise money for the broadcasts. But the amount of money needed will depend on whatever repairs are required to the local transmitter.
"If we get a little group we can have a radio society," said hamlet senior administrative officer John McKee.
Without a local cable provider, CBC North television has periodically not been available and CBC radio signal also comes and goes.
Fort Liard receives the CBC's signal and then the transmitter rebroadcasts it to the community, McKee explained.
Cathie Bolstad, regional director of television for the CBC, said the transmitter in Fort Liard is not owned and operated by the CBC. The GNWT had maintained the equipment until 1996 when it was turned over to the community.
Over the past few years, the hamlet and the Acho Dene Koe band have incurred costs for repairs to the community's equipment and have paid the power bills just to keep it going. Volunteers have also fixed the equipment for years.
"In tax-based municipalities, some of them add it on the property tax, but we don't charge property tax here so we have to raise it independently," McKee said, explaining the need for a volunteer society.
Technicians were in the community earlier this month to replace the old analogue receiving equipment with new digital receiving equipment. It won't improve the reliability of the transmission in Fort Liard, Bolstad said.
"It will continue to be the responsibility of the people who own those sites."
She added that CBC North does provide technical assistance over the phone when requested.
"But if a building isn't heated and the equipment can't operate because it's frozen, we can't fix that," she said.
