Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. dropped 45 regional stations across Canada this February 2024, some of them in Northern BC, but there is some good news.
VISTA Radio, with its HQ in Courtenay BC, has announced its intent to take over 21 of the stations, located in BC’s interior. This includes the communities of Ft. St. John, Ft. Nelson, and Prince Rupert. The purchase is pending CRTC approval, which could take about a year to process.
VISTA currently owns about 50 radio stations in three provinces and the Northwest Territories. Unlike Bell, its primary focus is radio, augmented with digital content.
While talking us through this significant expansion, VISTA President Bryan Edwards claims many of these markets are underutilized. Edwards wants to bring his decentralized news model to the stations, with the intention of bettering local news coverage. When asked if he would take to the airwaves personally amidst this expansion, he answered with a wry chuckle, “No.”
