Gord Leighton isn香蕉视频直播檛 anxious to be idle.

Former general manager of SUN-FM radio, Leighton 香蕉视频直播� who has spent five decades in broadcasting 香蕉视频直播� said he香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渘ot wired to hang around and do nothing.香蕉视频直播�

After negotiating his severance package in January from Bell Media (parent company of SUN), Leighton has started the not-for-profit Vernon Community Radio Society with the eventual goal of operating a community radio station.

香蕉视频直播淚 have many good friends and broadcasting colleagues at both SUN and KISS (FM stations in Vernon) and I respect the good work done by both stations,香蕉视频直播� said Leighton, 72.

香蕉视频直播淭his initiative is not a slam, a poke or a disparagement of current services. This is simply an opportunity to create new, refreshingly different content香蕉视频直播ο憬妒悠抵辈��

Growing up in Courtenay on Vancouver Island, Leighton became a radio junkie, first building a crystal radio set and listening to Canadian broadcasting hall of fame disc jockey Red Robinson on Vancouver stations CJOR and CFUN before Billy Browne opened CFCP in Courtenay.

Attending UBC and studying electrical engineering, Leighton spent much of his time hanging out with the Radio Society 香蕉视频直播� RADSOC 香蕉视频直播� which operated the school香蕉视频直播檚 closed circuit radio station from a basement studio at Brock Hall on the Kitsilano campus.

In his second year, and with his marks 香蕉视频直播渘ot so great,香蕉视频直播� Leighton left school and eventually found his way north to Terrace and Kitimat, where he became the 6 p.m. to midnight announcer at CFTK radio for a salary of $290 a month.

He spent nine years in Terrace before returning to Vancouver to join the Q Broadcasting team which operated CHQM AM and FM stations. From there, Leighton went back north to Prince George where, at age 28 in 1973, he became general manager of CKPG radio and TV stations. He stayed for 30 years before finding his way to the Okanagan and Vernon in 2003 after the last of his three kids left home.

Leighton served two terms on the board of the B.C. Association of Broadcasters and was also on the board of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.

香蕉视频直播淏roadcasting is in my blood,香蕉视频直播� said Leighton, who invited four people to join him as directors in the community radio station venture. The four 香蕉视频直播� businessman Dave Weatherill, executive directors Garry Molitwenik and Vicki Proulx and realtor Charlie Veaudry 香蕉视频直播� are well-known within the community.

Their goal is to launch 香蕉视频直播渘ew content including music from genres not now heard, music by new and emerging local artists, in-depth spoken-word programming, a platform for volunteers to express their creativity and perhaps find a career in radio.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淲hat would be on it? Well, a whole lot of people want to hear country music, old country music, maybe a couple of hours per week devoted to jazz, folk or new alternative music that a lot of young people would have to hear as it香蕉视频直播檚 not played on either of the two stations,香蕉视频直播� said Leighton. 香蕉视频直播淭here would be news. Maybe an open line show. Gosh knows what the volunteer community might come up with.香蕉视频直播�

The station would be run mostly with volunteers, though Leighton envisions having several paid on-air and sales staff.

Step one, he said, is to create awareness of the society. Step two is to engage and enlist membership and the third step 香蕉视频直播� as he told the directors 香蕉视频直播� is fundraising.

香蕉视频直播淵ou can香蕉视频直播檛 get started for nothing,香蕉视频直播� said Leighton, whose current estimate for start-up funds is 香蕉视频直播渘orth of $100,000香蕉视频直播� to get the station on the air. And if the station is going to have any kind of impact, he added, it must be heard over the airwaves, not on the Internet.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檒l apply to the CRTC (Canadian licensing body) in the late spring of 2018 for a community-based radio station licence,香蕉视频直播� said Leighton. 香蕉视频直播淚f all goes well, and the CRTC gives us a licence to get on the air, it could allow us to be on maybe even a year from now, the fall of 2018. Could be sooner. It might be later.香蕉视频直播�

Leighton started a page on Facebook 香蕉视频直播� https://www.facebook.com/vernoncommunityradio/ 香蕉视频直播� and has already received 200 likes. He wants to see that number grow. He香蕉视频直播檒l then convene a board meeting and follow that with a town-hall style meeting to introduce the public to his vision.

There are currently about 200 community-based and campus radio stations operating in Canada.