Difficult might need explanation: there are non-entertainment percentages to abide by (ie: 15% spoken word) and so many hours of local programming. You have to 'record' all broadcasts. You must play a certain percentage of Canadian music and adhere to archaic rules about playing a certain percentage of instrumentals. Community stations must prove recruitment of the community to volunteer. You can play anything but expect frowns if other stations play the same songs. You cannot sound like commercial radio in the least. You must sound 'community' and 'volunteer' oriented. Some is more unspoken but nonetheless 'required'. You must play many styles of music (block programming) and if other languages are represented in the area, you must do some programming in those languages.
There are the usual issues: The CRTC must approve a format change and you might have to send lots of extensive research to support your request.
Community stations start as developmental stations, only 5 watts. The short term license can be upgraded at the end to a full community station, mostly about 50 watts. You cannot skip the developmental license. You can get a VLP (very low power) station with a V call letter versus a C. This is a .5 watt up to 5 watts. You must demonstrate a purpose but an individual can apply. A VLP can become a community station.
Community stations cannot do more than 504 minutes of advertising a week that is, per every station I saw, equally divided to be 4 minutes an hour 6 am to Midnight 7 days a week. While a few don't sell commercials and some sell what we would term Underwriting, many community stations run full commercials, usually 30 seconds, but a few do 60s. The CRTC ruling is the commercial must be 'non-produced' or shall we say 'read dry'. This is certainly a nice thing allowing for a few ads.
Community Radio is usually way off in left field compared to the masses of radio listeners. Some small town stations, however, are very localized and mainstream. In all cases I saw, few were making much.
Stations sought listener donations, listener and business 'membership' and sold advertising or Underwriting or business name mention sponsorships. All were cheap. Listener memberships about $20 and business memberships mostly about $50 to $100 or more.
Advertising was dirt cheap: sold by the year in almost every instance, was mostly in the $100 to $200 a year range for one a day 7 days a week. These were for stations in the range of 500 to 40,000 or more in the service area.
Almost all stations had major issues when a piece of equipment failed, almost never having the cash to replace or make repairs. One station lost its computer and was begging for any spare computer to get them back on the air. This is not unlike many USA LPFMs.
Revenue is partly from the 'Rob Peter To Pay Paul Fund' a CRTC thing. For profit stations are required to send 1/2 cent per dollar to a fund that goes to community radio and non-profit broadcasting. Stations can tap in to this.
One station got $51,000 from this fund yet their community only generated $1,660 in members and $1,260 in advertising in one year. To make ends meet the station held events to generate another $5,068 and they had contributions of $820. Thus, $8,798 for the year. Their budget was $60,000 thanks to the Rob Peter To Pay Paul Fund. Remember, it does cost more to operate thanks to CRTC Rules and music licensing.
Some of the tiniest stations are the most solid. One station, in a barn in a community of 450, manages to have a fairly full slate of programs considering, and operates on about $40 a day. Their week long fundraiser generated $11,556, exceeding their $11,000 goal. A spot once a day is $200 a year at this station and they generate around $15,000 a year from the 450 in the primary service area. They get no Rob Peter To Pay Paul dollars but may have for constructing the station.
One station is in a small attic room with equipment sitting on the floor and a computer for a studio. Volunteers can voicetrack a show and select from the station's 40,000 song digital music library.
The CRTC needs applause for the Community Radio concept but the CRTC needs to get out of micromanagement and let community standards and financial support dictate versus the CRTC. Some say that's not good but I find some gripe and some act. The griper will never act. For example, if you must serve a portion of the community who will not support the station then why should you, by law, be required to serve the station and spend your precious funding you got from other programming to put the unsupported programming on the air. The CRTC has done a good job on lots of things but there are just way too many regulations for stations. For example, if Canadian product is superior or better liked, then it gets played. If not, the CRTC should not force it to be played. As a jock building my playlist, I must be wary of the number of non-Canadian songs I play. Why require stations to record their broadcasts 24/7? If their attorney for the station says to, then fine but what is the purpose for those stations that never have issues? Why must the CRTC rule on formats. If it works, it stays; if not, it should be gone and not take your approval to vanish. The market has a good way of regulating all this stuff without CRTC intervention.