Banff Centre Radio suspending operations, will focus on podcasts

Less than a year after it was launched, Banff Centre Radio says it's time to change its focus.

The arts institute is releasing its licenses for their two radio stations.

The stationscatered to tourists with reports on ski conditions and weather, but the institute says it will nowfocus on podcasts to deliver its content.

Carolyn Warren, vice-president of arts at the centre says podcastingwill allow for more freedom in the types of stories they produce.

"We were very, very limited in the park licenses in terms of what we could actuallydo," she said. "We couldn't broadcast the music we produced here, we couldn't talk to the artists and the thinkers and the leaderswho came through our Peter Lougheed Leadership Institute."

Warren says four employees will not have their contracts renewed because of the change.

The final Rocky Mountain Morning show will air on Feb. 27. According to Banff Centre Radio'sFacebook page, the stations 101.1 and 103.3 will remain on air after that date, broadcasting preciously recorded shows until the application for revocation with the CRTCis approved.