The Vancouver office of the crtc has received four letters of intent from broadcasters wanting a piece of the Vancouver/Victoria market.

Full applications are due next month, while a hearing may happen as soon as February or March next year.

The crtc has not divulged who the new applicants are. However, the new race – following the awarding of the vtv licence to ctv in 1997 – likely includes CHUM Ltd., Craig Broadcasting, Rogers Broadcasting and the locally-owned Jim Pattison Group.